Chapter 10%
Cold sweat broke out across my back as I stared at Blaire. And finally, I asked the question that had been clawing at my heart.
“Blaire, ever since you stepped into my home, have I ever treated you unfairly? I’ve always seen you as my own sister!“}
“And yet–for a man–you’ve done this? Again and again, you tried to push me to the brink…. tried to kill me. Tell me, when you’re alone, in the dead of night, have you ever felt even a flicker of regret?”
Blaire’s face went ghostly pale. She shrank behind Orville, whispering over and over like a broken record, “It wasn’t me. I swear, it wasn’t me! They’re lying! I didn’t hurt my sister…”
Orville stared at the police report in his hands–at that all–too–familiar phone number.
Even if he didn’t want to believe it… even if he fought it with everything he had–he couldn’t deny the truth anymore. It was her. It was all Blaire’s crimes.
My father’s eyes were wide, stunned, as he flipped through the documents.
“That’s impossible! Blaire’s always been such a gentle, quiet girl! How could she ever do something so cruel?”
The officers soon brought in the website manager. The moment their eyes met, Blaire buried her face in Orville’s arm.
“1–I don’t know that person. I swear- Suddenly, she screamed. “Don’t look at me! Ah–my stomach! Orville, take me away! Please, I don’t want to be here!
She panicked. The fear, the desperation–it was all written plain on her face.
No one needed an explanation anymore.
The officers stepped forward and began to cuff her to take her to the interrogation room. But she collapsed with a thud, knees to the floor, sobbing like her soul had been ripped apart.
“Please don’t take me! I know I was wrong!
“Presley, I’m begging you, please… save me! I was just jealous of you!!
“Why? Why did you get everything from the start? The clothes, the love–everyone adored you. And me? I was just the ‘bastard‘… the girl Dad always scolded!!
“We’re both McDowells–so why you? Why did you get to marry Orville, your childhood sweetheart? Why did he love you so much? I loved him too! But to him, I was nothing! Every time he looked at me, it was like I was nothing but a cockroach!“}
Orville’s face turned deathly pale. He staggered back a step, whispering in disbelief, “Blairie… you didn’t…. lose your memory? You remembered everything? All those stories about the man in your dreams–that was all a lie?”
But Blaire didn’t even look at him.
Instead, she crawled on her knees toward Dad, sobbing as she reached for his hand.
“D–Dad, I was confused–I lost my mind, but I’m still your daughter, aren’t I? You promised Mom you’d take care of me, Dad. You can’t go back on that now. Please–beg Presley for me. Tell her to let me go….”
But our father didn’t say a word. He looked right past her, his eyes fixed on me while I was standing silently beside Uncle Olf.
There was shame in his gaze.
“P–Presley, have I have I made a terrible mistake??
“I failed your mom. I nearly got you killed. Oh, god. Do you… Do you hate me?“%
I didn’t answer.
Uncle seemed to remember something ‘cause tears welled in his eyes.
“Do you know what my sister told me… right before she died?
“She begged me–not to blame you. Not to seek revenge. She said you weren’t a bad person… just lost. Confused.
“She said she didn’t hate you. All she wanted… was for Presley to grow up safe and happy.
thought maybe you weren’t a good husband… but at least you’d be a decent father. But now–after everything you’ve done to my sister’s daughter, how could you face your wife in the afterlife, Clemence??
“If she knew that the daughter she loved the most was tormented by your illegitimate daughter like this… do you think my sister would claw her way out of the afterlife just to drag you down with her to hell?“%
My father’s eyes turned red. The tears came slow but steady.
“P–Presley my sweetheart. I was wrong. I’m so, so sorry I failed you. I failed your mother…“%
Uncle Olf, eyes burning pulled out a letter and threw it at my father’s feet.
It was from Mom.
It turned out that she had written it before she died. But Uncle Olf had been too furious to hand it over
