ANMELDENThat night, while everyone was eating dinner, I made the announcement. “We are leaving Murkwood this Sunday. For good.” The room went quiet. “We are not taking anything with us,” I continued. “All our clothes will be donated. We will only keep what we wear that day and everything else will be replaced.” They all stared at me as if they could not believe that it was really happening. “No furniture. Nothing that ties us back here. And no one tells anyone about this until we leave, is that clear?” It took time for the words to sink in and then slowly it was like there was a buzz of excitement. As the days got closer to Sunday, I made sure everything was ready. Even though Bianca was overseeing most of the arrangements, I still went to Skyline City a few times myself. I checked on the apartment and used the chance to buy what we needed. Kitchen utensils. Mattresses. A fairly used washing machine. A microwave. I made sure everyone would have clean, soft sheets. Bianca, Rebecca
Jerry twisted his arm without warning. A loud pop rang, and Sarah’s husband screamed as his shoulder dislocated out of place. The pain hit him so hard his face turned a deep red, his body shaking as he clutched his arm, shouting curses and begging for help. But the neighbors who had been so loud just moments ago? Gone. Not a single one stepped forward. Jerry lifted his leg and shoved him to the ground like he was nothing. Rebecca tightened her grip on my arm, fear flashing across her face, but I squeezed her hand back, silently assuring her. When Jerry was done, he stepped back turning his head left and right in annoyance. Sarah’s husband struggled to his feet, his body trembling. He glared at me, his eyes filled with hatred. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something, maybe threaten me with the police. But the words died in his throat. His eyes flickered to Jerry and that was enough to send another shiver of fear down his spine. He could only limp away, mutt
Especially a woman who was not born into a rich family. The moment she got married, she became something like property. First her husband’s, then his family’s. Her duty was simple. To Serve, Endure and Stay quiet. And somewhere in the back of her mind, there was always that fear that she was replaceable. If her husband got tired of her, he could throw her out like she meant nothing. And what would she do? Go to court? With what money? With whose support? Without a strong family behind her, she would become nothing overnight. A discarded, useless woman. Even if it was not her fault, she would still be blamed. Called stubborn, disrespectful, shameless. People would whisper that she could not keep her home, that she was the problem. No one would hire her easily. No one would stand by her. Even other women would keep their distance, afraid her “bad luck” might spread to them. And if she had children? It only got worse. With no steady income. No support. Just struggle, judgment
We spent about thirty minutes planning the rooms and the interior of the house. The kitchen, the bathrooms, and even the fourth room, which would serve as my in house office for now. After that, we called a taxi and visited two furniture stores, going back and forth over prices before finally deciding which one to use. I paid an upfront deposit and gave them a copy of my house key, though I already planned to change the locks the moment we officially moved in. I wanted everything new. Beds, pots, rugs, curtains. Everything. Even if it was a bit expensive, I did not care. The only thing I won’t compromise on is bringing any furniture from Murkwood to Skyline City. The furniture, cleaning, and interior setup would take about a week. I also paid for fumigation. After that, the car the landlord arranged took us to Evercrest Academy. We were given a tour of the school, and it was exactly what I expected. Large, spotless buildings, well equipped classrooms with modern boards and proje
The landlord glanced at Bianca, and I caught the quick look they exchanged before he turned back to me and waved my concern away. “No, do not worry about it too much. It is not a waste of time,” he said with a small smile. “You should at least see what I have available. We can talk about the price later.” Bianca nodded quickly. “Yes, Patricia, let’s just check it out. I am sure you will love it. And about the price, he mentioned earlier that he is offering a big discount for families renting.” “I did?” the landlord repeated, clearly caught off guard. But the moment he saw the look Bianca gave him, he cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, yes, I did. I am willing to offer a big discount on the rent. No problem at all.” He let out a slightly awkward laugh. I gave both of them a side glance, suspicion flickering in my eyes, but I decided to go along with it for now. “Alright… shall we?” We walked toward the main lobby, and he stepped ahead to open the door for us. The moment I ste
I raised a hand to stop the panic, ruffling Billy’s hair before bending down to pick Gracie up and shower her face with kisses. “Do not panic. I was on my way back when I tripped and fell into the gutter. There was glass in it. I already got it treated, so it is fine. I will just shower and go rest, okay?” “Mom, you have to be careful!” Billy said, looking incredibly worried. “I know, I know. It is my fault,” I replied gently. Rebecca still looked unconvinced, but she chose not to question me in front of everyone. Slowly, the everyone went back to what they were doing. Later that night, just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone rang. I picked it up, carefully patting Billy, who had fallen asleep on my chest, snoring softly with a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth. “Hello?” “Hello? Is this Patricia? This is Bianca. I collected your number earlier at the salon, remember?” “Oh, hi, Bianca. I did not expect you to call so quickly. I assume you have spoken to your sister.”
Anyone with eyes could see the guilt written all over Sarah’s face. It was clear as day. Not because she had suddenly grown a conscience after all these years, no. It was because she had finally realized something far worse. She was walking straight into a trap. And I was the one who dug the pi
“So this is where you were hiding, you disgraceful child.” Gerald’s voice dripped with disgust as he looked Mary up and down. “Have you and your useless mother completely lost your minds? Why on earth would you stay in this apartment when your father’s place is only a few doors away? What do you
“Here comes the choo-choo train…” I held the spoonful of porridge up to Anna’s mouth, making a soft train sound as I tried to feed her. She stared at me like I’d grown five heads. “Have you lost your mind?” “Why? You don’t like porridge?” I said without missing a beat, dipping the spoon back in
The phone reception in Murkwood was so terrible that the call dropped twice. By the time it finally went through, my hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone and then the bad news started coming out right after the other. The operator explained that the ambulance couldn’t driv







