Beautiful Mask
By Ameh Juliet
Episode 11 & 12
Simon:
The early morning sunlight wake me up and i blink my eyes open. My br@in wakes up too and i remember everything that happened last night.
I feel like everything is rushed and it doesn’t feel right. Caroline wasn’t in her right s-en-ses last night and i don’t want her to regret what happened between us last night. I have to woo her first.
Just like a normal relationsh!p. I am not really an expert in wooing or relationsh!pbut flowers and chocolates works in the movies. Maybe i should start from there. Its just quarter past five by the clock in my room and i could just sl!pout to get the flowers and some breakfast.
It would be a surprise. I hope she likes it though. I turn to watch her peaceful face as she sleeps. I want to wake up to this every morning. I have to go slow though. So as not to scare her. Last night must have been traumatic for her and i want to drive away all her nightmares.
I quietly sl!pout of be-d and throw my clothes on. I would probably be back before she wakes up so i don’t leave a note. I go downstairs and gr-ab my car keys and phone which are lying on the table. I power my phone on as i walk to my car.
My phone alerts me to a video message. I wonder who s£nt it. It must be a comedy skit or something stupid. I open my car door and settle in the driver’s seat then cli-ck on the video. The video is a bit grainy but i can see myself straddling someone and beating the life out of him.
Its a video of last night, when i beat the $h!t out of caroline’s attacker. Who s£nt this video and why?. I ponder on the significance of the video when my phone alerts me to a text.
Unknown number-you killed him and i have evidence. If you don’t want this video s£nt to the police, you would enter into the car that is parked outside your gate. P.s. I have prove that your little girlfriend is involved too so you better do the right thing.
I re-ad the message all over again just to be sure that i am not seeing things. I killed him? Oh my God. And some one has proof. Caroline is going to be involved in this mess too. God what do i do?.
I cant let Caroline get in trouble because of me. I have to find out who the s£nder of the video and message is. I get out of my car and walk towards the gate. I glance back at the house once before i walk out of the gate. I see a black sedan parked close to my gate and i walk toward it nervously. I don’t reach the car before i receive a heavy b!ow to the back of my head and i lose consciousness.
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Kelvin:
“Yes take him to the abandoned warehouse and tie him up. I don’t want him escaping.” i say to bullet who is on the other side of the line.
His name is fitting as he is as fast and fatal as a bullet.
“Are you coming over?” he asks.
“Of course not. I don’t want him to know i am behind this. I’ll s£nd Beatrice over” I say and end the call.
This plan is even better. I would have Beatrice threaten Simon into marriage then she would help me ruin his company and i would be the good Cousin willing to help him save the company if he just hand it over to me. By the end of this, Simon would be miserable and i would have the company without any has-sle.
And without any suspicion of foul pl@yon my p@rt. I would be seen as the savior who saved the family legacy. Beatrice is a little unstable but i have something to control her with. Knowledge about her sister. I had been looking for a way to get to Simon for a long time now. Even before he c@m£ back to Nigeria and i never found anything he held dearly.
I had thought it was Beatrice seeing that he felt guilty for the accident that killed her entire family so i contacted her and proposed to help her get revenge on Simon. She agreed at first but after meeting Simon, she declined claiming to have fallen in love with him.
I was going to find a way to control her after she got Simon to marry her but after a month and no declaration of love from Simon, i knew Beatrice wouldn’t be able to get Simon un-der my clutch. That was why i planned to drug Simon and get her pregnant so that the marriage would happen.
This was until Caroline c@m£ in. I could see the soft sp©t Simon has for her even though they just met and i knew immediately that she was the answer i have been looking for. The perfect way to get to Simon.
I had Caroline investigated and in the course of my investigation, i discovered that the river Caroline was found is the same river Beatrice sister fell into years ago, the d@t£ she was found is just a day after the accident and her age matches. Now that i think about it, their bodies look so alike. It isn’t obvious because of the baggy clothes Caroline wears but that day she wore the little black dress, i saw the similarities.
Their eyes are different though. Caroline’s eyes are more striking because they are brown unlike Beatrice’s which are black. I just nee-d to get a sample of caroline’s DNA to be 100% sure. I would be able to get her saliva sample at the company p@rty tomorrow. I smile at my own cunning plans.
I really am an evil genius. If my father was alive, he would be so proud of me. I will be able to fulfil his long time de-sire very soon. I go to the drink cabinet and pour myself some scotch. I sip it slowly and revel in the burn it leaves down my throat.
When i finally get the DNA result proving that Caroline is Beatrice’s twin, i would be able to use the information to control her. She is too crucial to the plan to not have something i can use to keep her in place. Being the wife of Steven would give her access to so many do¢v-ments and information i can use to run the company down until Simon ask for help. My help.
Tomorrow’s p@rty is a costume ball and i alre-ady ordered the same one-sided mask and dress that i got Beatrice for Caroline and had it s£nt to Simon’s address where she is currently staying. Lets see how they would look in the same dress and with the one sided mask that would hide Caroline’s scar
Episode 12
Simon:
Its been quiet ever since i was tied here and no one has entered to tell me why they brou-ght me here. I don’t know for sure but i think its been more than five hours since i got here. Which gives me enough time for me to worry about Caroline. I hope she feels better this morning. Now i regret not leaving a note while i was leaving this morning.
