The angelic girl giggled causing her round cheeks to glow a cute shade of pink. "As you wish but I can't have a name assigned just yet." Carmen felt her heart swell and smiled back at the girl before she started reading like a mad woman. "Well I must take my leave, it looks like the star of this event just showed up." Gerson and Carmen moved their gazes towards the stage and watched Agni take her first steps towards the podium. Carmen quickly turned around and saw the girl was gone.
Gerson tried to grab the documents from Carmen's hands but she hissed as she clutched it against her chest. "Settle down G*llum, no one is taking your 'precious' away!" He said as he raised his hands in defense. "What tonto! Get to work and start filming. We are doing this sh*t live and I ain't gonna miss this opportunity to bring this witch down." Gerson's eyebrows shot up when he heard his cousin and quickly looked around. No one seemed to be minding them and he sighed a breathe of relief.
"Fine, you read I will film but you gotta work fast Carmen or this could ruin you." Gerson warned but Carmen's eyes flashed with determination. "I'm the strongest warrior in our crew, like I would let this mess me up." Gerson sighed and started to record.
Everyone in the room silently watched Agni walked up to the podium with her head held high. Her golden hair was tied elegantly into a side knot. Her blue eyes were misty and sad while her cheeks were a deep shade of pink and her complexion was pale. She wore a modest pale green tea dress with pastel white and pink flowers and teal stilettos.
"I have called you all hear today to share my discovery. After looking into the accusation made against me at the gala, I have come to the realization that I am in fact Falicia Coblepot." The room erupted into a frenzy as people were talking over one another. Agni waited for everyone to settle back down. Once the room was filled with silence she allowed a few tear drops to roll down her face. She choked on air as she brought up a silk handkerchief to her small face to calm herself down.
After a few moments she composed herself. "Please let me introduce you to Dr. Dennis MacCormack." A stumpy looking bald man started to waddle onto the stage. With every step he made giant droplets of sweat collected onto his massive, arched forehead. His heavy breathing clouded his thick glasses while the pin striped suit he was wearing looked ready to pop at any given moment.
Agni did a small curtsey and stepped aside for the doctor so he could take his stand on the podium. The man looked completely out of breath when he stood in front of the microphones. The crowd had to wait a good 10 minutes for him to catch his breath. The fair skinned, red head came running onto the stage with a chair and bottle of water in hand. She gave the water to the doctor and placed the chair behind Agni. She then abruptly turned and left as the doctor chugged back his water.
"If I can bring your attention to the screen." He said in a nasally voice as he pointed his stub of an index finger upwards and placed the empty water bottle on the podium. "Ms. Falicia Coblepot has done a DNA test to confirm her identity but because of the horrific fire at the spa resort that the Coblepots were residing at in the Middle East caused Ms. Coble-oh-cough... I mean Mrs. Steel to become traumatized." The reports started murmuring to one another wondering if anyone was fact checking while other pulled out their phones and opened search engines.
"I believe the fact that because she survived the ordeal of the fire and most likely witnessed the burning of her friends and parents, this is the key cause of her mind shifting gear and going into survival mode. Meaning she developed dissociative fugue, a type of amnesia that makes a person, Mrs. Steel, forget most or all of her personal information. Her name, her personal history, her personality and the names and faces of her family and friends. In her case, it is still unclear how but she found herself somewhere completely new and had to survive. So she did what any sane person would do and that is evolve from a nothing like clump of clay, if you will into a person and adopt a completely new identity."
The people in the room couldn't hold back their questions. One after another reporters were talking over one another trying to get the chance to get the first question in. The doctor brought his sweaty palms up as he tried to silence the room. "Please, please hold your questions to the end." He said as he showed off his tiny grin. The people in the room settled down once again and the doctor waited another couple of minutes before he cleared his throat.
"I have also obtained the medical records from the doctor who was in charge of Mrs. Steel while she lived in the Middle East. As you can see, this further confirms the amnesia that Mrs. Steel had until the night of the gala. I, with my vast experience and wisdom in this field was able to help her unlock all her memories of her past and will present to you today Mrs. Falicia Steel!" The doctor stepped down and Agni swapped spots with him. She waited until the doctor took his seat before she looked towards the reporters. With a tearful smile she cocked her head and asked. "Any questions?"
