????ABIGAIL
INOCENCIO????
(The Murderer….)
By, Precious Pinky
Copyright ©️(Don’t copy this story if you don’t want to see madness!
CHAPTER 71&72
••••
{ SANDRA’S DECISION }
“She must be talking about the murderer… I think we’ve found the identity of the psychopath, Robert.”
_______
“Welcome, sir.” A maid greeted and collected Marshall’s briefcase from his grasp.
“Thank you.” He replied, looking around for any sign of his wife. “Where is my wife?” He asked when he didn’t see her anywhere around.
“She has gone to bed, sir.” The maid answered.
“So early?” He frowned.
Normally, she would stay awake until he return back home from work.
Seems like things are about to change.
“Is there dinner for me?” He asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Where are my kids?”
“They are also asleep in their separate rooms.” She answered.
“Alright. Go and drop my briefcase in the room and then come back to serve my dinner, okay?”
She nodded her head. “Okay, sir.”
She started walking towards the guestroom that isn’t far from the dining room and Marshall looked very confused.
“Where are you going with my briefcase?” He asked, tucking his hands inside his pants pocket.
“I’m going to drop your briefcase, sir.” She replied, innocently.
“I don’t understand.” He stepped closer to her. “You are going to drop my briefcase? Where?”
She pointed at the guestroom door. “There.”
“Are you sick?” He snapped. “Is this your first day working here? How can you take my briefcase to the guestroom?”
“I’m sorry, sir.” She quickly went on her knees, trembling in fear. “It isn’t my intention to take your briefcase to the guestroom but_”
“But what?” He snarled in anger.
“But…”
“I asked her to take your things to the guestroom.” Felicia said from behind, grabbing the attention of both her husband and the frightened maid.
“Excuse me?” He creased his brows together, looking more confused than earlier. “Why will you do that?”
“Are you mad?” She fired, climbing down from the last step. “Where were you expecting to sleep tonight?”
He hesitated.
“I normally sleep in the master’s bedroom. You are my wife and I am your husband. It is only right that we sleep on the same bed…in the same room.”
Felicia started laughing, throwing her head back with her eyes closed.
“You’re laughing?” He asked. “Why are you laughing? What’s funny?”
She coughed slightly and wipe off the tears that slipped from her eyes due to her uncontrollable laughter.
“Don’t you sound funny right now?” She raised a questioning brow. “I am your wife and you are my husband and it is only right that we sleep on the same bed and in the same room.” She repeated his exact words, giggling. “You are definitely sick.”
Marshall swallowed nothing and approached her, getting an idea of where all this was coming from.
“Honey,”
“Don’t.” She warned, getting all serious. “Don’t you dare call me that, you sick bastard. So you were really expecting to come back home and sleep on the same bed with me. The nerves of you to even think that.”
“What are you saying?”
“Are you supposed to be asking me that? Huh? You f**king cheated on me with your colleague!” She yelled.
The maid dropped Marshall’s briefcase on the couch and scurried away, giving them some privacy.
“I thought…” He paused. “Didn’t you forgive me?” He asked.
“Forgive you?” She snickered. “You cheated on me and what, you expected forgiveness?” She shook her head. “How can you be so stupid, Marshall?”
“Felicia, listen to what I have to say, I know you are pissed off at me but you need to know that I love you so much.”
“You love me and yet you f**ked your colleague behind my back? What kind of a love is that? Jersey was right all along. You are a lowlife idiot who doesn’t deserve me at all.”
“No, don’t say that, honey. Don’t listen to Jersey’s words.”
“Who are you to tell me who I should listen to and who I shouldn’t, hmm? You know, I wanted to pour that pepper sauce in your eyes as well but I saw the crowd surrounding us and I felt…ashamed.” She paused. “What would people think or say if they found out that my husband has been cheating on me for years and I didn’t know anything about it. They might even say I’m a woman who failed woefully to tame her husband or even worse, they might say I wasn’t capable of satisfying my husband well and that was why he thought of a different alternative. I was afraid of being the laughingstock in your unfaithful act!
Marshall bites his lower lip as he lowered his head in shame.
