Beckoned Through The Dark

100 // Abigail // Change of Heart

I wanted to go with Nthabiseng and Tiffany to inspect and analyse the evidence they found in Betty's house, but I couldn't.

It was so great having a role and helping where I could, and because of that, Lesego was close to getting her closure and probably reunite with Zack, Clay, and her family once again.

But where did that leave me?

I was out there helping others and solving their problems when my own life seemed to be falling into pieces.

The people I loved the most fell into the wrong hands, and once all this was solved, they would have to do time in prison.

Bridgette kidnapped Dineo and Nomalanga's baby, while Ryan had a long list of bad doings and would also have to go to prison.

It hurt so much, the thought that I was losing him or had probably lost him already scared me. He was going to prison, and for a long time.

I had absolutely nothing to hold on to except my love for him, but where would that take me? What am supposed to do while he rots in jail?

I had no one. Even if I wanted to fall back into my old life, there was nothing left of it.

I had absolutely no idea what was happening with Lwandle, the last time I saw her she tried to kill me, and now she was working with Karabelo.

Nomalanga was yet to pay for her crimes, and I didn't want anything to do with her children and husband after everything that's happened.

Then there was Claudia. I thought she would wake up after I took away Karabelo's powers, she was still out, and I had no idea how to bring her back.

My greatest fear right now was that if anything bad was to happen to Karabelo, she was as good as dead too.

I wish somebody could help me; I wish someone would save me from all this misery.

I woke up that morning and went for a drive, and on my way back I noticed someone who looked like Bridgette standing outside Lesego's yard next to a 4x4 parked outside, I parked Claudia's car outside my gate and then rushed to her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Abigail, I was just–" A baby's cry got my attention, and I pushed her aside and opened the backdoor.

"Dineo, are you okay?"

"Yes," She said sweetly, relaxed on the backseat of Betty's car.

"And the baby?"

"She's okay, I took good care of her," Bridgette said.

I turned towards her in anger. "It was never your responsibility to begin with!" I shouted. "Your responsibility was your children, me and Claudia, but you couldn't even own up to that because of your devious intentions."

She looked remorseless, like she was done, and that made me angrier. "I understand that I made mistakes–"

I scoffed. "Mistakes? You wanna talk about mistakes, my sister is still out cold in there!" I yelled, pointing at her house.

Footsteps sounded from inside the yard, and seconds later the gates opened, revealing Vincent and Karabelo.

What was she doing back here?

"What's all the noise about?" Vincent enquired. "Dineo?" He pushed me out of the way, and I stood aside and folded my arms, my eyes set on my mother and Karabelo. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay." She unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

"Keep that phone safe," Bridgette said, and Dineo squeezed her hand in assurance.

"Dineo?" Karabelo said in fake awe. She ran forward and pulled Dineo into a hug. "My sister," she gushed, trailing her hands all over the little girl's face. "Are you okay, did they hurt you?"

Dineo pulled away from her and took hold of her uncle's hand.

"No, Bridgette took good care of me." Only then did Vincent notice that Bridgette was here. "Bridgette." He nodded.

"Vincent," she said plainly. "Good to see you, it's been years."

"Wish I could say the same," he retorted, and the little smile that was on her face vanquished.

"I have no idea what happened to Rorisang, Vincent."

"Don't you dare say her name." The look in his eyes told me he was more than ready to kill her if she dared. "You should be in jail for murder, you evil witch!" He said coldly, and then took Dineo and walked inside.

"Now that's interesting, aren't you bothered that your mother is a murderer?" Karabelo mocked.

I shook my head at her. "Listen to the kettle calling the pot black," I shot back, and her smile faded. "You are no saint, Karabelo. Don't even try to act like one, because who knows? You two might actually be cellmates."

"Ryan would never allow the mother of his only son to go to jail."

"Son? Which son, you mean the baby you sacrificed to break out of that nest you were trapped in?" I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy watching the blood drain from her smug face.

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, tears in her eyes. "What was I supposed to do? You guys left me in the forest to die," she defended.

"That's ridiculous. If it were up to me, I would have rather killed you."

She laughed coldly. "Would you listen to that, a family of murderers! Apparently, you two don't just look alike, you think alike too. What stopped you then?"

"The thing with you is that you've only ever been good at one thing, and that is seeing the bad in every situation. You let your darkness overshadow you and fail to see the positive side of life. You have convinced yourself that you are this special person and deserve everything in this world, even things that don't belong to you, you think the world owes you." I sucked my teeth and shook my head. "The reason I didn't kill you is because Lesego refused, because you are her sister. Whether she knew you or not, or only ever saw your evil side, she wanted you to live, because she hoped that you would work out your differences and become a family." For the first time since I've met her, I saw something crack in her eyes. "Tell me something, now that she's dead, what exactly have you gained?" I poked.

She gulped, trying to stop the tears from falling, but she failed. "Your father is alive, and he would do anything to have a family, but you already knew that didn't you?"

She ran back into her yard without another word.

"Was that necessary?" Bridgette scolded.

"Is your presence in our lives necessary?" She flinched as if she had just been pricked by a set of point objects. "Did you kill her?" I asked.

"What?"

I folded my arms and stood in front of her. "Did you kill Lesego's mother?"

She bowed her head and took a shaky breath. "Betty tricked me into believing that the poison I made was to kill Nomalanga, to make her pay for everything she's done to me, and to stop her from doing it to someone else. She told me that Nomalanga was planning to steal Rorisang's babies, Rorisang was my friend and I couldn't stand by and let her suffer the same fate I did."

I was so numb, I didn't even have tears to shed, and I couldn't even bring myself to feel sorry for her. "I get that you are angry and hurt, but now is not the time. Betty is on her way, and I don't think she's coming for casualties," she said.

Another car pulled up in our street, and Jack and Duncan got out.

"You have to call the others, Betty must be on her way here now," Jack said breathlessly.

"What happened to you?!" I asked, approaching them.

"We went searching for you. Betty and Ryan caught us snooping around the area and they kidnapped us. We went to the mansion first, and they went inside," He said, "Moments later, we heard gunshots, and Betty came back alone."

My heart sank to the pits of my stomach, and I fought to keep myself together.

"Honey–" Bridgette tried to reach out to me, but I shook my head.

"Duncan, I think you should take the baby and go to Claudia's house, and don't come back until someone comes to get you," I said quietly and handed him the house keys.

Duncan took the baby from the back, and I helped him with the bags and accompanied him inside to get settled, and then came out to find Bridgette and Jack still standing outside, this time joined by Vincent.

Jack continued narrating what happened, but I was barely listening. "She then drove us farther into the forest. It was a one-hour drive, and on our way there we saw her 4×4 coming from that side. When we got to the cottage, she told us Dineo was there. She got us out of the car and led us into the cottage, but when we got in, Dineo was nowhere to be seen. Betty was furious. She knows you took her, Bridgette. We took this chance and escaped.”

"I'll call Tiffany to let her know what's happening."