'Things surely had a way of turning upside down when one least expected it.ʼ Cassandra Montgomery thought angrily as she placed the back of her palm on her daughters forehead.
"Youʼre getting really worked up lately." She said with concern to her daughter.
Lila groaned in response, basking in the attention she got from her mum.
"Iʼm getting a lot better." She said in a strained voice.
Lila has not been herself, ever since the incident that cost Olivia her life happened. She was scared, not because of her concern for Olivia but because of the fear of what might happen to her if ever her secret was exposed.
They had done well to hide her body in the coastal waters and she could still remember clearly, every detail of it. The memory haunted her.
At the moment, everyone had the notion that Olivia had gone missing. The police had been involved and they were now conducting an investigation, and with every clue they got, Lilaʼs heart was always slipping out of her chest.
She had not gotten the effrontery to tell her mother what happened that night. Though, they both wanted her death, it just wasn't planned in this manner.
All they wanted was for her to die in her sleep. Something that could pass off as natural and not this mess.
"The police called today." Cassandra started causing Lilaʼs attention to perk up. She needed to know everything related to the case.
"They found Oliviaʼs car." Lilaʼs breathe caught. Oliviaʼs car had been parked in Victorʼs house. If what Cassandra was saying was true, then it meant... it meant... She didn't want to complete that statement.
Lila sprang up from her bed almost immediately not minding the intense fever that had befalling her or the doctorʼs warning that she should get some rest.
"What is it Lila?" Cassandra asked surprised by her daughterʼs sudden uprise.
"I need to leave." Lila replied as she packed a few of her clothes into her suitcase.
"Leave? For where?
"I donʼt know." Lila replied harshly.
In fact, she had no idea. All she knew was that she had to leave by all means possible.
Cassandra folded up her hands just below her breast, with a quick look at her daughter. She could tell that something was wrong with her.
"Is there something youʼre not telling me?" Cassandra asked as the other woman hurried across the room. With her shoes in her hand.
Lila ignored her mother as she zipped up her bag and wheeled it along with her as she sauntered towards the door. Cassandra placed herself in front of the door blocking her daughterʼs path.
"I have to go mother." Lila yelled frustration evident in her voice.
But Cassandra would have nothing of it.
"I would ask only once. Where to Lila?" Cassandra asked in a stern voice."
Lila sighed knowing she had lost this one battle with her mother.
"I..." She trailed off. She couldnʼt say this, Where was she supposed to start. Someone might just be behind the door listening to them.
"You know Olivia might just be dead." She whispered to her mum.
Cassandra clasped her hands together and let out a half smile. "That would be just good for both of us." She said care freely.
"No, I mean mother I ..." she leaned in closer to her mum, allowing her lips to hover just above her motherʼs ears.
"I killed her." She said in the most silent voice ever.
Cassandra let out a startled gasp.
"What!" She yelled.
"I didnʼt mean to mother. I pushed her off the stairs and she died. Her car is in Victorʼs house and if theyʼve found it. It means I would soon be arrested."
"Victor? Now tell me what you were doing in Victorʼs house." Cassandra decided to act upon the least important topic."
Lila shook her head. "I only..." Cassandra cut her off before she could complete her words.
"I told you not to get involved with that man. He is only a means to an end. Our end." She overstated the last words.
"I know mother."
"Good. Now that Olivia is dead. It means weʼve got what we want." Cassandra announced.
"But I donʼt want to go to prison."
"Donʼt ever say that. I donʼt know where the car was found, I didnʼt bother to ask but it wasnʼt Victorʼs place." Cassandra assured her daughter.
"Are you sure mum?" Lila asked not wanting to believe her mum that easily.
"I know Victor as a smart person. You donʼt think he would leave evidence sitting in his compound. No way." Cassandra assured her again.
That was a relief, Lila wiped the tears off her face.
"I have to talk to victor." She said to her Cassandra as she skittered out of the room.
Victor Hayes stood in his mansion sipping a glass of whiskey as he was lost in thought.
He had definitely seen better days, his mind had never been as disturbed before as it was now.
The memory of what he had done with Lila haunted him. The burden of Oliviaʼs death was placed on him. He took another gulp of the whiskey and rubbed his temples with his fingers.
He had never imagined that just that one night would prove to be much more than he could take. Someoneʼs death on him and this wasnʼt just anybody, it was Olivia, his fiancée.
He was aware of the policeʼ investigations and they had made visits to his house on several occasions. He had had to put on a false pitiful expressions on his face whenever they came. There was no need to let anyone know the part he took in her death but at the same time, his conscience gnawed at him.
His friends, his family, they all took pity on him thinking he was innocent but the truth was far from it. He knew Oliviaʼs murderer but he couldnʼt utter a word about it to anyone.
He groaned in frustration as his hands tightened on the glass in his hands.
"Mr. Hayes." He heard his name being called.
"What is it Gina?" He asked without looking back at the maid. He was lucky enough that none of his staff had been around that night. That was all it was. A slice of luck.
"Nothing but Miss Lila is here to see you." She said.
"What for?"
"I donʼt know sir."
Victor cleared his throat.
"Tell her Iʼm not in the mood to see anyone."
"Yes boss." He heard her footsteps as she left the living room.
Victor left the wet bar and returned to his living room. As he sat on the sofa, he could hear Lilaʼs voice arguing with one of his staff.
D**m, he should have known
what a stubborn woman she was. When the noise stopped, he immediately knew that Lila had gained entrance and not the other way around, because he knew she would never stop until she got what she wanted.
"Victor, did you tell her not to allow me in?" He looked behind him and saw Lila standing there beside Gina.
"Youʼre already in so there is no point answering that question." He said and nodded towards Gina to excuse them.
"Now, tell me. Why are you disturbing my peace?" He asked indifferently.
"Are you serious? Iʼm disturbing your peace?" Lila queried.
A fight was surely brewing.
"What do you want with me?" Victor rephrased his words.
"We need to talk." She told him.
"Keep talking."
"Iʼm being serious here Victor, are you aware of the policeʼ investigations?"
"I know about all that."
"And youʼre not scared?" Lila
asked unbelievably.
"Why should I be? Iʼm not the one who killed someone remember?"
"But you helped me. So whether you like it or not? Youʼre still an accomplice." She sneered.
"They found Oliviaʼs car, did you know that?"
She asked afterwards.
"Thatʼs new." Victor replied. The police never gave him that information even though he was her fiancé.
"It was in your house the last time I came here. So where did they find it?"
"Where they found it is none of your business, Lila. You should be grateful that youʼve been acquitted." He murmured.
"I donʼt want anything that traces back to us. " Lila said. "It wouldnʼt hurt us if we visited the officer in charge of the investigations." Lila suggested while Victor was forced to slam his fists in the center table in anger.
"You know that night when I said you were dumb?" He asked Lila, though he didnʼt expect her to reply, he continued. "It was on impulse, it was an impulsive action but now I see that I was right. You really are dumb if you thought that an officer would disclose such sensitive information. Itʼs enough that they told you her car has been found." He roared.
Lila stared at him shocked by his actions but didnʼt complain.
"So where did you hide her car?" She asked hoping he would answer this question.
"In the same place her body was hidden, now get out!"