𝙴𝚂𝙲𝙰𝙿𝙴

CHAPTER 12

| EDITED

"You make me feel like a person."

I sign my discharge papers and Billie helps me put my shoes on. They gave me a prescription for some med to help ween me off the drugs and start detox. We left the hospital and got in her car and the drive to my house was mostly quiet.

We pull up to a red light and Billie finally speaks up. "You want to tell me what happened to your neck?" I had completely forgotten about what had happened and began to panic a bit.

"Actually I sort of need help with something." She looks at me a bit confused but I say nothing else and just let her drive to my house. "Billie I need you to promise me you won't freak out."

"Imani what did you do? Just tell me what happened." She follows me into the house and looks around at how disheveled it was. I go into my dads bathroom and just stood there holding the curtain for a second.

I quickly pull it back revealing my dad's slightly decaying body in the tub right where I left it. "Jesus Christ Imani what did you do?" I start to shush her in fear that the neighbors would hear. "I panicked he was choking me. I was just trying to defend myself." I start crying out of fear of somebody finding out I murdered someone.

She looks down at his body and his eyes are completely white, a sign there was no life left in him and his skin had gone pale. Her eyes move down to the hand prints on his neck and she looks back up at me.

"You strangled him?" I just nod too scared to speak. "With your bare hands?" I do nothing but nod again. "Ok just calm down. I'll figure something out."

🔆

I stood there on the back deck watching as Billie pulled the lid off the septic tank in my backyard and stuff the big trash bag in that held my dads body in it.

She closed it back and covered it back up with the dirt she had dug up. "We tell no one about this ok?" I softly nod and she goes back inside and goes to wash her hands. "Are you going to be ok for the night by yourself?" I softly nod while biting my nails looking down at the floor.

"Mani look at me...if you need anything you can call me ok?" I softly nod and she gives me a hug before leaving. The house was now quiet and I don't think I wanted live in it anymore. There's to much traumatic shit that's happened here.

A few days go by and I get a call from Mr. Banks asking if I could meet him at his office. I pull up to a small building and go inside and tell the receptionist at the desk what I was here for.

I follow her down the hall and she lets me into his office. When I entered he was finishing up a phone call and he signals for me to give him a minute.

He eventually hangs up and pulls out a folder. "So as of recently your dad has not been home in a while as a result of that the house is now all yours." He hands me a document to sign now putting the house in my name.

"Along with the money from your mothers will." He hands me a check and I look at the amount on it, $7,355,000. I look up at him in shock at the amount she left behind for me.

"How come I didn't get this sooner?" If I had gotten this money a long time ago I wouldn't be in situations I was in. I wouldn't have gone that far down that road. "At the time you were too young to receive the money and your dad had changed the names on your moms will."

"You were originally supposed to get everything. Speaking of which what happened to your dad exactly?" The mention of my dad made my heart race as I aimlessly sign the papers.

"Uh he left town he moved back to New York. He offered for me to go with him but I wanted to stay you know, live my own life." I lied and left it at that. Once I got back home I grab a duffel bag and pack some stuff for a few weeks.

I leave my keys on my bed, locking the door behind me and I go outside and get into my Uber. The ride there was silent as I just looked out the window watching the top of the palm trees sway in the wind.

The car comes to a stop as I look at the rehab facility in front of me. I tell myself this is the only way I can get better I have to do this. If I don't it's just going to keep happening and I can't do that all over again.

I'll do the 60 days and come out a new person. I get out and go inside to check myself in. Someone takes me to a room and it was simple. A queen size bed a desk with a journal and lamp on it and a private bathroom.

The nurse lets me settle in and I sit down on my bed and decide to send Billie a text so she wouldn't worry about me.

I'm sorry for the trouble I put you through, I had no intention of any of this happening. Right now I'm checking myself into a rehab center so I can get help and get back to the way I was. Unfortunately they don't allow visitors so I won't be able to see you til I'm done but I promise you'll be the first person I see when I get out of here. None of this is your fault so don't beat yourself up about it. I forgive you for that night so don't beat yourself up over that either. I'll be back soon just promise not to lose love for me while I'm gone thats all I ask of you.
Love, Imani.

I hit send and shut my phone off and turn it in. I won't be able to speak to anyone for the next month and three weeks. It's going to be a long process but it's something I need to do. It's for the greater good of everyone.

Most of all I'd miss Billie. She's probably the only person that gets me, knows me like the back of her hand. As the first week goes by all I could think about was her I would lie in bed at night hoping somehow I'd look over and she'd be laid next to me.

I'd be able to hold her as long as I could. I miss her smile and those pretty blue eyes. Her laugh had to be my most favorite thing to hear throughout the day and I can't hear it now. She gave the best hugs and made me feel like I could be myself around her.

This was going to be so hard but it's the only way I'd be able to live a normal life. To feel like a person again.