Chapter 6

Avery dressed in an all black. She would invite the priest to perform the final rites then she would set out to find her father.

As she walked out of the building, from the balcony above a pair of ocean blue eyes watched her with a frown.

"Fish. Follow her and make sure you give me every detail about her whereabouts."

He hung up the phone then placed it in his pockets. His eyes watched the small female figure until it disappeared into the horizon.

"Just like a book, you never know what's going to happen next in life. The only thing that matters is how well we play our parts." The priest's began and Avery's mind drifted to her father.

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" Avery." He yelled that day "this is the second time in one week, two hundred thousand dollars, had just disappeared from the company's account" his voice was loud and it sent shivers down Avery's spine.

" I didn't do it father, you have to believe me" Avery's vision blurred with tears.

It wasn't the first time, not the second and not the third. It had been going on for a month.

Every time money disappeared from his company he blamed Avery.

" Can you explain what your phone was doing in my study?" He brought out Avery's phone from his back pocket and raised it up.

His eyes flickered with sparks of rage. His brows pulling close. His lips pressed in a straight line as he waited for Avery to defend herself.

Avery tried to talk but no words came out. She didn't do it but how did her phone get there? Then, only one name came to her mind "Freya"

"Of course you can't explain" he stormed out.

Tears rolled down Avery's eyes.

********

"As we lay her body to rest, we pray that he gentle soul rest in peace" the priest said as the casket was laid slowly.

The air was densed with sadness. It was quiet. Only a few people from the church and few of her mum's friends could make it since the burial was a bit abrupt.

As the sand was being poured over the casket, she wanted to scream, a part of her was being buried. Her hands clutched her phone tighter as she composed herself. She clenched her jaws trying to hold her scream but it was harder than she thought.

As the sand fell over the coffin, her chest felt heavier and heavier. "Ahhhh!" She exploded, her legs gave up and she fell to her knees.

She sobbed uncontrollably, her head down "you didn't deserve to die like this" she sobbed.

"I shouldn't have left you" her voice cracked "mum I wish you could come back I didn't want you to go" tears streamed freely down, she could barely even see. Her head felt heavy she couldn't even think.

Her heart hurt so much, it was like claws were scratching and tearing it apart.

"Ahhh!!!" She raised her head up to the sky and screamed.

It was too much, the pain was tearing her apart, screaming wasn't even helping.

"There there" a woman's voice cooed as she patted her shoulders.

"It's not helping.. she's not coming back" Avery's voice was shaky as she hugged the woman that held her.

The others could only watch with pity. Poor girl! She was going through a lot.

After the burial was over, Avery checked her time. It was getting dark. But she decided to get over and done with everything.

She decided to head to her father's house.

She got down from the cab with a frown. The house looked deserted. As if only shadows lived there. The windows were covered in dust, the door was rusty.

Did they abandon it or what?

She walked slowly and cautiously to the door. She rang the doorbell then she heard slow footsteps approaching the door.

"Hi" a young girl greeted. As she opened the door

"Hi." Avery responded slowly "I'm Avery.....I'm here to see Mr Cooper"

"Oh, come in" the girl opened the door wide and Avery entered.

Memories flooded her mind.

She remembered how her father had thrown them out that day.

"Mr Cooper." Avery's voice was cold. He didn't deserve to be called father, not after what he did to them.

He weakly turned to Avery. He looked like a person who would die in moments.

"Avery" his voice was weak and came out in a whisper barely audible.

He coughed dry and brittle taking a deep breath.

"Victoria!" He tried to yell but his voice caught in his throat and he began coughing again.

Avery's heart was tearing apart as she watched her father.

He looked like he was dying.

"I'm seeing things, it has started again." He coughed.

"My pills"

Avery was stunned. Seeing things? She wondered.

"You're not seeing things," the girl who now identified as Victoria held him down "just breath, relax. It's real."

"That's my daughter?" He asked but neither of them responded. Avery's vision blurred with tears.

"Let me touch her" he stretched his hands and Avery walked closer to him and sat on the bedside.

"What happened to you?" Avery's voice trembled. He hurt her and mum so much but she still couldn't bear seeing him like this.

"I'll give you guys some space" Victoria excused herself and walked out.

"I'm sorry" her father breathe. It was as if he had aged ten times faster. He looked like he was eighty.

"She was the one who tried to poison me. She fed me with something the doctors said was the cause of my respiratory failure. She was after my money." He coughed drily. The way he coughed like he was going to cough out his lungs.

" I'm sorry Avery"

"We loved you but you betrayed us, you broke our trust." Avery's voice cracked. She tried hard to keep her tears at bay.

" I spent days regretting, when I realized it was too late, my company was almost going bankrupt and I was dying."

" Where's my wife? " He asked looking around, his eyes were unfocused.

" She's gone, I came to tell you that"