SPEECHLESS

The moment the kitchen door swung shut behind my mother, the heavy silence in the sitting room turned poisonous.

I took three deliberate steps forward, stopping right in front of the marble coffee table. My heart was hammering wildly against my ribs, but my eyes were cold, hard, and unyielding. I looked down at Jessica and Annabel as they sat there sipping iced tea from my crystal glasses as if they owned the place.

With Mum safely in the kitchen, I walked to Jessica and Annabel and asked them to leave my house and never return.

"Get up," I said, my voice low, sharp, and laced with absolute venom. "Stand up, take your bags, and get out of my house right now. And do not ever set foot in here again."

Annabel chuckled softly, setting her glass down with a slow, deliberate motion. She leaned back against my plush sofa cushions, crossing her long legs and looking up at me with a smirk.

"Oh, calm down, Erica," Annabel said lazily, rolling her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. Your mother was just telling us how much she missed us. We’re practically family."

"Family?" I spat out, my jaw clenching so tight my teeth ached. I leaned down slightly, bringing my face close to theirs so my voice wouldn't carry across the hallway to the kitchen. "I did not tell Mum about you two and the threesome with my Andrew, and that is why you have a seat here, without Mum smacking your faces."

A sharp flick of surprise crossed Jessica's eyes, but she quickly masked it with a cruel, mocking laugh.

"Your Andrew?" Jessica echoed, her eyes sparkling with pure malice. "Are you still calling him your Andrew after what happened in your office today? After he used you to win a bet? You really are pathetic, Erica."

"I said leave!" I demanded, pointing a rigid finger straight toward the front door. "I am giving you five seconds to walk out of that door before I throw you out myself!"

They refused to leave, insisting that my mum and them have a good relationship.

"We aren't going anywhere, Erica," Jessica said smoothly, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting deeper into the couch. "Your mum loves us. She remembers us as the sweet, helpful girls from your college days. In fact, she was just saying how wonderful it is to see old friends reunited. You wouldn't want to make a scene and break your poor mother's heart, would you?"

"You snakes—" I began, my hands trembling with rage.

Before I could finish my sentence or grab Jessica by her collar to drag her out, my mother's voice echoed loudly from the hallway.

"Jessica is having accommodation issues, and she will be staying with us for a few days!" Mum shouted from the kitchen.

The words hung in the air like a heavy, suffocating blanket.

I froze instantly, my eyes widening in absolute horror. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at Jessica.

Jessica’s lips curved into a triumphant, downright sinister smile. She leaned back, casually picking up her glass of iced tea again, taking a slow sip while holding my gaze with pure, unadulterated victory.

"Did you hear that, Erica?" Jessica whispered softly, her voice dripping with fake, sweet honey. "Your sweet mother just invited me to stay. Isn't that lovely?"

"No," I choked out, turning around just as Mum walked back into the sitting room carrying a tray of hot, freshly baked pastries. "No, Mum! Absolutely not! She cannot stay here!"

Mum set the tray down on the coffee table, frowning deeply at me as she wiped her flour-dusted hands on her apron.

"Erica, what is wrong with you?" Mum asked, her voice filled with stern disapproval. "Where are your manners? Jessica told me her apartment suffered a terrible water pipe leak today, and her landlord is renovating the whole place. She has nowhere to go for a few days until her new lease starts! She was your best friend for years! How can you turn her out onto the street?"

"Mum, you don't understand!" I pleaded, my voice rising in desperation as I stepped between Mum and the two women. "She is lying to you! She isn't my friend! She hasn't been my friend for six years! She is a dangerous, manipulative—"

"Erica, that is enough!" Mum cut me off sharply, placing her hands on her hips. Her face was set in that stubborn, unyielding expression she got whenever she believed she was doing the right, Christian thing. "I raised you to be hospitable and kind to people in need! Jessica was always good to us when we had nothing back in the village. A few days in our guest room won't hurt anybody. End of discussion."

I stood there, completely rendered speechless.