Page 99 of Sins of the Flesh
It's horrifying how conversational her tone is while she talks about murdering people.“You know, I thought finally, after George was gone, it would be just Mother and I.But noooooo.”She turns to glare at Charlotte.
“This slut just couldn’t be single for once.”She screams, causing the room to collectively cringe.“Her new obsession became good ‘ol Father Nichols but this was different because she really cares about the fucker.”She glares at Charlotte again gritting her teeth.
“So what does she do, hovers, not letting him out of her sight.She thought that would stop me, I guess.I mean it did for a bit until my buddy Cole.”She says, gesturing towards me.
“Let it slip that he and the good Father were involved.So, I hatched the perfect plan to destroy the man who stole my Mother from me.”She glares at Caleb, and I squeeze his hand, not knowing if it is for my benefit or his.
“Now poisoning someone and framing their lover for the murder, that is something only a genius like myself could concoct, and these idiots made it all too easy!”She smiles maniacally.
“A spiked Mio bottle here and there with a cute little note, and my plan was in motion.Until this small bullshit town’s law enforcement fucked it up.I even handed them the evidence!Idiots!It was so simple!”She screams, throwing her hands in exasperation.
She hums a small chuckle.“You wanna know what's cute though, Mom figured me out, a bit late, but I digress.So what was herbigplan to stop me?”She starts laughing, “Blackmailing Caleb so that he and Cole would break up.”She howls with laughter, holding her stomach.“Then she stalked him for a year like a fucking creeper.Good plan, Mom.”She scoffs.
“But Sunday I got the best gift like it was my fucking birthday.”She looks at me and Caleb.“Caleb and Cole were back together.”She mocks, holding her hands to her chest.“Mom was freaking out because her plan went to shit.Tried to scare ‘em into leaving town with her little threats.But I already set plan B in motion, gotta think ahead.”She says, tapping her temple.
“So destroying my reputation was the plan then?”Caleb asks.
She chuckles low.“Ha!Not at all, I don’t give a shit what this town thinks of you and your little romance.I brought you here to witness.”Her words send a chill down my spine, which is instantly replaced with shock when a shot rings out.
People scream but my eyes are glued to Charlotte, slumped in the Sheriff's hold with a black hole oozing blood down her now quiet face.
“She tried to protect you, Father, because she loved you she was fucking pathetic because of you.She used to be strong, even formidable, but you ruined her, and now I’m going to ruin you.”Everything suddenly goes in slow motion as Elle raises the still-smoking gun and aims it at me.I squeeze my eyes shut as the shot rings out.
The piercing noise bounces off the acoustics of the room, sharpening the ringing in my ears.I'm so disoriented I don't realize Caleb is slumped in my arms.Everything speeds up again, and the room explodes into pandemonium.
Caleb's weight is heavy on me, and the realization of what just happened sends cold fear through me so strong I feel it in my bones."No!"I scream, lowering us both to the ground."Caleb!Oh God, Caleb!"Blood is staining my hands as I hold him.His eyes flutter, unfocused.
“Caleb?Baby?Please don't leave me.”I beg, sobbing.“Please, please, please don't leave me.I need you.”
Chaos is swirling around us, people shouting, and running.I hear the Sheriff yelling for someone to call an ambulance.But it all fades into the background as I cradle Caleb's head in my lap, staring down at his beautiful, pale face.
"I love you, Angel," he lets out in a choked whisper, his voice barely audible.
"I love you too," I sob, pressing my forehead to his."Stay with me, Caleb.Please, stay with me."
His eyes flutter closed, and his body goes limp in my arms."No!"I scream broken sobs wracking my body, and all I can hear is Elle’s manic laughter as Caleb bleeds out in my lap.
Epilogue
Cole
2 Years Later
Ordinary - Alex Warren
I
stare down at the grave marker.For the last 2 years, I have visited once a month to stay connected to a man I once loved so much.That fateful day taught me that life is short.I brush my fingers over the cold stone, tracing the etched letters of the name printed there.
The trial finally ended last week.Elle got two life sentences to be served in a maximum security Mental Hospital for the criminally insane.May she rot in Hell just like she deserves to.
Knowing what I know now really makes me realize how lucky I am to be alive and that the damage from the poison was minor.Thankfully, Elle’s ‘genius’ didn’t account for how much the poison was watered down, only being added in small doses to a large bottle of water.
I was so fortunate that Caleb was there that day when I collapsed; I was truly on the precipice.Weirdly, Charlotte saved my life.If I hadn't seen what happened the night before, I wouldn't have been in Caleb’s office right before I collapsed.Isn't it ironic?
It still blows my mind years later to realize that Charlotte was trying to protect Caleb and me, even with her blackmail scheme.She committed crimes, of course, like covering up the murders Elle committed.
But strangely, I only feel sorry for her now, her life wasn't her own either, like Caleb, and maybe that's why she connected to him so deeply.