Reporters had their hands fly up, waving as they started shouting. The red head came running back on to the stage and whispered something into Agni's ear. Angi nodded, she removed a microphone from the podium and passed it down to her. The red head's ice cold aura spoke volumes as she looked out towards the crowd. She looked down at a list she had in her hand and announced the first to ask their question. "Nathaniel Winski of channel 9 News. Please ask your question."
A young, attractive male ran up to the stage with camera man in hand. "Mrs. Steel do you think your first husband knew your real identity and played your innocent heart by changing his appearance and name to trick you into marrying him so he could get his hands on your assets?" Agni looked shocked by the question and took a step back, she looked at the red head and waited for a nod. New tears started rolling down her face as she stepped towards the microphones.
"No, I don't... I think he was just too in love with me and probably found out about my crush on Mr. Steel... I think it was a very cruel joke to play making me believe that I had achieved my dream and married Mr. Avery Steel. You wouldn't believe the hurt I felt after he left on a business trip and never came back then to find out he was living with another family... I mean... sob... it hurts having bits and pieces of the truth thrown at you. Especially with the information I obtained at his celebration of life service for Avery, I couldn't afford another mistake because of... of...."
Nathaniel stepped in and decided to help her find the right words. "Your innocent and pure heart? Lack of wisdom from your amnesia?" Agni nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, yes, all of it. I just want to apologize to the people I have hurt and move on with my life and the new life I have within me."
The red head looked down at her list again and brought the microphone up. "Chandra Shekhar, channel 47 news, please ask your question." A lovely dark skinned women wearing a tan coloured skirt and white, ruffled blouse stepped up. She had a gold stud in her right nostril, bright red lips and poker straight, black velvet hair. "Mrs. Steel will you be going by your original name or the name you have been using for the past two decades? Will there also be a family reunion in the near future?"
Agni seemed to contemplate over the questions a little too long before she let out a sigh. "I think I will keep going by Agni. I might actually legally change it to Agni as Falicia is so foreign to me. Don't get me wrong I now know that it's my birth name but the two people who have named me are gone and now only my brother is alive. It just doesn't seem right. Falicia died along side with everyone else that day so I don't want to pull her name back just because of this. As for meeting my brother... I want to... I want to with all my heart. I want him to meet the new me, meet his nieces and the little addition on its way but I haven't been able to get a hold of him."
Agni looked directly into the camera, she brought her hands up in a plea and her lips trembled. Big brother, if your watching please rush down and see me. I'm sorry I couldn't save mom and dad so don't hate me for living, please, please, please come down here and be the wonderful big brother I know you are. I want, I need your strength to get through this."
Some people in the crowd started to sniff as Agni spoke but Carmen rolled her eyes. She couldn't wait to get her turn. "You ready primo?" She whispered into his ear. Gerson looked confused and was ready to ask what she meant when the red head looked back down at her list. "Carmen Marroquin from Que Ondas pod cast." Carmen grabbed Gerson by the arm and started dragging him up to the front. "This is it primo, don't f*ck up!"
The moment they broke through the crowd Carmen felt that a light was shining down from up above. She felt light and free and couldn't stop smiling. She turned she gaze towards Agni and flicked back her hair as she took her fighting pose. "Ms. Falicia Coblepot, can it not be said that you are a fraud?" Agni was completely caught off guard by the question and her mask cracked as she looked at the reporter with disdain. "Excuse me?" Carmen brought up her hand and quickly apologized.
"Sorry I should clarify... Because the name on the marriage certificate, in your most recent marriage with one, Avery Steel was not registered using your real name then technically you are not married under the Marriage Act. This would be enough for any judge to order an annulment of the marriage.... So all of the benefits which are afforded to married couples should be frozen immediately and transferred to his biological daughter Olivia Steel. Unless... you were named as a beneficiary under his will or other documentation then you will need to produce said documents."
