The Retribution Chronicles

M i r i a m | t h i r t y

"Where's Wes?" Esther asked the moment Miriam stepped foot in the restaurant. It was to be expected at some point in the evening, Miriam just didn't think it would be the first thing her sister would say to her. Instead, she was expecting a hi, hello, how are you, anything that didn't place him at the centre of her universe.

Still now the question was out there, Miriam had bigger things to worry about then her sister's lack of pleasantries. Namely, whether or not she should tell the truth. The urge to lie was certainly there, pressing heavy on her conscious. Maybe if she were more adept at lying to Esther, she would've, but since she was one of the few people in the world who knew everything there was to know about Miriam, she stamped out the desire to lie and said, "We're not really talking at the moment."

"You and Wes?" Esther asked. When Miriam nodded and she followed up with, "Why?"

"It's a long story," Miriam said, "but he basically found out about the—"

"Revenge scheme?" Esther guessed, wincing slightly.

"Yeah." Miriam forced her mouth into a steady line. "The revenge scheme."

"How did he find out?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter," Miriam said with a soft smile. "But we're not talking, and he won't be here tonight. I hope that doesn't like ruin any of your plans."

"It's alright." Esther squeezed her shoulder. "I didn't tell anyone he was coming," she said. "It'll be like he was never supposed to be here in the first place." She then looped her arm through Miriam's and led her through the restaurant, up the stairs and into a private room near the back.

The room was dark, lit by rows of tealight candles which flickered each time someone so much as breathed and a gold candelabra that dangled above the long mahogany table and cast haunting shadows across the pristine settings. Miriam noted her parents who were standing with Darren's, her father gesticulating in broad strokes while her mother barely hid her boredom behind a taut smile. Joanna was stood just behind with Darren's younger sister, the two giggling at something on Joanna's phone. The rest of the room was filled with Esther and Darren's friends.

"Miriam," her mother cheered the moment she spotted her. "Finally, I thought you weren't going to make it."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." Miriam threw an arm around Esther's waist and squeezed, her sister's laughter bringing the first genuine smile of the night to Miriam's face.

"No," her mother said, "of course not. So, where is Wes?" She craned her neck to glance over Miriam's shoulder.

"He won't be coming tonight," Miriam said, shoring up her smile with the knowledge that her mother's disappointment was a given with or without him.

Her face fell nonetheless, wrinkles dragging each and every feature to the ground. "What did you do?" she asked.

"Why do you—"

"Oh look," Esther interrupted with a blistering smile, "there's some people I want to introduce Miriam to."

"Fine." Their mother waved a dismissive hand. "But you and I will talk about this later."

Miriam bit her tongue and let herself be led away. "Who are you introducing me to?" she eventually hissed. "I know everybody here."

Esther's smile merely grew as she deposited Miriam with her oldest friends. "Just stay here," she murmured out of the corner of her mouth. She then floated away, looking appropriately bridal in her off-white jumpsuit, and threw her arms around Darren's neck. His wound around her waist, drawing her closer as he kissed her gently and murmured something against her ear. They laughed and Miriam felt a twinge in her gut. On first thought she feared it was jealousy, a reality she didn't have the stomach to swallow until she realised it was in fact regret. Regret that she ruined her one chance at this.