Page 21 of Revenge (Corrupt Empire 3)

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

I heard a loud slapping sound. Opening my eyes, I peered through the crack in the cupboard door. I couldn’t make out the man she was talking to, but I could see Mummy.

I wasn’t supposed to be in here. In her room, but I’d been looking for a toy I’d lost. My favourite race car. I remembered I’d been playing with it in here a few days ago with Mummy. I’d run in the cupboard and closed the door when I heard loud voices in the hallway.

“It’s time you learnt your fucking place. You think just because you had that bastard kid, you’re above everyone else? Let me make something fucking clear to you. You’re not.”

“No, I don’t think that, sir. Please. I haven’t done anything.”

Mummy was pulled out of sight by a suit-clad arm.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Lizzie. You’ve done everything wrong since the moment you came to us. Getting knocked up and now this bullshit. You know how much fucking trouble you’ve caused me? No, you don’t because you’re a stupid little bitch who we have no use for any longer.”

“No. No, please.”

I heard a smack. It made me flinch. She fell back into my eyeline, holding her face.

“Please, sir. I’m sorry. Please.”

“Sorry, are you? Sorry for being alive and making trouble for my whole family?”

“I’m sorry. Please, sir, don’t.”

“It’s too fucking late for that.”

The hand reached out, spinning her around. I couldn’t quite make out who was holding her to their chest, but I knew it was a man by the sound of his voice. It was a familiar voice to me. That’s when I noticed something else in his other hand. A blade.

“Any last words?”

“Please, please don’t. He’ll be all alone.”

“You should’ve fucking thought about that before you fucked up, Lizzie.”

“Please,” she whispered.

He raised his arm up and dragged the blade across her neck. Blood pooled immediately. She gurgled. The man released her. She put her hands to her neck, the blood pouring out of the wound. Then she collapsed to her knees. I heard the man’s footsteps retreating from the room. When the front door slammed, I pushed open the cupboard door. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling with her hands by her sides.

“Mummy?”

There was no answer.

“Mummy!”

l

I jolted awake. My skin felt clammy. What the actual fuck? I’d not dreamt about her in so long. So fucking long. I sat up, trying to reorient myself to the present. That fucking memory. Why had I dreamt about it? Was it because I’d thought about her before I’d gone to sleep? Fuck. Fuck. I couldn’t deal with this shit.

I jumped out of bed, pacing the room before I walked out and along to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face and the back of my neck. Staring at myself in the mirror, I had dark circles under my eyes and a haunted look on my face. Fuck. Frustration tore through me. I shouldn’t be having these fucking memories attacking me from all fucking sides. I’d had enough. This shit needed to end.

I dried my face and went back into the bedroom. Slipping into bed, I lay there staring at the ceiling. Avery shifted, her hand reached out and connected with my chest. She moved, tucking herself back up under my arm and curling her own around my stomach.

“Where did you go?” she whispered, her voice groggy and full of sleep.

“Bathroom.”

“Are you okay?”

I shouldn’t be burdening her with this shit in the middle of the night. She needed to sleep, but the memory wouldn’t fucking leave me alone. It wouldn’t disappear. I could see her face. Her glazed over eyes staring back at me.

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