Shadows of Revenge

27. The Edge of Truth

Becky's POV

The coldness of my phone screen against my palm did nothing to stop the sweat dripping down my temples. My fingers trembled as I opened the image-an image I wished with every part of my soul I hadn't seen.

Freen. Blood. A knife clutched in her hand, its blade dripping red.

My heart slammed into my chest like a battering ram, each beat echoing painfully in my ears. My throat tightened, making it hard to breathe. No. This can't be real. This is some kind of trick.

But it wasn't. It was Freen. The woman I had fallen so deeply in love with, standing there like someone from a nightmare, covered in blood. John's blood? His brother's blood?

She was the one who killed them.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of my lungs. My stomach churned, and for a moment, I thought I might be sick. This wasn't just some accusation, or suspicion, or vague fear lurking in the back of my mind. This was evidence, staring back at me through the screen of my phone.

My worst nightmare had come true.

Freen had been lying to me this entire time. Two lives. Two faces. The gentle, loving woman I'd shared my deepest secrets with... and the cold, ruthless killer I was now staring at.

Was everything a lie?

I sank down to the floor, the phone slipping from my hand, landing with a soft thud on the carpet. I wrapped my arms around my knees, trying to hold myself together. But nothing was making sense. My mind was racing with questions, doubts, and worst of all-fear.

Had I been sleeping next to a killer all this time? What if she knew I was at the club that night?

Oh God, what if she kills me too?

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, chilling me to the core. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the image of Freen with that blood-soaked knife, but it was burned into my mind, unshakable.

I felt betrayed. Broken. The woman I loved had deceived me, hidden a darkness so deep that I didn't even recognize her anymore. And the worst part? I had fallen for it completely.

Freen... who are you really?

---

Freen's POV

I couldn't stop staring at the screen. The CCTV footage from that night played on a loop in front of me, my eyes locked on the blurry figure that had haunted my thoughts for days.

The party. Sarah. The girl.

For hours, I had watched the clip, searching for some clue, some hint of who she was. Something about her was so familiar, but I couldn't place it-until now.

Becky.

The realization crashed over me like a tidal wave, leaving me breathless, my heart pounding so loud that it felt like it would explode in my chest. The girl in the video... the one who had been with Sarah that night... it was Becky.

How could it be her?

My fingers tightened around the edges of my desk, knuckles turning white as I tried to process what I was seeing. My mind went blank for a moment, and I felt like I was trapped in some kind of surreal nightmare.

Becky, the woman I loved, had been there. She had been with Sarah.

What had Becky been doing at the party? What did she know? Did she... did she have something to do with Sarah's death?

The questions buzzed around my head like angry bees, but none of them made sense. I had been chasing Sarah's killer for so long, convinced that John and his brother were the key, but now...

Now, it was Becky who had become part of the puzzle.

Was she involved? My heart screamed at me to push that thought away, but the evidence was staring me in the face. Becky had been there. She had spoken to Sarah.

I shook my head, trying to clear the storm of emotions raging inside me, but it was no use. Fear, confusion, and guilt all tangled together, knotting in my chest until I could barely breathe. I loved her. I trusted her.

But now... everything felt like it was falling apart.

I ran a hand through my hair, pulling at the strands in frustration. How could this be happening? How could Becky be connected to all of this?

And if she was... what did that mean for us?

---

Becky's POV

I hadn't moved from the floor, my knees pulled tightly against my chest as my mind spun in circles. I wanted to trust Freen, to believe that the woman I loved couldn't be capable of something so monstrous. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw that image. Her. The blood. The knife.

I pressed my hand against my mouth, trying to stifle the sob that threatened to escape. I had spent so long convincing myself that Freen wasn't involved, that she was just as much a victim as Sarah. But now, everything was unraveling.

And I was terrified.

I heard the door open, and my heart stopped. Freen walked into the living room, her face calm and composed, like nothing had changed. She smiled at me, the same warm, gentle smile that used to make me feel safe. But now, it just sent a chill down my spine.

"Hey," she said, her voice soft as she approached. "You're quiet. Everything okay?"

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. How could I tell her? How could I confront her with what I had seen?

Freen sat down beside me, her hand reaching for mine. I stiffened, the warmth of her touch suddenly feeling foreign. She tilted her head, studying my face, her eyes filled with concern.

"Becky... what's wrong?"

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet her gaze. My mind was screaming at me to tell her, to show her the picture, to demand answers. But all I could think about was that knife. The blood. The truth that could tear us apart.

---

Freen's POV

I could feel something was off. Becky's silence, the way she avoided my eyes... it was like she was hiding something. My heart tightened with worry. Did she know?

I leaned closer, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know you can talk to me, right?" I whispered, my thumb grazing her cheek. "Whatever it is... we'll figure it out."

But as I said the words, I couldn't help but wonder if I believed them myself. What if Becky knew more than she was telling me? What if I was the one she was afraid of?

The thought sent a cold shiver down my spine.

............