In The Darkest Hour

Part One - Chapter Twenty-One: Verbal Attack

“It’ll be fine,” Tracy mused walking through the supermarket with Isla trailing behind her, she had refused to leave her daughter home alone; she was sure that no one would bother them while shopping.

Isla kept her head down as she trailed after her mother, she hadn’t wanted to come shopping since she knew that people still hated her; she didn’t want her mother being targeted even more because of her.

Isla tugged the sleeves of her open stitch jumper down over her hands, her hair was greasy and she didn’t see the point of doing anything anymore.

The open stitch jumper and flared jeans that Isla was wearing hung off her, she had lost so much weight that hardly anyone recognised her anymore; she didn’t look anything like the woman in the papers.

“Do we need cereal?” Tracy asked softly staring at the section before her, she wanted to get things that Isla liked in hopes that her daughter would get her appetite back; things were getting quiet now and she hoped that Isla would get her life back.

Isla just shrugged, she really didn’t care what they had in the house not when she didn’t have the stomach to eat anymore; she wanted to go back home and to bed.

“I’ll get some any way,” Tracy mused collecting cereal that she remembered Isla liked, she wasn’t going to let her daughter’s sulking get her down; Isla had to snap out of this and wait a couple more weeks for Montserrat to prove her innocence.

Isla closed her eyes, she knew that her mother thought that life could return to normal but that wasn’t going to happen; she had been marked for life by what had happened, no one would hire her now that everyone knew who she was.

Isla wondered why she bothered anymore, everyone would be better off without her and her parents wouldn’t have to worry about being targeted because she was their daughter.

***

Kathleen laughed softly listening to Gerard’s jokes, it had been a month since Antonella had introduced the couple and things were going so well between them; she had extended her stay to spend more time with him.

The couple got along perfectly and everyone was surprised to see how fast Gerard had taken to the blonde, they were all sure he wouldn’t want to date for a while but Antonella and Daniella were thrilled with how everything had turned out.

Kathleen sat down across from her new boyfriend, she had started to fall for the footballer and she couldn’t believe that anyone would want to cause him any pain; she swore that he wouldn’t have to deal with it alone anymore.

“I love it here,” Kathleen gushed about the restaurant, it was the one that Gerard had brought her to for their first date; it was simple and not what she had been expecting from him.

Looking around the room, Kathleen stopped as her blue eyes landed on the one person that she had never wanted to see; she couldn’t believe that the restaurant would allow someone like her inside.

“I just have to pop to the ladies room,” Kathleen interrupted, she didn’t even realise that Gerard was talking only that Isla was heading there alone and she had to speak with the woman that had hurt her boyfriend so.

No one had been able to tell Kathleen where she could find the woman, she wanted to give her a piece of her mind; she was going to make it clear that she wasn’t going to let her get away with hurting Gerard.

Gerard barely nodded his head before Kathleen was out of her seat and rushing away, he shrugged sure that it was nothing as he turned his attention back to his menu.

***

“What the hell are you doing here?” Kathleen demanded storming into the ladies room, she smirked feeling triumphant at the flinch that Isla gave; she didn’t care if she did upset the brunette only that she stayed away from Gerard.

Isla turned to look at the woman that was stood before her, she had seen her in pictures with Gerard; she guessed that he hadn’t wasted any time in finding himself a new girlfriend.

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” Kathleen demanded stepping closer to Isla, she had heard a lot about the woman before her and it sickened her; she wasn’t going to let Isla hurt Gerard anymore.

Kathleen could only imagine why Isla had done what she had but that didn’t excuse that she had caused Isabel’s death; she hoped that Isla’s life was miserable for what she had done.

“Gerard is finally happy and you’re stalking him, you’re lucky I don’t call the policía,” Kathleen threatened, she hadn’t done it so far since she knew that Gerard had spotted the woman that had caused all the pain in his life.

Isla looked down at her block heel desert boots, she should have known that someone would have filled Kathleen’s head full of lies; she had no idea what would happen when Montserrat cleared her name.

“You should be in prison for what you did,” Kathleen hissed taking note at how bad Isla looked, she was glad that Isla wasn’t having her happy ending; she wanted Isla to suffer so much that she didn’t care how bad she looked.

Isla swallowed and looked at Kathleen, she didn’t know why everyone was so quick to believe the papers; they never told the truth about anything that happened.

“I didn’t do anything,” Isla croaked wanting to cry, she felt her ears burn with the tears that she held inside; she just wanted someone to believe her for once. 

“That’s what they all say,” Kathleen dismissed ignoring the pity that she formed in her chest, she could see that Isla was suffering and it did make her feel bad; she wasn’t going to believe anything that the other woman said.

Isla sniffled, she should have expected Kathleen to snap at her and dismiss what she said; everyone believed that she had killed Isabel and she was starting to feel responsible.

“I don’t know how you live with yourself,” Kathleen scoffed shaking her head, she had never hated someone as much as she hated the woman stood before her; she hoped never to see her again after this chat.

Isla sniffled she looked away from Kathleen not wanting to share her dark thoughts with anyone; she had considered ending her life enough the last few weeks and she was sure that it would happen again.

“Now listen here… if I ever see you near Gerard again, I will get rid of you myself,” Kathleen spat disgusted that she had even wasted this much time on someone like Isla; she guessed that the brunette’s parents were hiding her since no one knew where she was staying.

Isla watched as Kathleen turned to leave the ladies room, she didn’t say anything knowing that there was nothing that she could say that would change anything.

“The world would be a better place without people like you,” Kathleen murmured stopping before she walked out, she didn’t know why people got away with what they did; she hoped that the hospital had better procedures now with how to deal with people like Isla.

Isla closed her eyes as she slowly broke down in the toilets, she couldn’t help but think that Kathleen was right; the world would be a better place without her.