Agni and the red head turned ghostly white as they turned to one another then back to Carmen. "I'm sorry... your question was?" Agni tried to say as politely as possible but the strain in her voice was too hard to miss. Carmen made an "Oh!" Sound and knocked her head with her first. "Duh! Sorry I really need to be clearer! Yes my question... As a fraud, how are you going to support yourself now that you are cut off?"
Agni's mouth started to open and close like a fish and the red head scrambled to read the next name on the list. She brought up the microphone and rushed to read the next name but instantly regretted her hast. "Carmen Marroquin from Que Ondas pod cast!" Carmen smiled as she brought the microphone back up to her lips.
"Ms. Falicia Coblepot, there are rumour and this nasty little photo on the screen showing your intimate relationship with one Chief Wilhelm, how long have you been in this kind of relationship and is this the reason why you were able to get away with almost murdering Olivia Steel, murdering countless people at the debutante and even orchestrating the murder of Avery Steel and attempted murder of your own daughter Loreley!"
Agni shot her gaze upwards and tried to look at the big screen. Countless photographers started to snap shots of the photos being showed. One was of Agni strapped on top of Chief Wilhelm, another was her kissing the Chief, another was transcribed phone calls between her and an unknown Carl regarding a hit, another was her buying the abandoned factory under the name Falicia and having people set up the death traps and the last was an unknown man dressed in a black suit, wearing shades visiting her in an asylum.
Agni almost fainted on the spot but held it together as her assistant dropped to her knees. "Last two questions Ms. Falicia." Agni turned to look at Carmen, she bared her teeth as she broke out into a sweat. "What do you want now you sorry excuse for a toilet scrubbing b*tch!" She spat between her gritted teeth. "Ouch senora fine I'll cut to the chase then. Medical records show that you are infertile and Avery Steel actually placed you in the asylum because you were so disillusioned about the baby you proclaimed you were carrying. In a few months time would you have presented Ms. Olivia Steel's babies as your own, you sick f*ck?"
Agni lost her cool and lunged at Carmen with her nails baring. The red head scrambled to try and stop her mistress but she was too late. Carmen and Agni were exchanging blows on the ground floor. "You b*tch! You taco sucking parasite how dare you ruin this conference!" Carmen spat blood on to the floor as she signalled Agni to come as her. "Nice, I've heard better insults from a 85 year old blind woman who teaches cooking classes down at the Rec centre every other Tuesday."
"I'll kill you!" Agni shouted as she jumped back on Carmen and tried to claw her eyes out. "You can become that c*nts assistant if you let me help you remove your eyes." Carmen's eyes flashed with anger and she upper cut Agni and sent her flying. "Don't you dare speak about senorita Marisol that way! She may have shot at her husband and lover when she caught them in bed together but the lived and she did her time! That women is a saint compared to you!"
Security came running on to the scene and stopped the fight. Gerson couldn't stop smiling as he closed in on Agni's disheveled appearance. Her face was bright red and splotchy, her hair was all over the place, blood was dripping out of her mouth and her eyes blazed with murder. He turned the camera to Carmen and she looked absolutely lovely. Her hair was tousled in a sexy way, her cheeks had a healthy pink glow, there was a fine layer of sweat covering her body as her champagne coloured blouse was torn so low that her cleavage was revealing.
"This is Carmen Marroquin wanting to say hey Falicia que ondas!" Carmen said proudly as she nodded her head and looked down on Agni. She looked back at the camera and winked. Gerson turned off the feed and his phone would stop vibrating. "Carmen! Look at all these messages! Everyone wants a piece of you and the dirt you have on this p*ta."
Carmen waved her hand indifference. "First thing is first primo, buy me a drink and break up with that culebra or do you want that to be your end game?" She said as she pointed back. Gerson looked back and saw that Agni turned rabid, he saw someone come up and inject her neck with what he assumed was a tranquilizer. "Nope! I'll buy you two drinks and a pizza if you help me move out right now since she's playing bingo at the hall. Once me stuff is outta there I'll let you listen in as I dump her a**" He said as he wrapped his arm around Carmen's shoulders. She gave him a nod. "B*tch got nothing on me." she said as they both walked out of the hall with their heads held high.