Authors: Janet Adeyeye
I opened my eyes slowly. Had it been a dream? Did I dream it all and my mom is still alive? Yes. Yes, that must be it. I must have been dreaming. I bet I'll wake up now and find myself in my room or something. I looked around me at the nurses in white, at Angel sitting on a chair in a corner, at the nurse beside my bed passing some medication into my body. No. No, this can't be. This can't possibly be happening. I must have dreamt it. I did, right?
"Mom. Where is my mom!!" I struggled with the nurse trying to get up but she held me firmly to the bed. "Why won't they let me go? Where is my mom? Mom!" I yelled, then flash images of what happened earlier toggled in my memory. My mom was shot. The blood I'd seen. My goodness! "My baby! My baby is she alright?" I touched my belly. Angel was beside me already trying to calm me down, but no that's not what I want. Why isn't anybody answering me? Where the hell is my mother?
"Baby, calm down."
"No! Where is my mom? How is my baby? Angel, where is my mother?"
"I'm sorry, sir. But we'll have to sedate her." One of the nurses directed at Angel.
"NO! Get me my mother! I want to see her. Angel? Angel tell me what's going on. Tell me." The nurse gently injected me with a sedative and within what seemed like a minute, I felt drowsy again. "My mom... Get me my mom." I cried on till I fell asleep again.
By the time I opened my eyes, Angel was gone and so were the nurses. My head felt stiff and empty. I sat up on the bed now covering my face with my palm. Then the opening of the room door startled me to look up. "Angel?" But when my eyes finally fell on who'd entered, I sighed. "Shipwreck."
"Oh darling, look what they did to you." He came to my side now and sat on my bed cupping my face into his hands. "I was afraid this would happen."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh dear, they are slowly brain washing you. Your mother."
My eyes flashed. "My mom? Yes, where is she?"
"They killed her child. They killed her the way they killed your father and stole his company."
"What? No. No, that can't be true."
"Your mom was afraid for her life. She knew they would get to her soon too. But it's not too late to get your revenge on those scumbags."
"They killed my mom?"
"Yes, honey. But you won't give in will you? You are going to show them how strong and formidable you are. You are going to finish what you started off. I will help you destroy that family."
"But why? Why did they kill my mom? No. I have to speak to Angel. This doesn't make any sense."
"Exactly. It is exactly because of that. They know you won't believe they are behind all of this, but we are smarter, okay? They did it before. They will do it again."
"Angel. I need to speak to him."
"What are you going to tell him, child? Are you going to confront him? That won't bring your parents back, child. What you need now is revenge. Make them pay and feel twice as much the pain you are feeling now."
"I can't. They are my family. I am expecting his baby."
"Oh, dear..." He casted his gaze down
"What? It's true. I am pregnant."
"You were."
"What do you mean?"
"You lost the pregnancy, Kayla. Now more than ever you need to be strong."
"WHAT! That... That can't be true. No. No, I can’t lose my baby."
"They made it happen. That family is cursed! They have blood on their hands. The blood of your parents and unborn child. Fight for this Kayla. Let me help you fight. Take away what they have left. Take their companies."
I became mute now. I lost my baby. I lost my mom. And now, I am about to lose my mind.
"Child, together we can defeat them."
I nodded. Yes! They will pay. Even if it is the last thing I do, they will pay.
Chapter 16
I drove with Angel back to the mansion without exchanging a word with him. I sat in the backseat staring out through the window. Although, it was almost sun down and the golden sun was now gone, I still found the view captivating. I looked at the front mirror now and my eyes met Angel's. I moved mine away almost immediately, feeling nothing but pain and even more pain.
"I'm sorry."
I looked back up at him, refusing to say a word to him. If he was apologizing for making me lose my unborn child, then he should just save it. The only person I had left in my entire life was now dead. I wasn't even sure I'll be able to stand and watch them bury her tomorrow. My mom and I might have had our differences, but I loved her still and I know she did too. It is my fault she is no longer with me. I pushed her to it. How could I have possibly fallen in love with an enemy? She warned me. She did. I wiped away the tears dropping from my eyes, then looked back outside. It's sad when people kill and get away with it. That's the kind of world we are in now. No justice is made because we are black Americans. As if it is not the same blood that runs through our veins.
Anytime a black man dies, he is either buried immediately or burned
. But if a white man dies, a state of mourning is declared upon the whole nation. And then, when we take the law into our hands, they ask us why we didn't just leave it to the law. Revenge is the only bitter-sweet justice we live on in LA. And the Morero clan just awakened something brutal in me and I won't rest till I see them crumpled to the floor.
"We're home." Angel announced then the car came to a halt. I slowly opened the door and got out. I went straight inside the house and then to my room. I didn't dare look Clifford or Matthew in the eyes. They murdered my family and even their own blood. What else could be worse than that?
I wanted the night to go by as fast as possible, but it seemed impossible. It was like the clock was just intentionally slowing down, enjoying my pain. With every hour that strikes past, my thirst for vengeance increased.
I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. But I guess I was wrong. Again. As I stood watching the priest say the final prayers for my mom the next day, not one tear fell from my eyes. While everyone else was seated, I remained standing, my eyes fixed on her casket. I didn't feel my world crumbling again. I didn't feel like dying either. Rather, I felt strong and renewed. Something you only feel when you've passed through a sudden breakdown but you still want to keep on going.
And then they slowly lowered the casket into the ground. A tear betrayed me and rolled down my face. I took some soil and poured it over her casket like they'd instructed then placed the daffodil I'd specially picked for her on the casket. Then almost everyone took turns and started leaving. I stood there, still watching her grave, but no words formed in my head. Was she really gone?
