“I even convinced myself that I’d misunderstood the situation. Why would Becky hurt someone who’d been so nice to her all along? Even then, she took the tray from me, all smiles. “She’s a bit tuckered out. Why don’t we leave this here for now?”
“That’s what she said. I wanted to refuse to leave the room, but I had no excuse to stay. She was the guest, someone Ms. Adrienne held in high regard, while I was just the help after all, even though Ms. Adrienne treated me like anything but. And besides, her own child was in the room with her at the time. Who would’ve thought…?”
“If I was wrong, how could I explain my irrational feelings? It’s only after Becky left a little bit later, and I came up here to find her not breathing that I doubted. Even then, I wasn’t sure. But then she moved in here, started taking over, started treating Ms. Gia worse than an unwanted orphan. It made me sick. She must’ve caught on that I’d seen more than I should that day because next thing I know, I was being replaced.”
“Why didn’t you say anything to me about this?”
“I wasn’t sure at first. You’ve got to understand. Had I known, I would’ve said something. But it was only after I’d been gone from here that I was able to put things into perspective. Even then, I didn’t dare say anything, just told the new housekeeper to keep an eye on Ms. Gia because I’d seen the way Becky had started treating her.”
“Felix, she’s lying; it wasn’t like that.”
“Really? What was it like? Tell me. Why did you stop the others from coming to see my wife?” Contained anger; that’s what the tone in dad’s voice sounded like. Becky stood there in shock with her mouth hanging open.
“You didn’t think I knew, did you? I’ve learned a lot in the last week while you were gone when you were not here to muddy the issue.”
“Felix, I’m telling you, you’ve got to listen to me; you’ve got it all wrong. It was her; she put her up to this.” Becky turned her venom my way and once again made as if to come after me.
“Bitch…I hope…the fuck…you do.” Gabriel didn’t even raise his voice, but the look he gave her, the tone in his voice, was more than enough. She turned once more to dad, who had murder in his eyes.
“What did you do to my wife, you monstrous bitch?”
“I didn’t; I didn’t; she’s got it all wrong…. It’s what Adrienne wanted. I was just helping her out; she was going to die anyway….”
“You’re lying. The day before Adrienne died, she and I spoke to a specialist in Switzerland about all the ways he could make her better. He’d worked on similar cases with great success, and we were just waiting for the call that he was willing to see her.”
“You don’t understand that day; she was in too much pain.” Becky nodded her head and looked around the room for support.
“No matter what, or how much pain she was in, my wife would never have left Gianna, and I never. What did you do? I can have her body exhumed; you know. I can have the medical examiner look for whatever poison you fed her.”
“I didn’t; I didn’t….” Why does she look so small now? So pitiful?
“She did it. I saw you, mom.” My eyes went to Victoria in shock. Until she said those words, there was still a sliver of doubt.
“Victoria, hush….” Becky tried silencing her.
“No, I did, Felix. I saw her. I was too little to understand, but she told me that she was just giving her medicine.”
“When I was a little bit older, and I brought it up again, she threatened to throw me away. She said she’d send me away if I ever said anything about it again. All these years, she’s pushed me to fight with Gia to get rid of her. It was all her doing.” You could hear a pin drop.
GABRIEL
Well, that was no fun. Just once, I wish humankind would surprise me, but they have yet to. The place turned into pandemonium, with all players screaming at each other. I kept Gianna in place by my side, “Not your monkeys, not your circus baby. Just sit back and watch it unfold.” I’m proud of her even though she didn’t confront them for the hell they’d put her through. I kind of expected it, though. I knew that she was more interested in getting to the bottom of what had been done to her mother than in any restitution from these beasts.
I watched and listened as they went at each other, every word like a script to a play I’d written. So damn predictable, even Felix the hump was getting his lines right. My focus was on the daughter since I’m quite sure the mother was about done, and just as I’d expected, she turned on a dime: no class, no shame, no loyalty. Then again, look at what she came from.
“This is all your doing. I can’t believe you’d stoop so low as to bring your poor innocent mother into this….” Becky looked at Gianna.
“Enough, don’t mention her again, don’t let her name pass your filthy lying lips. I want you out of my sight. Get out!” That vein in his forehead is about to pop. He should get an aneurysm and die the dumb fuck.
“You can’t just kick me out. There are laws. You’re my husband; I’m your wife. This house is as much mine as it is yours.” Ah, the words I’d been waiting to hear.
“Actually, it doesn’t belong to either of you.” All eyes turned in my direction. Fontane because I’m sure he’s wondering how I knew that and the others in genuine surprise.
“What are you talking about? What is he talking about?” Becky looked at her husband, outraged as a wet hen in winter. Maybe I’m as twisted as she is because I’m having way too much fun watching her demise. Now to put the screws to her, finish her off for now.
“Oh, didn’t you tell her, Felix, that this house belongs to Gianna? It was left to her by her mother’s estate. You have no claims to it, and neither does he. Gianna?”
“Get out!” My baby took a lot of pride in saying those two words, and the look on Becky’s face made it that much better.
“You heard her.”
“Felix!”
“Like he said, it’s her house.”
“Even so, we’re her parents; she’s still too young to inherit surely.”
“Don’t ever call yourself my parent again. You’re nothing of the sort and never was. Parents don’t mistreat their wards; not even animals do that.” Well, some do but go, baby, you’re on a roll.
“Didn’t you hear your own daughter just admit out of her own mouth that you forced her to pick on me? So, all those trips down the stairs headfirst were your doing. What about when you sent me to bed hungry? Or all the lies you told my dad about me, to make him hate me, were you my parent then?”
“I never told any lies. You were mean and hateful, wasn’t she, Victoria?” Dumb as a stump, can she really not tell which way the wind blows?
“Mom, it’s over. I’m sorry, but you’ve done too much, and now it’s all coming to light. I can’t save you. I can only ask for dad and Gianna to forgive me for what you made me do to her all these years.” Cue the crocodile tears that never came: just dry heaves and even drier eyes.