THE DECIET OF A MOTHER

(NICOLE'S POV)

Earlier in the morning I had watched from the window the interaction between Steven, Alexa, and the twins. Laughing and smiling together like a happy family, I couldn't let this facade continue, I had to put an end to it. 

This is why I was currently pacing the floor of the house Steven had bought for Alexa, my mind racing. The weight of shame pressed down on me heavily. How could I face the board, face the world, after what Alexa had said in the meeting yesterday? The memory of Alexa’s words echoed in my mind, a bitter reminder of my failures. And as if that wasn't enough my husband is playing house with her behind my back.

The door swung open, and Alexa's mom walked in, her face tight with frustration. "Nicole, we need to talk," she said, her voice firm but filled with a hidden hint of concern. I stopped pacing and turned to face her.

"About what? Mum!” I snapped “All I want to hear is how we are going to deal with Alexa? I have had enough of her!" I paced, my hands shaking in anger. “I told you mom but you couldn't listen, you should have killed her earlier, now she wants to destroy my life.”

"She is not that big of a threat," Gladys, my biological mother or should I call her Alexa's fake mother, said, running a hand through her hair. "All we need to figure out is how you will keep your position as Steven's wife."

"Not a threat?" I almost screamed, my voice trembling. "Please Mom, you need to do something." I pleaded. "What if the Hales family finds out that Alexa is the real daughter of the Wilton family?" I watched as my mom's expression turned grave, and I knew I had hit a nerve. "Steven's mother said today that Alexa would be a better choice for their son if I wasn't a Wilton," I added, the bitterness and hurt clear in my voice.

"But you are the mother of their grandchildren," she said, trying to reason with me. 

“The children I didn't raise. Those brats love Alexa more than me. I still don't understand why you insisted that she raise them. We could have found a stranger to do it," I added, the words tasting sour in my mouth. Why had she pushed for Alexa to be so involved in their lives? Now it seemed like it was all coming back to haunt me.

"Why would I agree to a stranger to raise my grandchildren?" Gladys asked, her tone scolding me.

"It was a better and safe choice mum. We could have paid the stranger to disappear once the deal was done, but Alexa is different. She is a threat." I paused, my mind racing. “Now that Alexa is in the picture, I can do nothing about her, the twins adore her, how do I make sure they take my side when I need them?" I pressed, feeling a sense of urgency. "They embarrassed me in the interview, Mum. I need them to be loyal to me otherwise they will only be a burden."

Gladys moved closer to me gently holding my hand. "Listen Nicole, this was all part of the plan, how else was Steven supposed to bond with the twins?" She asked. "You think it was easy for him to become the Hales heir? I did the dirty work." She looked at me lovingly but there was hardness beneath those eyes, there was something about Gladys that always scared me, I shivered and took a step back and she smiled. "But it's time you stopped being a child, Nicole," she said firmly. “First, you must get those sketches and return them to Steven before she goes to court." She instructed her voice firm.

“You mean the sketches Alexa designed for Hales Enterprises,” I asked and she nodded. "But mum, how and where do you expect me to get them?" I threw up my hands in frustration.

"I think they are in this house, with Alexa. We just need to think of a way to get her and Lala out of the house for a long time." She replied looking around.

I caught sight of Lala opening the door, and I quickly whispered, "Mum, hurry, Lala is back." Gladys's eyes followed mine, her gaze locking onto the approaching figure. In a swift motion, she pushed herself against me, she stumbled back, her foot catching on the edge of the staircase. Time seemed to slow down as she lost her balance. "Watch out mum!" I shouted, reaching for her, but it was too late. Gladys lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs, a sickening thud echoing through the house. 

In that moment, Lala walked in humming a tune to herself, she tossed her keys on the table before her gave met her mother lying on the floor, she let out a scream that could have awakened the entire neighborhood. I watched in horror as she panicked, then she caught sight of me standing above the stairs. Before I could react, she pulled out her phone and filmed us. Then she quickly dialed for an ambulance and then called Alexa.

"Alexa, you need to come quickly! It’s about mum!" Lala said, the panic in her voice was evident. "What happened?" The voice on the other line asked.

"Nicole came here, I think there was a fight. It was… it was awful. She pushed mum down the stairs." There was commotion, then line went quiet for a moment, someone I think Sylvie handed the phone to Alexa. 

“Is she fine” Came Alexa's panicked voice

"No, Alexa, she is in bad shape. I think she hit her head," Laila replied, her voice trembling with fear. Just then, the sound of sirens filled the air and Laila's relief was noticable. "Oh, thank Heavens, the ambulance is here." The room erupted into chaos as medical personnel rushed in to attend to Gladys. Amidst the commotion, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder, waking me from my shocked state.

"Are you fine?" the kind lady, who looked like a nurse, asked. Before I could respond, I heard Alexa's voice behind her. "Hold her, she is the one who pushed my mum." The nurse's grip on my arm tightened as Alexa approached, her anger evident in her voice.