Soon, everyone should know that I am Jude's stepmother, or at least 'the woman Jude's father had brought in.'
Turning back to the wall one last time, I went to work.
After an uneventful day in which I unfortunately couldn't torment the boys who talked rudely about me because I didn't have Jude's class today, I found seven glittering bouncy balls in the grass on the sports field and pocketed four of them. If someone is dropping their stuff here regularly, then they shouldn't wonder if it disappeared.
After placing the rest of those bouncy balls in the lost and found box, I walked back to get my bag. When turning to the corner, I found Jude waiting in front of the little teacher's room.
"How was your day?" I asked him, as I sneaked inside to get my bag, before hurriedly heading back out and closing the door, I wouldn't want to repeat the situation we have found ourselves in yesterday.
"It was fine." On Jude's lips played a smile,
"How was your day?" His deep voice tickled me, giving the question back.
Only now did I find the conversation peculiar and improper for us to have, and I couldn't even say why.
It was just, whenever it came to Jude and his voice, everything that came out of his mouth sounded so intoxicating. I really wanted to hear him say nasty stuff, to test if it would sound so delicious as well.
"Good." Nodding at him, I started to walk towards the sports hall.
Jude walked up to me with his long legs, and we crossed the hall together, his steps measured with mine.
He was again smelling as good as his voice sounded, and I was simply a miscast to walk beside him, it appeared to be more of a job for Amanda.
After hearing him say the word 'disgusting' this morning, regarding having second thoughts about me, I could let the matter now finally rest, albeit still feeling like a cougar taking herself too highly.
Initially, after passing the school gate, we should take the car back like we always do, but today instead of one car, there were two. Another addition was Thomas leaning against the other car, his arms crossed and his expression stony.
Jude froze for a brief moment, before taking a small step away, distancing himself slightly from me. He was probably not expecting his father to show up all of a sudden either.
We made our way to Thomas, and his light eyes pierced me until I stood right in front of him.
"Let's go." He ignored his son who was beside me, and opened the door to his car.
I didn't dare to look at Jude as I entered the car, sliding to the side to make space for my husband. Wordlessly, Thomas followed me and straightened out his cuffs, as the car started to drive.
I hadn't forgotten the business meeting or whatever it was Thomas told me to accompany him to, but I had thought it would only start in the evening, not directly after school. At least I wasn't dressed inappropriately, like in my old jogging suit. I miss my comfortable clothes, but the pockets on these dresses are bigger.
The pictures of Liliana only showed her in school uniform, so I couldn't see her in this kind of dress. Still, I was meanwhile a hundred percent sure that she should be my mother, given how similar we looked. How deranged to take the daughter of your white moonlight as a substitute. It would be really interesting to hear what Liliana had to say about that.
If I stayed here for a year I wouldn't need a fleefund, so I could use the heirloom of the Dunken family to hire a private detective. I didn't think I would be able to find Liliana myself, given that on the internet there were absolutely no traces of her.
Liking the idea of having someone else investigate, I resolved on taking the gold with me to the school trip and to sell it there. Furthermore, if I could find a private detective on the school trip as well, though it would be more costly, it would also be safer regarding Thomas finding out.
Having a plan ready, I felt much more relaxed as we had arrived. Stepping out of the car, we were in front of an old traditional restaurant, not quite letting one guess about its expensiveness.
Thomas again offered me his arm in silence, so I took it, playing my role for today, as he led me inside.
The receptionist respectfully guided us upstairs, and as we entered a room, I was welcomed by middle-aged men, every one accompanied by a young woman.
Their attention didn't stay on the ladies who were with them; instead, as we entered, they had their eyes instantly all over me.
What a bunch of creeps.
************
Thomas POV
She had tried to run, and so soon at that. I was amused by it until I saw her hair. I was so furious that I nearly fell into old habits, in hindsight, I am glad that she took out the little fork she stole to threaten me, again amusing me and helping me calm down a good part. I am glad she held me back from hurting her.
But when I looked at her, I was reminded of my deceased wife, who went from dark to light. Now there was Lesly going from light to dark, messing with my mind.
The dead woman's dress-up game had left a deeper impression on me than I thought.
I felt out of my mind with just looking at Lesly, contemplating between shaving her hair off or dragging her to a hairdresser. But if she bleached her hair back like the woman, wouldn't her precious hair look the same as well?
I was drifting deeper in my memories, back to the morning I had woken up with a woman in my arms, not remembering but clearly feeling violated. Additionally the fact that I as a man, had been raped by a woman, how laughable was that?
Time passed, and when I thought it was over, she came with a child, my DNA, my painful existence stolen and replicated.
Not only that, I was forced to live with them, see them, reminding me of the shame I felt every day anew.
Hearing Lesly telling me she could wash the dark color out easily, I was relieved—so relieved. Washing away the traces of that woman was the best outcome possible.
However, more out of spite, I dwelt on a punishment, nearly not able to look at her, at the same time not able to look away, trying to find your traces in her.
And when I saw her eyes, I forgot to seek your shadow, instead, I was reminded of the eyes I took with me in the forest back then, leaving them behind.
I suddenly wanted to leave something with her—a gift from me, to her.
I wanted to feel her to make sure I hadn't killed the child back then.
Not even the hair color would hold me back.
I wanted to have her throat between my teeth, but instead of biting down, I would mark her so that she would know that she was mine, so that I could feel her pulse and know that she wasn't the dead dressed-up woman that had crawled out of her grave, that she wasn't Liliana my dead tormentor, nor the little girl who could have died in the forest, but that she was Lesly, and that she was alive.