"Let's go." Angel came beside me and touched my hand. I turned to look at him now, a frown on my face. "I'll give you a minute. I'll be waiting in the car," he added after he read the expression on my face, then he walked away. I followed him with my eyes for a second then I saw Shipwreck coming towards me. He wasn't in black like the rest of us but wore a grey jumper instead. He stood beside me and stared down at her grave in despair.
"She is really gone," he murmured.
"Yes."
"But I know she is resting peacefully with your father up in heaven," he added.
"No. She won't rest in peace until I destroy that family."
"She had such a great plan."
"Yes. When do we start?" I asked with a straight face.
"I have all the paperwork for the fake company ready. We buy the law firm and then the shipping company goes bankrupt as well. I bet they can't wait to treat their mom."
"I am afraid they already found the money to do so."
"How? That's impossible."
"Remember that day I called you to send me $100 million?"
"Yes?"
"I gave it to them to treat their mother."
"You're kidding..."
He looked at me now and saw I still had a straight empty expression.
"Why did you do something like that?"
"I wanted to give up. I didn't want to avenge my father's death any longer. I did it without thinking."
"Bullshit!" He snapped, hitting his foot against the ground. "The plan has to change."
"I know."
"What do you plan on doing?"
"We take both companies from them. But only on one condition."
"What?"
"You make me sole owner of those companies and you invest in them."
"Remind me why I am helping you again?"
I looked at him and smiled. Yes, I smiled for the first time in 24 hours. I slowly walked away, back towards Angel's car.
"Wait." I heard Shipwreck say after a while, then he walked towards me again. I stopped. "I'll do it."
"Perfect. I become partner in the shipping company and as the largest shareholder, ultimate owner. We use your fake company's name to snatch that company from them without them knowing. By tomorrow, the shipping company will go completely bankrupt. They will have absolutely nothing to stand against after the court demand they give up ownership to the new fake company which will be in my name."
"What about the law firm?"
"It'll die a natural death." I didn't say anything after that again. I knew Angel had been watching us, and I knew he'd ask who Shipwreck is, and that will be the beginning of their end.
The drive home from the cemetery was a long and moody one. Clifford and Matthew brought a different car so they rode behind ours. I sat on the passenger's seat beside Angel, but still said nothing.
"You haven't said a word to me since this incident. Talk to me, Kayla."
My gaze met Angel. I struggled to find the right words to say to him, so I just turned my gaze away.
"What's going on? I also feel bad that you lost our baby... But we can make another."
"It's not that," I muttered between teeth.
"Then what? Or are you going to deny the fact that you've been moody all day. I know how it feels to lose one's parent. I lost my father too, remember? But shutting yourself off is not going to solve anything."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I want to sympathize with you. But you are shutting everyone out."
I suddenly felt the urge to confront him. To ask him why his family destroyed mine. I guess I wasn't so strong to go on living with an enemy.
"I want a divorce," I finally said
The car came to a sudden halt. "A what?"
"I can't keep doing this. I'm tired of living a lie. It's all over now anyway."
"What are you talking about? Why would you want a divorce? We just got married for crying out loud. You're my wife."
"Is that why you killed my parents?" It was out before I knew it. Lukewarm tears started rolling down my face like I'd been suddenly reminded of the truth.
"What! What are you talking about?"
"Yes, I know your family had my parents killed. And now my unborn child."
"This is crazy. Where the hell did you get that from?"
"Don't bother denying it. Your family killed my father and stole his company from us. And now you succeeded in killing my mom as well. And now you're pretending you care."
"No. No. No. I won't accept such allegations. First off, your father died from a car crash. It was days after that we got to know that The Matrix had been used for a loan and was bankrupt. We had an order from the court to repay that loan, and that was why we gathered all the company properties and sold it. And if you didn't know, we're still suffering from that mistake your father made. It took years to repay that loan and that was paid from my father's companies. That's why we are going bankrupt. For your information, that man you spoke to few minutes ago was the one who bought your father's company. I won't allow you to give my family a name it isn't. We helped your family as much as we could. I can't believe this!"
I didn't know if I should scream or just cry. Shipwreck deceived my mom and I. And he was using me to get the Moreroes’ companies too. Why didn't I see this coming? I felt suddenly stupid and mute.
"But my mom said your family hated us and wanted to see us destroyed. She always said that," I quickly said.
"I'm guessing you didn't know your mom and my dad had an affair in college."
I looked at him shocked.
"Yes. And then my mom came into the picture and stole him from her. Your mom hated my family right from the scratch. So she used your father's death and painted us the bad guys so you can hate us too. But it's all a lie. And now if we don't get the money to save that shipping company before tomorrow, we'll lose it too."
"I can't believe this. My mom... My mom lied to me."
"She lied to you about a lot of things."
"I got married to you not because I loved you, but because I wanted my revenge on your family. And I killed David because he betrayed my dad and sold himself to you."
"You want to know why my mom supported us getting married?"
"Why?"
"Because she wanted peace. She thought that was the best way to reunite our two families again. But I guess she was wrong." He started the car back now and drove off. I felt really bad, again. I had the urge to confront Shipwreck about this, but I thought of something even better. I was going to play along with this plan of ours, let him invest in the company and transfer all ownership to me, then I'll get him arrested. I just knew something was fishy about him. He brainwashed my mom and now he is trying to do the same to me? What a scumbag.