Of gilbardo

Chapter Fourteen

Anna was staring at herself at the mirror and was toweling her hair dry when Jolie walks into the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" she says as she saw Jolie's face on the mirror.
"Why did you leave the room."
"What do you mean. I was here all along. You locked me up and you're asking why I left the room. Just wow."
"Listen to me Juliette, I know you're in there but let me tell you this, leave my daughter alone and go to hell where you belong."
"What're you saying?" Anna looks confused. "Look mum I've had enough of this, there's nothing in me okay. Please allow me dress up, will you."
Jolie became silent and was leaving.
"Hello kitty, remember me." Anna says. Jolie paused in shock. She knew that voice, only that it sounded unearthly and it was only Juliette that uses the word 'kitty' on her. Jolie sways around to see her daughter grinning. She instantly knew that she was looking at Juliette.
"Go away from my daughter."
"Why should I? I'm not done yet with what I'm in her body for."
"Why're you doing this to us. We were friends. Why're you hurting us." Jolie cried.
"Don't act like you do not know what you did. The six of you killed me. I roamed restlessly for twenty years wanting to avenge my death. And I'm doing so now. What makes you think I would quit."
"Juliette what you're doing is wrong. They're innocent. They didn't kill you."
"I'm going to enjoy chopping your skin bit to bit. You don't have to bother about your sweet Anna since I wouldn't hurt her. It's a pity she would be an orphan very soon."
Anna falls on the ground and fainted.
"Anna!" Jolie snapped.
..
Jolie called Anna for a meeting and thought it was the right time to tell her the things she doesn't know before she dies eventually. They sat opposite to each other and Jolie was gazing at her. She'd lost all hope that she might survive Julliete and was aware she was coming for her soon.
"There's something I should tell you." Jolie started.
"I'm listening." Her arms were crossed.
"Your dad died six years ago and it was partially my fault." Anna looked confused. "and yes, you'd noticed he didn't love me and he was scared whenever he was around me, and that was because he found out that I had a hand in the murder of Juliette."
For some period Anna couldn't believe what she just heard. "Wait... you did what? "Is Juliette not your highschool bestie you'd told me 'bout. Thought you said you didn't do anything to her."
Jolie continues. "She was going to take the man I loved away from me and that's why I did what I did twenty years ago."
Anna shook her head in disbelief. "That's some confession."
"Look, I wasn't thinking straight when I did what i did. Ken found out that I killed Julliete. He peeked on my phone conversation with Danielle. It was when I was about to have you that he learnt about it. He was going to divorce me but he didn't. He stayed back because of you. He wanted to play the role of a father in your life. He didn't want you to live your life without a Dad. He knew if he'd left he wouldn't be able to see you more often like he wanted. He was a good man. It takes a good man to know that the presence of a father is essential to a child's upbringing. From the day he set his eyes on you and saw your little smile glowing at his way, he knew he'd made the right decision about staying. I will never stop loving you, Ken." Jolie says.
"Did you kill dad also." Anna was sitting tight.
"Kendrick Cuomo did not deserve me. He made me kill my best friend."
"Mum, did you kill my dad." Anna was getting annoyed.
"No. And, yeah."
"What do you mean?"
"You were in school and your dad and I had an argument and he swore to reopen Juliette's case and I couldn't let that happen. While he was having his bath, I was putting a lot of sleeping medicine into the food I knew he would eat. I thought after he ate the food he would fall asleep and wouldn't leave the house for the police station. I was wrong. The medicine didn't have it's effect on him while he was at home but did while he was driving. He collided on a vehicle and died. He was badly asleep while driving. It's partly my fault that he's no more."
"Let's say, if you did not put the drug in his food, my Dad would still be alive.
"And I would be in jail.
Anna hits her fists on the table. "I don't want to talk to you." She stands from the chair. Tears could be seen on her eyes. Jolie reaches to grab her arm. "Let go of me." She threw off Jolie's hands. "I don't believe this. I don't believe this!"
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have done what I did. I'm sorry."
"I don't believe this. I don't believe this. I don't believe this!" Anna kept on saying. "Your silly mistake took away my dad."
"Honey, do you want your mum to be in jail?"
"You should've gone, after all, that's where you deserve."
"Anna..."
"That explains why you and Dad never shared to me that you two schooled at the same highschool. I don't blame him, he could've told me but did not so he wouldn't be remembering the past how his own wife killed her friend because of jealousy. I'm sure if he knew he was going to die because of you he would've left a long time ago."
"Anna." Jolie was crying.
"Or it was your plan all along. Tell me, if Dad slept off on a couch as you thought he would, he would still go to the police when he wakes up so..."
Jolie cuts in sharply. "No! I was going to beg him. I was going to convince him not to do so. I was going to tell him that I can't go to jail!"
Anna was staring straight into her eyes. "You're despicable."
"Anna please..."
"Don't speak my name." She treads off in anger.