Claiming My Mother's Husband

“Vivienne, snap out of it!” Aaron yelled, dragging me out of my devastated, shaken state. “This isn't the time to panic!” I turned slowly away from the sight, blinking at him, swallowing to push the lump down my throat. “This… this isn't the time to panic?” I asked, my voice sounding strangely calm even though I felt anything but. “This isn't the time to panic?!” Now, I was beginning to sound how I felt. “Aaron, we just killed a person! We just ended a life, and this isn't the time to panic?!” He groaned in frustration, wiping his nose with the back of his hand as he walked to me, away from the edge of the cliff. “Listen to me, Vivien,” he said calmly as he grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight. “That–” he pointed at the edge of the cliff where we just threw a body like the goddamn criminal we were, “–was a mistake. A mistake! Did you mean to kill her?” I shook my head immediately, tears dropping down my cheeks. “Did you plan on doing something like this when we left the house?” I shook my head so hard, I was surprised it didn't drop from my neck. “Good,” Aaron whispered, stroking my cheeks with his thumb. “Good. That was a mistake, baby. It wasn't our fault. Okay?” I stared at him, my vision blurry from my tears, but I still somehow managed to see his face clearly. How was that possible, you may ask? Well, that's because this is the man I've loved for three years; his face is engraved in my mind. This was a man I knew everything about. Or at least that was what I thought. This… Aaron, standing in front of me, caressing my cheeks, didn't seem like the man I knew. His soft touch felt familiar. His scent and warmth felt familiar, yet I didn't know him. How could he dismiss what happened so easily? “Aaron, we just killed a person,” I whispered, my voice shaking, my tears flowing out more. Sure, we hadn't meant to kill anyone tonight. We didn't leave the house all excited and fired up for the club just to hit a woman while Aaron drove like a drunk fool, killing her on the spot. We didn't have in mind that we were going to dispose of a body tonight, throwing a human being off the cliff like we have done that a thousand times. Sure, we didn't plan for any of this to happen, but we still killed a person! We were still murderers! Intentional or not. “We just killed a person, for Christ’s sake!” I repeated, louder this time, my eyes wide. My vision cleared a bit, and his real expression—not the one engraved in my head—came into view, and he… he looked annoyed. He grabbed my hand and dragged me to his SUV. I stared at the car as if it were surrounded by snakes. I used to love the car, but right now, I don't want to go anywhere near it because to me, it seems like the car was screaming, “We just committed murder! Come arrest us!” Aaron forced me into the car, secured the seat belt around me, and moved to the front seat. The engine roared to life, breaking the night's stillness. Aaron drove away from the crime scene with an even more reckless speed. This was it. My life was officially over. In the morning, her body would be found, and my name and face would be all over New York as a criminal. My life was over before it even started. My fashion dream will collapse. My graduation wouldn't happen. My mother will really have a real reason to stare at me with that hate in her eyes. This was it. This was the end. “Hey. Hey!” I turned to see that Aaron had parked the car and was now facing me fully. “Listen to me, Vivienne,” he said slowly, his voice stern. “Whatever thoughts you’re having right now, stop it.” “But–” “No. Stop it. Your life isn't going to end here. I won't let that happen. You understand me?” Yes. Yes, how could I forget what kind of family Aaron came from? They came second among the biggest and richest in New York. They were big deals. Hot shots. So this could be easily swept under the carpet, with money. Influence. Power. I wiped my eyes. “Yes. I understand.” A small smile lifted his lips, and he leaned in, kissing me slowly. “Good. I'll drive you home.” *** I sat in front of my laptop, the screen on, designs displayed on it, but I wasn't seeing anything. And then the news came on. “Breaking news this morning. The body of Nadia Fletcher, heiress of the Fletcher empire, has been discovered in a wooded area following a car collision late last night. The incident occurred along Brooklyn Street at 9:30 p.m. Following this development, the police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, and detective Kenneth–” It felt like ice water was poured on me. I felt fear’s cold tongue lick up my spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Oh no. Oh no. No. No! Nadia Fletcher? Heiress of the Fletcher empire? Oh God, no. I was done for. My life was over. Remember when I said Aaron’s family was the second-biggest in New York? Well, guess who came first? Yeah, the Fletchers. I thought the lady was just something small, someone not sufficient, but Nadia Fletcher? This was really the end for me. I was shaking, miserable, when my sweetheart of a mother decided this was the time to show herself. “What the f**k? Why aren't you dressed?!” I ignored her, my eyes fixed on the screen, my shaking growing. But she wouldn't be my mother if she just left me alone in peace. “Vivienne, I'm talking to you! Why aren't you dressed?” I turned away from the screen and looked at her. She was fully glam, with a tight dress and high hair, like it was the 60s, her lips red and full. It disgusted me. “Because I have no interest in meeting your soon-to-be husband,” I answered calmly, my voice void of any emotions. Her face, which looked so much like mine, twisted in anger. She walked to me, where I sat, and grabbed my arm, dragging me close to her face. “You will stand up from this couch and go get dressed, or I swear to God, Vivienne…” “What?” I pressed, staring into her eyes without backing down. “Or what, Mom?” Her face grew red. “Or I'm going–” “Excuse me,” a rough, calm voice spoke, breaking the tension. My mom and I both turned to the door at the same time, and when she pulled away from me with the speed of light, I knew who I was looking at. As soon as my eyes met him, my heart skipped a beat.