“I’m sorry.” He begged. “Please forgive me.”
“Stop talking about forgiveness, Marshall. It’s annoying hearing you ask me of that.” She said. “I don’t think I can ever be able to forgive you.”
Marshall quickly knelt down in front of her, joining his hands together in front of him as if he wants to pray.
“I did you wrong. I admit. I was stupid, crazy and foolish, I agree. But please stop saying you won’t be able to forgive me. It hurts to hear you say that.”
“I am hurt as well.” She gasped out. “Thinking that I was going to your office to surprise you only to get surprised by you and your colleague…” She shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say to you right now. But listen, you should be very grateful that I am only sending your things to the guestroom and not out of my house.”
“You…your house?”
“What? Are you going to drag that right with me now? Is it even up for a debate?” She eyed him scornfully. “This house was given to us by my parents as our wedding gift. It was also bought in my name. The furniture aside from the chairs and table that was bought along with the house, I bought them. The five cars in the garage, I bought them as well. Your only responsibility is to pay our children fees and stock the house with food. And it’s not like I can’t take on that responsibility, I just didn’t want you to feel like you aren’t contributing anything to the house. I am even the one paying the salary of the maids and security. Is it clear to you now that this is my house and I don’t f**king need you for anything physically? All I asked from you is love, care, attention and loyalty. But that, you couldn’t even give me. I’ve said this before but I will keep saying it over and over again, Jersey was damn right about you.” She cleared her throat and straightened her night gown. “You will be sleeping in the guestroom as from now henceforth. I don’t want you anywhere near the master’s bedroom or me. You can still keep eating with us in the dinning room because I don’t want my children to notice that there is something wrong between us. Do your thing and keep me out of your business. Very soon…I will figure out what to do about you.” She turned around but didn’t leave yet and added, “Do you know the one thing I regret in all these?” Marshall didn’t say anything. “I regret ever siding with a man like you to fight my beloved brother. I regret loving you. Oh, that’s two things.” With that being said, she went upstairs, leaving Marshall on his knees in complete turmoil, shame and…fear.
Sandra doesn’t work but she has one of the biggest shares in the hospital. She gets close to 1billion dollars in a month. And besides, what’s to be expected from a multi-billionaire daughter?
Marshall was at the brink of losing everything and that scares the hell out of him.
••••
Emma was just entering the house, tired and sleepy.
She took off her shoes and started walking down the hallway to the living room when she saw Abigail standing at the end of the hallway, waving for her to hurry up.
“Hey,” Emma greeted in a soft voice.
“Hi. Come here,” Abby started pulling Emma to the living room.
“What is it?”
“You have guests.”
“Guests? By this time?”
“They’ve been waiting for you since I returned from the morgue.”
“And what time did you return from the morgue?”
“7:02 Pm.” Abby answered.
“What?”
They arrived at the living room and indeed there were two people sitting on the couch, waiting for her just as Abby had said.
“She is here,” Abby informed the unknown guests and they both turned around to look at them.
Emma pinched her brows together, staring at the two faces. It was a boy and a girl. She doesn’t know them. Maybe she do, but she honestly don’t recognize them. At all. Although the girl strangely looks familiar but where have she seen the face?
“The guests rose to their feet.
“Hi.” The guy greeted with a charming smile on his face.
Emma cleared her throat.
“Hi. I’m sorry, but who are you people?” She asked, going straight to the point without beating around the bush.
“Ah, forgive our manners. I am Richard by name. Ex-best friend to Robert, your colleague at work.”
“Oh.” Emma immediately recognized him. “I’ve heard so much about you from him.”
“He told you about me?” He stretched out his hands for a handshake.
“Yeah. Is that surprising?” She shook his hands.
“Not really.”
She moved her gaze to the girl standing beside him and studied her face closely and carefully. Being the observant that she was, she was able to identify the girl’s identity.
“You must be Tessa. Robert’s sister.” She said.
“Yes. I take it that Robert told you about me as well.” She said.
“Yes, he did. Now I see why you looked familiar when I first saw you. I don’t know if anyone have ever told you this but trust me, you look so much like your brother.”
