Chapter 5

Adele's POV 

“No!” Melissa rasped with her eyes wide open as she stared at the furnace with Eric in it going up in flames. “No, no, no, no…” she kept on mumbling under her breath as her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor.

Clara on the other hand was screaming for help like a lunatic.

“Somebody please turn it off!” Clara sobbed uncontrollably, as she kept on turning the switch on and off uncontrollably.

“Ladies please, keep it down,” the crematorium operator whom I had bribed said as he walked in. “We can't have you guys disturbing-”

Clara grabbed him by his shirt before he could finish.

“Please, turn it off,” she hauled his towards the switch.

“Ma’am there's nothing that can be done when the cremation is in process,” the operator said. “It would turn off on its own once the body is burnt completely.”

“No!” Clara screamed, clutching onto the operator for dear life. “Y-you d-don’t understand,” she stuttered in tears. “Eric's not supposed to be in there, he's–” another sob broke out of her lips as the very thought of the implications of what happened dawned once again on her.

The operator seized the opportunity and set himself free from Clara's clutches, before giving me a brief nod that's barely noticeable as he walked away.

“No! Please come back!” Clara tried rushing after him but tripped over Nessa's feet on the ground. “Eric's not dead,” she said in-between sobs, in a voice that's barely above a whisper.

Nessa on the other hand was still frozen in shock, mumbling incoherent things under her breath.

“Eric's not dead,” Clara said again, in a much louder voice, and I knew I needed to get back to my act.

“Why do you keep saying that, Clara?” I asked in a broken voice. “I know you're in shock. But Eric is gone-”

“Y-you don't understand,” she scrambled to her feet. “E-Eric isn't dead, he's alive, he–”

“How can Eric be alive?”I asked, sounding shocked. “There’s a death certificate and–” I gasped, and in a low voice I asked. “Was his death falsified?”

That seemed to snap Nessa from whatever trance she was in, as she and Clara exchanged a panic glance.

“Oh my God! This is medical malpractice!” I slapped my hand over my lips dramatically. “Eric is alive?” I brought my voice low again in panic. “Nessa, how could you do this?” I rushed over to the furnace which was still blazing with fire.

I pounded my hand door, crying uncontrollably.

“Nessa, you killed Eric, you killed my husband!” I wailed. 

“No–I–,” Nessa scrambled to her feet. “It's not what you think, Adele–”

“Bitch!” Clara yanked Nessa hard by her hair, and dragged her down to the floor. “This is all your fault bitch–”

“Excuse me?” Nessa asked with wide eyes.

“You killed my brother!” 

“You slithering bitch!” Nessa growled, getting to her feet. “How could you blame it all on me, huh? We all planned this together–”

“What?” I gasped, looking between Nessa and Clara with wide eyes, as they seemed to have forgotten for a fraction of seconds that they weren't alone. “What is she talking about Clara? You knew?”

“Uhmm- No–”

“And you didn't say anything?” I cut in. “For God's sake Clara, he's your brother!”

“No, no, no, no–, Nessa she–” 

“This is murder!” I cut in. “You're both going to jail for this-!”

“No, no, no. This has nothing to do with me,” Clara cut in. “It was a medical accident, and..” she paused and shook her head violently, as if not believing the ideas brewing in there. “Eveyhting was Nessa’s idea. She–

Pow! Nessa slapped Clara hard across the face, shutting the words in her mouth.

The corners of my lips curved into a sky smile. That took a really quick turn.

“I'm not going down alone you slithering bitch!” Nessa growled, and made to slap Clara again, but she blocked it right on time, and slapped Nessa instead.

This is getting interesting.

I took a few steps back to give them enough room to tear each other out, as they hauled the blames at one another, yanking and pulling at each other's hair like highschool kids.

Ding! 

The cremation process had ended.

Nessa and Clara froze as they watched with wide eyes as the furnace door opened, but instead of ashes, a spotless looking Eric showed up.

Boy, the look on their faces? It was therapeutic.

“Eric!” Nessa gasped in relief as they rushed over to his sides.

Cupping his face, and touching his entire body to confirm they both weren't seeing things.

“H-how is he still alive?” Clara asked no one particular.

But how could I let him just die? That'll be completely foolish on my part and not to forget a total waste of second chances.

Because, if Eric truly dies, I'll be left off the pay his debt.

So, I had explained a thing or two, without giving out tmso much details to the crematorium attendant. 

He had pulled Eric out from the other end, so the furnace was empty when Nessa accidentally turned the switch off.

I had wanted them to panic and expose more of their plans because I was recording on my phone, but they literally gave me little to no explanations.

And besides I didn't just want them to go to jail for falsifying his death, I had something better planned out.

“There must have been some malfunction,” I responded to Clara. “But you just said that Eric's alive. What's going on here?”

Clara gulped, not having an explanation.

“N-nothing is going on,” Nessa swung to the rescue, and wrapped her arms around Ckaratlike they were tearing eachother out seconds ago. “Clara is in denial. We're both shocked by the sudden death of Eric, and–”

“Y-yes,” Clara stuttered in agreement. “Eric is gone.”

I didn't push for more explanations, and just walked out to call the crematorium operator.

“What are you doing now?” Clara asked in an irritated tone, as she watched the crematorium put Eric in the wheel chair.

“You should contact Eric's friends..” I said, and turned to Nessa. “And colleagues. They deserve a chance to say their final goodbyes.”

Without sparing them a glance more, I pushed Eric out.