36: THE VILLAINESS

THE VILLAINESS

"You are the reason why Vien died! You can't blame anyone, Phoenix. You're a naive little girl who suddenly jumps to conclusions."2

Angela shot me a wicked grin, the one which I loathed seeing in her lips. Her insolent attempt to drag my dead daughter's name burnt me with rage. 

Ignoring the furious glare I shot her, she slipped the bloodied gloves out of her fingers and threw them across the floor. I was so damn sure that the blood belongs to me. 

No matter how I soothe myself with my logical reasoning, the bubbling rage inside me just won't go away. I was so mad that I could kill her if my fingers weren't bound.

How dare this woman who was nothing but a plastic silicone, cheap enough to become a married man's lover blame me for killing my daughter.

"You heard nothing from me when you stole Ace." I clenched my fist tightly until my knuckles paled by the force and continued, "But to drag Vien here, and blame me for her death. I will never forgive you for that." I added, the words were spoken in a surprisingly calm manner despite the urge to land a forceful kick in her butt.

"Oh, I'm scared, Phoenix!" She rolled her eyes upward. I suddenly wished it wouldn't return to normal.

"If you did not run away that night. Your daughter would still be alive. You know why? It was Vince, Ace's stepbrother you saw on the bed with me that night."

Angela's confession doesn't change anything. I still hate Ace. There was no amount of explanation which could melt the heart that had been frozen and numbed with pain.

But the hatred I felt towards her grew tenfold, it was now the size of a monster. From behind my back, my bruised fingers were slowly loosening the knots. I itched to flung those tortured fingers around her lovely neck until I knocked the breath out of her, and until she turned into a dead mannequin.

"You see before I met Ace, I was his younger brother's lover. You know how he hates Ace for having almost everything. I was blinded by my love for him to the point of agreeing to become an accessory to destroy your marriage with Ace in which I succeeded!"

She smiled. That gentle, triumphant smile that had fooled everyone with its sweetness. Ace was a fool to believe this cunning, deceitful woman in sheep's clothing. It must be his karma.

I feigned interest as she went on with her babble. Behind my back, my fingers were doing wonders to untie the rope that was preventing the blood from flowing into my numb fingers.

"Since you opened your love interest, I guess the man with you inside the Golden Bond store wasn't Ace? It was Vince right?" I said pertaining to my ex-husband's younger brother.

Shocked, her prattle stopped. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"I guess that's a yes," I said instead when she's unable to respond. Now that I was able to piece the information together it was making sense. The day mom died, Ace arrived in the hospital first, it would be impossible that he flew all the way from the jewelry store to the hospital. The truth is, it was Vince I saw with Angela that day.

When surprise subsided, she smiled, flashing me her pearly white teeth. "Yes, it was Vince. We bought our wedding ring together." She confirmed. Her smile faded, her face turned sour. "But that bastard still wants you."

I receive a murderous glare from my captor. Slowly, she made her way towards me. The hem of her stunning beaded gown trailing behind her as she walked gracefully, except that Angela was not a queen but a murderer.

"You could have Vince and Ace all by yourself and I won't even care!!!"

The remark sent another blow flying to my cheeks. The painful slap left red imprints on my pale skin.

"I said shut up!!!" 

Finally, my fingers escaped from the binding rope. I lunged at her, the attack sent the gun flying out of her reach. She fell to the floor and I took the opportunity to repeatedly slap her face until I couldn't feel my palms anymore.

Angela was pregnant, I too was pregnant, and that makes us even.

I wasn't aware that the baseball bat was within her grasp, when the blow landed on my shoulders, I fell off her. I rolled on the floor, thrashing in pain.

Angela quickly retrieved the gun and pointed it towards my direction. "I guess it's time for you to die. It would be trouble if you escaped."

I pulled myself together, despite the torturous pain, I slumped to the ground trying to catch my breathing. I crawled away from Angela, trying to be as far from her as possible. Suddenly the glass window was now on my back, I had no more space to escape. 

A few meters away from me, Angela stood, a murderous glint was playing on her eyes. I was so sure, she was dead serious about eliminating me tonight. She was so cold, like a doll's eye it lacked emotions.

A thick brown envelope was thrown at me, I was hit in the temples, but it hurt less compared to the blow I received from the baseball bat.

"Open my surprise for you." She ordered which I obliged in fear that she would pull the trigger.

I tore the envelope open. I was greeted with the greatest shock of my life.

They were polaroid pictures…. A woman was in bed, naked, astride a man…... The woman was me. 

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