“Don’t let Robert hear you say that.” Richard said under his breath but Emma heard him but decided not to ask him anything regarding it because she knows why he said it.
“Seems like you really know them.” Abby stated, reminding everyone of her presence.
“Oh, yes.” Emma nodded with a smile.
“I see. I will leave you all to talk then.” She hurriedly left the living room and went upstairs to her bedroom.
“Please sit down.” Emma offered and the guests sat down. “So what can I get for you?”
“Your friend already asked us and we said nothing.” Tessa said.
“But this is your first time coming to my house. I should treat you well.”
“Don’t bother yourself, Emma.” Richard said.
“Oh, you know my name.” She sat down opposite them. “I don’t remember introducing myself.”
“I’ve heard so much about you as well.” He said.
“Wait, Robert told you about me?” She was beyond surprised.
“Yup. Now, you look more surprised than I was when I heard Robert talked about me with you.”
“Well, I’m surprised, honestly. It’s shocking to know that Robert told you about me. I mean, I am just his partner and nothing more.”
“I thought you were his friend. Smart, Ambitious, beautiful, amazing, loving and courageous.”
“Were those his description of me?” She asked and Richard nodded his head. “Wow. More shocking.”
“I can tell my brother likes you,” Tessa smiled.
“I’m sorry, what?” Emma started laughing. “No, please. He doesn’t like me that way. Maybe as a friend, yes. Besides, he introduced me to his best friend as just a friend.”
“I can’t tell you the full details of what he told me.” Richard stated.
“He told you more?” She queried, seeming curious.
“Mouth sealed.” He said, feigning zipping up his lips.
Emma simply laughed and shrugged it off even though she was very curious to hear the full details of what Robert has been telling his friend about her.
“Anyway, it’s nice to meet the both of you and I don’t mean to sound rude but why have you come to visit me?” She asked.
“Since Robert told you about me, I’m sure they weren’t the good stuffs.” Tessa mumbled.
“Not really.”
“Not really? I know you don’t want to hurt my feelings but a plain yes would have do. I don’t mind.”
“Listen,” Emma hesitated. “Robert told me about how he spent his childhood with his amazing sister. He shared a very beautiful memory with you while growing up but things got messy and the boat got rocky when the both of you parents died.” She sighed. “I answered your question with ‘not really’ because even with everything that happened between the both of you, Robert still remember the good times spent with you.”
Tessa swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and hanged her head low, tears rolling down her face.
“I was a bad sister,” She whispered, fiddling with her fingers. “God. I feel so ashamed of myself right now.”
“Can I say something?” Emma asked.
“Yes, please.” Tessa lifted her gaze to look at Emma as she awaited to hear what she has to say.
“Anyone in Robert’s shoes would react exactly how he is. You hurt him pretty badly. When he was opening himself to me, I saw the bitterness and sadness in his eyes and frankly, I wanted to look for that sister of his who hurt him and beat her until she becomes unrecognizable. I wanted to hurt her just as much as she hurt my Robert. I wanted to make her pay dearly for what she did to him. But seeing her right now, I don’t know what to do because she is just as hurt as he is.”
Tessa cried silently, holding her breath because she didn’t want to make a sound.
“I know for a fact that Robert still loves you, Tessa.” Emma mumbled and that was the trigger that made Tessa release her breath and started crying loudly.
Richard instantly wrapped his arms around her and began to console her, stroking her back gently.
“Nobody has ever told me confidently that my brother still loves me,” She said in a broken voice. “I don’t know how to react but I know that I feel super excited hearing it.”
“You know,” Richard paused. “We actually came here to plead with you to help us talk to Robert. I tried talking to him but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
Emma shook her head. “He wouldn’t listen to me too.”
“No, he will.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“Because I know how much you mean to him. The way he talks about you, I’ve never seen him talk about anyone else like that. This might sound crazy but I think Robert has feelings for you but doesn’t realize it yet.”
Emma didn’t know what to say. However, her heart skipped a beat as soon as Richard said that to her.
Robert has feelings for her?
