4
684words
"Officer,I've told you everything,no lies,"she said.
Captain Lewis soothed,"Ma'am,don't worry,I’m just trying to clear a few things out."
She sighed,repeating what she had already said,"It was raining heavily.I was worried that my garlic in the garden would rot,so I went out to check.Saw a van circling—thought it was lost at firsl.Then I saw it ran over someone."
Captain:"Recall the time?"
Her:"Around six-thirty p.m."
Captain:"The next day,we asked for witnesses.Why didn't you speak up then?"
Her:"Blood everywhere—terrifying!I was scared.What if the van came for me,a lone old woman?"
Captain:"Why speak up now then?"
Her:"Couldn't sleep,I felt guilty,what I saw kept haunting me at night.So I reported.Don't tell anyone that I was teh witness!"
...
As Captain Lewis probed details,I sank into fog.
That night,I got a call—not from my mother-in-law,but someone claiming to be her neighbor,saying she'd fallen,broken her leg,needed me to take her to the hospital.
I called Michael immediately.
Thunder roared,shaking my nerves.
After a long"beep,"Michael answered.
"Honey,Mom fell!She needs to go to the hospital!Come with me!"
A child's wail and a woman's sobs came through the phone.
"Emily,stop lying.Mom's fine..."
"I'm not lying,really..."
"Enough!I'm busy,bye!"
He hung up,furious.
He was “busy” comforting Clara,who was scared of thunder.
That stormy night,Michael rushed to Clara's despite the heavy rain.
I warned him the storm was dangerous.
He snapped,"Clara's scared of thunder,so's Timmy.I have to go!"
I let go of his arm,smiling bitterly.
Clara must've loved how Michael would always rush to her despite everything,a drenched,heroic man abandoning his wife,moving her to tears.
I never troubled Michael.
He called me a superwoman—earning,fixing plumbing around the house,never complaining.
Only I knew,growing up in an orphanage,that crying kids got bullied worse.
I learned to solve problems myself insetad of seeking help.
No one taught me,"The squeaky wheel gets the grease."
Michael found no protector's urge in me.Clara's fragility drew him like a fly to dung.
I,after he had hung up,didn't cry,didn't fuss,just went to get his mom...
My mother-in-law,annoyed by questions,waved them off."Stop asking,that's all I know."
Captain Lewis,seeing no more answers,led his team out.
A young officer ran up to him with excitement the moment he stepped out of the door."Captain,we've got camera footage!"
With the rain and heat, forensics couldn’t give and exact time of my death.
With Mom's testimony,a clearer time and vehicle type emerged.Police identified five vans in the area.
As they hunted the vans,a car stopped outside the police line.
I knew this car too well—it belonged to Michael and me.
Shouldn’t he be celebrating Timmy's birthday with Clara?
Michael stepped out,confused,his pale face ghostly.
"What's going on,Mike?"Clara frowned,eyes uneasy.
Michael ignored her,sprinting to the shantytown.
Clara followed.I stayed,watching the boy asleep in the back seat.
Four or five,he resembled his mom.
Maybe,if Iwere still alive,I would have a child one day,sleeping soundly in the back seat...
Too late for everything.
Mom,among the onlookers,spotted her son,waving.
"Son,over here!Why're you here?"
She noticed Clara behind him.
"My gosh,Clara?You're back?"
Clara beamed,approaching.
"Yes,Mrs.Reed,I'm back."
I knew that my mother-in-law knew Clara.
Michael once said he had brought Clara home,but she didn't like him back then—just his one-sided crush.
Michael cut their chat short.
"Mom,what's this?Why so many cops?"
Mom explained the incident.
Michael pressed,"Mom,your garlic wasn't worth you going outside in that rain!Emily said you broke your leg—was it because of this?"
Mom exploded,"Nonsense!I wouldn’t break my leg in a million years!"
Clara gently held Mom's arm,cooing,"Mrs.Reed,don't be mad.Emily might've..."
Michael snapped,"Might've what?!She's just jealous,petty!Made up lies to get me home,even cursing my mom!"
"No wonder I've been feeling uneasy!Emily's so immature now!Won't even reply!"
Clara's lips curved,chuckling,"See,Mike,I told you you were worrying for nothing.Mrs.Reed's blessed—curses don't work..."
I watched Michael sending me a long text,likely scolding.
A man who didn't check on his mom' now dared calling me a disrespectful beast.
Who's the real beast?
Ignoring his mom for two weeks,what right did he have to judge me?
Michael dialed me again.
Phone off.
"Damn it!She blocked me!I'm going home!"He stormed into the car.
"I’m getting a divorce,I’m done with this petty woman..."
