A Dark Family Secret

Double Confusion

Ms Smith could hear the tranquil sounds of the night while she was lying in the guest room.

"Should I tell them the truth?" she asked herself.

Ms Smith was restless.

How could she keep on living like this?

How could she sleep in a room diagonal to her daughters and feel comfortable?

Ms Smith grasped her face, frustrated.

She was ready to do what was right.

Tell her girls the truth.

Ms Smith stood up from her bed, whispering to herself that it couldn't wait until tomorrow.

She knocked on the door she saw the two girls go into before in the day.

A tired looking-Crystal opened the door to see the liar in front of her door.

She forced a smile. "What may I do for you in the middle of the night?" she asked, emphasising the word 'middle'.

She could see the woman fiddling around on one stop.

Crystal belly felt cold-she knew she was going to tell her something she didn't want to hear.

Slowly, she stepped out of the room, trying not to wake Lucy Rose up with the sound of the creaky, old door.

"What?" she asked the woman who was now staring at her thoughtfully.

Ms Smith breathed in deeply as if the world was running out of oxygen.

How could she ever let the situation continue for so long?

These girls were 16 and 17! Was she going to wait until she had grandchildren? Ms Smith scolded herself.

Crystal was waiting impatiently for the middle-aged woman to say something. But the truth dawned on her like lightning.

"You know who my mother is?" Crystal asked, wide-eyed.

Ms Smith held her daughter's hand and pulled her towards the guest room. "Sit", she demanded while pointing at the bed.

"You know my mother", Crystal continued, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"Indeed", the woman answered, swallowed by a deep feeling of guilt.

The young girl sitting in front of her was so happy. Her fantasies were probably beyond her imagination. And all she was about to get was a middle-aged woman who lived her whole life in Britain.

These girls had a wonderful life-They were living in Los Angeles.

And now?... And now, these girls might have to be separated or even moved to a different country.

"Who is it?" Crystal asked again.

"Me..." Ms Smith whispered like a baby who was just learning to speak.

"Who?" Crystal asked, unsure of what she's just heard.

"Did she just say me? It couldn't be this woman." Crystal thought, hoping that Ms Smith would mention another person's name.

"I am your mother, Crystal.", she said clearly now.

Crystal fought off the urge to snap her in half.

How could she stand here and say it boldly? This woman was their neighbour for at least three years. And she did this to us?

She was even willing to let that evil hag take us.

Then why did she write that letter?

Crystal stood up from her bed, lost in thoughts.

She made her when to the door when Ms Smith held her hand.

However, Crystal didn't have time for this nonsense- She yanked her hand out forcefully and glared at her. Tears were glistening in her eyes.

She'd always thought their mother lost them or had a valid reason.

But this woman sat by every day, seeing that hag invite full-grown men and women into the house for parties and come back out drunk.

She sat by and listened to that woman screaming at them.

And not once did she think she should check up on her daughters.

But why?