“I… I don’t think so.” She whispered.
“Talk to him and see if he wouldn’t listen to you.”
“What if he hates me, huh? I don’t want to get involved in his personal business.” She stated.
Tessa quickly fell on her knees.
“Wha…what are you doing?” Emma asked in a quiet voice, least expecting to see Tessa kneeling before her.
“Please help me, Emma. I have never met you before and neither have you. But with this few minutes I’ve spent with you, I can tell that you are a good person and you want to see Robert happy. Please help me be a sister to my brother again. I beg of you. I promise to do anything you want if you do this for me.” She begged.
Emma shockingly stared at the girl, not know what to say.
As if that wasn’t enough, Richard also knelt down alongside his fiancee.
“What are the both of you doing? Please stand up.” She told them but they didn’t. “Fine. I will help you so please stand up.”
“You will?” Tessa excitedly asked and Emma nodded her head as a yes. “Oh my gosh. Thank you, Emma. Thank you so much. I owe you.”
“I am not promising you anything but I will try and see if Robert will actually listen to me.” She said the last sentence, staring at Richard.
Richard gave out a small smile.
“Thank you,” He mumbled.
“You are welcome.” She mumbled back, smiling.
••••
Richard and Tessa were now leaving after spending sometime with Emma.
She saw them off to their car parked in front of the gate.
“You are a good woman, Emma. And I must say, Robert’s description of you is 100percent correct.” Tessa stated.
“Thank you.”
“There is no assurance that Robert will forgive me but can I still be your friend, regardless?” She asked.
Emma nodded her head. “Of course.”
Tessa hugged her and entered the car while Richard who was about to round the car and enter the driver’s seat faced Emma and said,
“Do you realized that you referred Robert as yours.”
“What?”
“You said, ‘I wanted to hurt her just as much as she hurt my Robert.’” He recited.
“I heard it too.” Tessa said from the car window, smiling sheepishly.
“I said that?” Emma blushed, avoiding their gazes.
“I guess the feelings is mutual between the both of you.” Richard grinned. “See you around, Emma.”
He rounded the car, got inside and drove off.
Emma cupped her face, staring after the car until they got out of sight.
“What is wrong with me?” She rushed back into the house, still as red as a tomato.
••••
Sandra was pacing back and forth in the living room, biting her fingernails and mumbling incoherent words.
Margaret, David’s nanny noticed the uneasiness of her boss and decided to approach her.
“Are you okay, ma’am?”
Sandra was a little bit startled on hearing Margaret’s sudden voice.
“Huh?”
“You’ve been pacing back and forth since you you got back from work. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I am. Sure. Why do you ask?”
“As I’ve said, you’ve been pacing back and forth.” The woman repeated.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m completely fine.” She paused. “Although I have a question for you. If you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t. Please ask your question.” Margaret stated.
Sandra hesitated. “If someone uses your secret to threaten you, what will you do?”
“Hmm. It depends on the secret, ma’am.”
“How do you mean?”
“If the person have my nudes on their phone and threatens me with it, I am going to report the case to the cop.”
“Oh. What if it isn’t nude and if the case gets to the cop, you will be in trouble?”
“Listen, child, no secret last forever. Someday, the secret you’ve been concealing will be out there in the open for the whole world to see. And if this person keep threatening you with it, they might start using you to do their dirty work and guess what? your sins will only keep increasing and then you will be trapped with no way out. Whatever the secret may be, Sandra. Open up and free your heart of the fear because that is the only way you can win against the blackmailer.”
Sandra thought over Margaret’s words for a few seconds and pulled her phone out of her pocket.
“What are you doing?”
“Exactly what you just said, Margaret. I’m trying to win against the blackmailer. This might be a wrong move but I’m not only doing this for me but for my son as well. If anything happens to me, please protect my son.”
“Wait, ma’am. What are you doing?” Margaret asked again.
“I want to free my heart of the fear and guilt that I have been feeling since that night.”
She sent a text to Abby.
SANDRA: I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE. LET’S MEET IN THE COFFEE SHOP BESIDE THE HOSPITAL TOMORROW.
TBC.