Unfathomable Phantom (COMPLETE)

XXXVII. the consequences

Chapter 37

A week has passed yet the death of Mister Douglas and Augustus Bennett still remains in my very mind, haunting me.

The person I was before committing that sin was not me anymore. It's as if Leo buried me along with Mister Douglas' and Augustus' corpses.

Leo has barely left my side ever since it happened. Except when he went back to the town to inform the authorities about the death of the Bennett family. The whole time he was away, I was paranoid.

It felt like something was about to happen. That they'll lock Leo in a cell and I'll never get to see him again because he told everyone he was the one who killed them, not me or perhaps, someone will come barging right into the door and interrogate me.

I cried in relief when Leo came home that night with lots of documents in his hands and a chocolate ice cream tub after only a few hours of being away. He chuckled at me and assured me everything went smoothly. Of course, we ate the ice cream.

Leo, I can tell, is doing the best he can to help me forget about the murder. We tried going back to the town to buy some books but people there kept giving me such bad looks since it already spread around about what happened at the wedding and the death of the Bennetts.

"Murderer," I even heard one said while Leo and I were browsing for good books. His arms around my shoulders the whole time which made me feel like I was secured.

I knew Leo was about to do something about it, to confront the middle-aged lady who wore this fancy green gown and had a parasol on her hand but I stopped him. "Just let her be," was what I said. Besides, isn't it true?

Leo and I even went to the theater but since it was a field with rice people, all of them knew us. Some even attended the balls hosted back at the Bennett manor. Most of them, as far as I remember, were invited to the grand wedding last week.

The whole time, I could feel their eyes on me as I forced myself to focus on the play. Leo, meanwhile could not take it anymore and rose from his seat before I could stop him and hollered, "Look one more time and I swear, you I will pull your eyeballs, "

With that, they minded their own business. As soon as Leo and I sat down on the bed, my tears fell down right away. It was Leo who comforted me once again. He tucked the hair behind my ears.

"Don't mind them. They're just jealous you look good in your wedding gown," he whispered to my ears which made me chuckle in between my sobs.

"And that you look pretty badass as a runaway-bride," he added using his playful voice. He then wrapped his arms around me and placed his head on top of my shoulder.

"If only they've seen you with that butcher knife then they would be dying from jealousy, Clem," he then lifted me into his lap and now, my cheek touched his chest.

I jokingly rolled my eyes from him as he wiped away my tears using his thumb.

"Remind me to put that in a frame as a remembrance," I replied.

Martha, along with her two children and grandsons already got home last night. Right now in the living room, Leo is telling Martha what exactly happened that dreadful night.

Starting from Augustus almost raping me to me shooting the Bennett family. After that, I heard a shattering of a glass to where I am right now, hiding in the room upstairs. I have a strong feeling it was Martha who was , of course, surprised, perhaps disappointed as well as what I just committed. That I am, indeed, capable of murdering someone.

I was not there when it happened since I am ashamed of what I did. I cannot face Martha and take a glimpse of how the corners of her lips turned upside down as she avoids my eye contact. I cannot bear such a sight.