The note would have reduced her worry atleast. I don’t want her thinking i ran away after slee-ping with her. I don’t try to get free of the ropes that bind me though, because i nee-d to stay and get to the bo-ttomof this. I am blindfolded but when i hear the door open, i know i am no longer alone.
“whoever is here, i hope you can tell me what i am here for” i say
“why is he tied up?. I don’t want him hurt. What is your problem!” i hear someone say and the voice sounds too familiar.
“Caroline?” i whisper
“what is he saying?. Take off his blindfold” the voice commands and immediately the blindfold is yanked off my eyes. It takes a while for my eyes to adjust and when it does, i see Beatrice.
“Beatrice?. You are behind this?” i ask and she walks over and squat in front of me.
“Baby, i didn’t want them to tie you up like this. I just wanted to talk to you and i know you wouldn’t come if i ask because of that tramp Caroline or whatever she is called” she says then pout her prettyl-ips which up close, looks so much like Caroline’s.
“She isn’t a tramp” i grind out
“Even tied up, you still defend her?. Is she that good in be-d? Or is her love portion that good” she spits out obviously getting angry.
“Beatrice, what do you want from me? Just give me that video and let me go” i say and she stand upright and bur-st out laughing.
“Steven, Steven, Steven. How stupid do you think i am?. You have to give me something in return baby” She brush her thumb across my bo-ttoml!pand svçkon the thumb. This is so sick.
“what do you want Beatrice?”
“just marriage. That isn’t so ha-rd right?” she asks and i twist my face in disgust.
“Marriage?. All this just to get me to marry you? Why would you want a marriage with me when you know i don’t love you?” i ask
“My love for you is enough for the both of us. I love you Simon. Don’t you see it?. We would be the perfect couple.” she says
“you are sick Beatrice. What made you into this monster?”
“monster? You did!. Do you know what i have been throu-gh because of you? Do you know that My father died before he was taken to the hospital?” she asks
“my poor sister probably bec@m£ fish food after falling into that river.” she continues
“am so sorry Beatrice.” she gr-ab my chin harshly and glare at me.
“Shut up let me finish. Do you un-derstand?” she says and i nod.
“Do you know why my sister went back to the car that day?. She was going to get my inhaler. She died because of me!. I was just eight but i had to take the guilt of killing my sister. The tragedy doesn’t st©p there. My mom died a year later out of grief and i was left alone. An orphan. Do you know the worst p@rt?” she asks and i just shake my head no.
“They never got justice. My dad was labelled the killer of the truck driver. Just because YOU testified that he was driving recklessly.” by now, we are both in tears .
“Am so sorry Beatrice”
“Did i say you should talk?!” she scream in my face.
“Do you know the numerous homes i had to live in just because my aunts and uncles thought i had badluck and didn’t want me in their homes for too long?. No b©dy has loved me since you took them away from me. Even you! You couldn’t love me” she sobs and sit on the ground. I feel so bad for her.
“Beatrice, i know you have been throu-gh alot but this isn’t right” i say softly and she stands up.
“Simon. You are the only one that can save me. I just nee-d your love. plea-se marry me” she pleads
“but-”
“do you want the video to get to the police?” she asks
“i don’t care if i go to prison. plea-se just leave Caroline out of this. She went throu-gh alot yesterday. I don’t want her to suffer more because of me”
“you can end this Simon. Just agree to marry me and I’ll let you go. Caroline wouldn’t have to be dragged into this. The marriage doesn’t have to be immediately. We can wait for a month or two”
Am so confused right now but two things are clear to me.
1. I can’t let Caroline go to jail with me even if it means hurting her.
2. I want to atone for what i did to Beatrice’s family and it seems marriage is the only way for her to forgive me. I would sacrifice my happiness just so Caroline wouldn’t go to jail. She has a bright future in front of her and going to jail would hinder her. I have to do this. I can do this.
“Alright Beatrice. I’ll do it. Lets get married.”
“Oh my God baby. You won’t regret this” she says and pe-ck myl-ip. I hope Caroline would be able to forgive me.
“Get the ropes off him!” Beatrice orders and a really bulky guy untie me. Beatrice hvg me but i feel numb.
“We are going to announce our engagement at the p@rty tomorrow. I am so excited baby” she says. She does look excited. I feel a little better to know that i am able to make her happy after everything my lie caused her.
I follow Beatrice out to her car and she offers to drive me home. I don’t accept though. I cant go home right now. Caroline is still there and i cant bear to hurt her right now. She just went throu-gh a traumatic experience yesterday.
I take a cab to a h0tel and book a room for a few days. I have to clear my head.
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Caroline:
I woke up this morning to an empty be-d. I searched the whole house and when i still couldn’t find Simon, i decided to call his phone. It was switched off and even now, six hours later, i still cant reach him.
Many thoughts are going throu-gh my head. Maybe he’s hurt and nee-d help. Maybe he regrets what happened between us yesterday so he is avoiding me. I just don’t know what to think. Am sitting in his hvge sitting room with his shi-t on and i feel abandoned.
The door bell rings and i go out to check who’s there. A guy drops off a package addressed to me. After the guy leaves, i tear the package open. It must be from Simon. He is the only one who knows that I am here. Inside the box is a beautiful dress, a mask and a note.
Wellington h0tel by 6pm tomorrow, make sure you wear the dress and the mask.
It doesn’t say where he is but it seems he wants me to meet him at the p@rty. Seems like i am going to a p@rty tomorrow.
What has Simon planned now?
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Tbc