The Billionaire's Betrayed Love.

80: Murder Taint.

ALMA

I was in trouble.

Shock sneaked in like a thief in the night and I was rooted to a spot, trying to understand how this happened, why it happened, and how to take care of it. Linda was standing directly before her mother and I was still at the top of the stairs, trying to comprehend what just happened.

She wasn't moving! She didn't bulge! "Oh my god!" I opened my eyes yet it seemed like there was a veil cast over my eyes. Like I wasn't seeing clearly even though it played out right before me. My body was stiff.

"What did you do to her!?" Linda screeched, falling to the floor and grabbing her mother who was unresponsive. "What did you do, Rosaline!?" She continued to yell and I didn't dare take umbrage.

I couldn't feel anything was the case. The shock was getting to me, wounding into my chest and stifling my heart. I turned blue, my breathing slow and labored. She wasn't responding! Linda must think this cavalier attitude was on purpose, or I didn't deign to say a word.

I just couldn't. "Oh my god!" I muttered again, fumbling my purse and bringing out my phone. I had Carl on speed dial but before I called, he barged in, basically.

The sight wasn't a pretty one. Anyone would think I'd killed my stepmother. No, no. I was concluding too fast. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. "Carl! Carl!" I called out breathlessly, extending my quivering arms. "I don't know what happened! I don't know how it happened but I didn't touch her! I didn't do anything!" I cried.

Carl pushed Linda off her slightly and checked her pulse. There were no signs of bleeding but she was unconscious for sure. Carl slowly looked up at me, nodding faintly and I didn't know what to do with that information. Why was he nodding? Linda sobbed out loud and stood up, pacing the room but seemingly going closer to the door.

"What did you do!? You hurt her, didn't you!?"

"Get the car started!" Carl yelled. I couldn't tell if I was the one he yelled at or Linda. All I knew was, I was trying too hard to move but couldn't. Not even a muscle.

Everything played out right before me. How was I expected to deal with that? I could barely hear myself, just the vile screams in my head. "Alma! Alma!" He yelled again. "Go get the car started!"

Linda was still yelling, raging, fighting even. I snapped out of it, grabbing my purse with shaky hands and trying to walk past the door when Linda pulled me back and slammed my back against the wall. "Where do you think you're going, you murderer?!"

Murderer? No. Not quite. I tried to shove her off but she'd tightened her grip around my collar, almost asphyxiating me in the process. "Linda, stop this madness and let her go! We have to get her to the hospital now!"

"No!" She shot back. "She murdered my mother and she's going to try to run away!" She wasn't in her right senses. None of us were. Aside from Linda's hold around my neck, I felt even more choked.

"I didn't touch her," I strained, pulling away forcefully. "I didn't touch her so let go and stop being stupid! She needs to get to the hospital now!"

"No...no..." Linda wouldn't get out of my way. She wouldn't budge, almost as if she wanted so dearly for this to be her new reality. For her to have something to blame me for! "She's gone. I'll call the cops! I'm going to call the cops!"

"For God's sake, Linda!" Carl snapped, pulling towards her with both arms on her shoulders. His tone went down by a notch, as though he was trying to talk her into being sensible. That was exactly what we needed. "We'll sort this out, okay? Just stay calm! We'll get her to the hospital and everything will be fine."

He signaled to me and I stepped out of the house, hurrying to my car and driving it closer to where Carl had parked. There was only one thing ringing in my head as I got into the car. I didn't do it, and I had evidence!

I knew Linda well, though she termed herself unpredictable. If her mother gave up the ghost due to this incident, this was another bargaining point for her. She'd try to ruin me with this! God! Why couldn't I just get away from this family?

I was becoming a well-known hospital patron, thanks to them. I hit the horn with all the strength that I could muster, to indicate that I was out and ready. Carl, with my stepmother on his back, hurried out and Linda, proving to be useful, opened the door and sat with her in the backseat.

"Step on it!" Carl ordered and I did, bustling through the streets like a maniac on crack.

"She's so cold," I heard Linda whimper at the back. "I don't think she'll make it. I don't..."

Carl said something to pacify her. He seemed like the only reason she wasn't trying to strangle me from behind right now. My heart was thumping faster than this car ever could. This was not happening!

I could have declined her call! I shouldn't have gone! Oh, God! Oh, God! We arrived at the hospital and she was rushed in. I felt an invincible knife sink into my chest. What exactly had I gotten myself into?

Linda still had a bandage around her wrist and she looked as frail as ever. It was enough having to deal with that and now this? I could be the most unlucky person on earth.

Carl sat with Linda, for reasons we both knew. If he dared to leave her side, it'd be fuel in a fire. He could lie to her all he wanted, till we get results. I pressed my palms together, praying for mercy. "Just this once. Just this once!"

How futile was a prayer for a predestined occurrence? The doctor came back, a stethoscope dangling from his neck and I rushed to him, faster than any of us could.

From his expression, I already could tell what the response was. But I asked anyway, my squeaky voice pushing past the bile in my throat. "How's she?"

"I'm afraid we lost her."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "W-what? Lost who? That's impossible. She-"

The doctor faced Carl, who appeared to be the sanest person in this situation. "She suffered a broken neck from the fall." He went ahead to jumble up a thousand more medical terms that Carl nodded to, while I continued to mutter the same set of words.

That's not possible. Linda on the other hand, didn't seem phased at all. She glanced at me once before she ran off, outside the hospital. I didn't care what she was going to do, I just had to settle into a chair to get my thoughts together.

Why did this happen? Carl joined me shortly, wrapping his hands around me. "Look. I don't know what went on in there but I know it wasn't your fault. Alma, I know!"

"She tried to reach for me, Carl!" I clutched his shirt. "And the stairs were there. She- I told her not to but she wouldn't listen! She tripped over and fell out of her chair! It all happened so fast!"

We spent a few moments deliberating and I told him every single thing I remembered from that moment. Carl nodded. Neither of us could deny that this didn't look good for me. "I have it in recording!" I blurted as I suddenly remembered. "I recorded...everything that happened!"

"Jesus, Alma! That's...perfect! You can-"

"There she is!" Linda's interrupting voice pushed through the distance barrier. Next to her were two men. Cops? "There she is! The one who killed my mother!"