Chapter 5

Brittany 

My fingers flew fast over the keyboard as I texted this mysterious person back.

Me: Who the hell is this?

Three bubbling dots appeared in the chat box but disappeared shortly after.

Gritting my teeth, I wrote out another text.

Me: Why don't you stop hiding behind a phone and tell me who you really are?

This time, there was no response.

Sighing, I tossed my phone aside and went to shower.

I glanced at the message once I was done and about to eat my meal but no messages popped up until I was about to get into bed.

Unknown: Have you done what I asked?

I sat up, my thumbs hovering over the screen as I contemplated on ignoring or responding.

I chose the latter.

Me: What?

Unknown: Don't play dumb with me. Have you ended things with Mr DeMarco?

Me: That's none of your business.

Unknown: Oh, but it is.

I could almost hear the evil chuckle.

Rolling my eyes, I chose to ignore the faceless coward that tried to scare me into submission. 

But then, another text popped up, this time with an attachment.

I knew it was bait to get me to respond and I tried…I really tried to ignore it but curiousity got the best of me.

I clicked on the attachment and…let's just say, my world fell apart.

It was a link to three pictures. The first was of my Mom, she looked the same except a couple years younger and the second was of her and Andre, smiling together side by side but it was the last one that really shook me.

They were locked in a passionate embrace, their lips locked in what looks like a steamy kiss.

Shaken, I dropped my phone like it was a snake, my breathing choppy.

“No, no, no…it can't be.” I muttered to myself, pacing around the cramped room.

While I was doing that,I heard a notification ping from my phone but this time, I was too scared to pick it up.

How in the hell was Mom and Andre kissing?

And more importantly, why didn't he ever say anything to me?

Oh, my gosh…did he know?

The moment that thought dropped into my mind, I felt ill to my stomach and nearly threw up.

No, no…he wouldn't do that to me.

Wouldn't he? Another part of my brain voiced out.

I mean, he did sleep with me despite knowing the close relationship I had with his daughter, what would make this any different?

Fuck!

I couldn't this around my head so I picked up my phone ignoring the messages from the unknown number and texted Andre. 

Me: Why the hell aren't you picking up? This is serious, I need you!

I watch the message go on read and…. nothing.

He didn't text back.

If I didn't have any suspicions that he was ignoring me, I do now.

The bitter taste of rejection coupled with this new discovery of him and Mom left me out of sorts.

Disoriented, I exited the chat box and clicked on unread messages.

Unknown: Spooked so quickly? I thought you were tougher than that.

The next one came five minutes after.

Unknown: Ask your beloved Mr DeMarco about the fire that caused your Mom's death.

My brows furrowed in confusion as I reread that last phrase.

Fire?

My Mom died in a car accident two years ago, that's what I was told so why is this person telling me about a fire?

Shoving a hand through my hair, I tried to make sense of it all.

I could remember during the funeral, Dad insisted it must be a closed casket and there were so many weird things that didn't add up.

Thinking, I walked out of my room, heading towards mom's former room which had now been turned into a study/storage room.

Dad insisted that I donate her stuff to Goodwill but I couldn't bare to part with her things.

It's strange…having her things here made me feel closer to her in some way.

In a bid to make sense of the chaos in my head, I rummaged through her bags, stumbling upon a journal.

I recognised it from the one she loved to take it everywhere, so I greedily opened it, skimming through its contents.

Unfortunately, there was nothing of importance there aside from a couple sweet memories about me.

Annoyed and frustrated, I tossed the book aside and the act caused a small paper to fall out.

Or so I thought.

Picking it up, I realised it was actually a photograph that had been folded into two.

With my heart thudding franctically, I gingerly unfolded it and saw the same picture I received from the unknown number.

Gasping, I shrank back, staring sightlessly in the distance.

So it wasn't a lie.

I guess I wanted to believe the pictures were fabricated or manipulated but this…I couldn't hide from the truth.

Mon and Andre were close…sickeningly close and he knew all along

A bang from downstairs made my head snap up, followed by a familiar whistling tune from Dad.

I bent, picking up my phone and the picture and ran down the stairs, my chest heaving.

“Dad!”

He started, dropping his bag on the floor. “Holy shit, Brit! What'd you do that for?”

“I need to talk to you.” I say firmly, my fist closing around the picture.

Sighing, Dad shot me a dismissive look, heading straight for the liquor cabinet. “Look, I don't have the energy for this shit right now. Why don't you go upstairs…play some music, paint your nails or do whatever it is you kids do?”

I clenched my teeth, striding through the space with quick, determined steps. “No. I need to talk to you and talk to you now.”

“Brittany-” He bit back a groan but I didn't let him finish.

“How did Mom die?” I cut him off, knocking the bottle off his hand.

His eyes went wide, clearly not expecting what question. “Um, wh…what?”

“I didn't stutter, Dad.” I held his gaze, bluffing. “I know Mom didn't die in a car accident like you told me, so how did she die?”

He staggered back, his mouth hanging open. “Brit-”

“TELL ME!!” I yelled, tightening my fist over the picture harder.

“Fine, it's true.” He admitted with a twitch in his brow. “I didn't want to tell you because….”

Blood rushed to my ears as the rest of his words faded into the wind, the realization that it's true and the past two years of my life have been a lie.

It was too much.

The truth about Mom and Andre, and then this…

My eyes rolled back into the back of my head while my legs gave out on me and I fell to the floor with a thud.