Chapter 27 — White Lies

ALTHEA stepped down from a taxi in front of a Mediterranean-style townhouse. She smiled bitterly while looking at her best friend’s house. She could have been living in this kind of beautiful house if not because of her mother’s fault. She shouldn’t be living in a small house and pretending to be thankful that she’s still has a mom after her dad died.

“I shouldn’t be like this if not because of her,” she said as she rang the doorbell. “And the only way that I could get even on her is to destroy the perfect daughter that they created to hide me.”

Rose’s mother opened the door and smiled as soon as she saw her. “Oh, Audrey, you’re here. Rose just came home and changing upstairs. Are you the friend she’s going to meet now?”

Althea’s gaze darkened with what she heard. “I think so,” she said with a smile. “Did she mention the name of her friend she’s going to meet?”

Rose’s mother opened the door to let her in before answering her. “She didn’t mention, but she said it was a schoolmate. Have you eaten your lunch? I just cooked our lunch,” she said and led her to the kitchen. “Come on, taste the past that I cooked.”

Rose’s mom was kind of loving, but is she also hiding a secret from her daughter? Maybe all moms do that. Althea caught a glimpse of the kitchen knife rack beside the sink. As the woman was busy preparing the meal, she went to the sink and pretended she was going to wash her hand. When the woman looked in a different direction, Althea slipped out one knife and hid it behind her back.

“Aunt Sarah, I’m doing a survey from our school, and we were told to ask parents if they are hiding secrets from their children,” she started and followed the woman wherever she went in the kitchen while hiding the knife behind her. “My mom said that she’s hiding a secret for me. How about you? Are you hiding a secret from your daughter?”

The woman looked at her laughed. “Of course, I’m hiding a secret from Rose.”

Althea held the knife tighter. “Do you have plans on revealing to her?”

“No,” she replied and grinned. “I will bring that secret to my grave.”

“Really?” she asked, looking gravely at the woman. “Then, bring it now.”

With one swift shove, the knife buried deeply onto the woman’s lower abdomen. She puked blood and slowly kneeled on the floor. The woman looked into her eyes as her consciousness slowly faded.

“Mom, who rang the doorbell—” Rose halted in the doorway of their kitchen when she saw them. Then her gaze lowered to her mom kneeling on the floor with a kitchen knife deeply stabbed on her stomach. “Mom! Oh, gosh, Audrey—”

“R-run…” the old woman shouted in a throaty voice before she fell on the kitchen floor and soaked on her own pool of blood.

Althea withdrew the knife from the woman’s stomach and ran towards Rose. “You can’t run from me, fake friend!”

Rose ran towards the main door, but Althea caught her long hair and dragged her to the floor. “Audrey, what’s happening to you?!” she shouted as she strangled away from her. “Audrey, wake up!”

“I’m not Audrey!” she shouted and gave her hand slits to let go from her hand. “Let go, or I will kill you?”

Rose begged her to stop, but Audrey was determined to execute her. “I’m your best friend. Why are you doing this?” she asked as tears fell from her cheeks. “Audrey—”

“You know that it’s me, right?” Althea asked her, not taking the blade of the knife on her neck. “You know that I killed Nikki. I saw you outside the industrial park, Rose. You’re the only witness.”

“Audrey, w-what’s happening to you? Why are you doing there?” Her mother’s blood from the knife trickled on Rose’s neck. “Come back, Audrey.”

Althea’s nerve is cracking every time she’s calling her Audrey. “Your weak and kind best friend is just an illusion, Rose. I am the real Audrey.”

“That’s not true—”

“That’s the truth!” she said and traced the point of the knife on her neck. “I am the real Audrey, and my mom just hid me behind that fake Audrey. Do you want to know why?” Rose’s eyes showed fear and confusion to her. “Because I know what happened to my dad—”

“Althea! Stop it!” Dr. Edward entered the house and ram in their direction, followed by her mother, and the traitor, Justin. “Althea, why are you doing this?”

“Audrey…” Her mother attempted to step forward, but she shouted at them to stay away. “Audrey, sweetie, don’t do this, please—”

Althea laughed at them. She dragged Rose a few steps away from them, holding her hostage so they wouldn’t attempt to catch her. “So, the two of you are here? The main reasons why did I became like this.” She looked sharply at Justin. “Justin, now you’ll find out why am I like this.”

“Audrey, please, stop this now!” Dr. Edward shouted at her. “You’re not like this—”

“I am like this!” she said frustratingly. “I am like this the moment you fuck my mother behind my dad. You two fooled him and took advantage of his mental weakness to commit such sin.” She disgustingly looked at her shocked mom. “Are you surprised that I know? Because I am your real daughter. I am the real Audrey that witnessed my dad shooting his head in front of me. But before he killed himself, he told me that the two of you are fucking behind his back.”

“Audrey, I’m sorry…” Her mom kneeled and begged for her to stop.

“And you, mother, you hated me for being like this, right?” she asked bitterly. She can feel her heart as if something is squeezing it tight. “You hated me because I killed my cousin’s cat and blamed you for my father’s death.” She turned to Dr. Edward and looked at him with disgust. “So, to get rid of me, you let this asshole psychologist manipulate my mind and created another persona in me. You make me believe that I am Audrey, the stupid and loving daughter of Kristine. I don’t know how my dad died, and I should not ask about it.”

Dr. Edward took a step forward to her. “Audrey, you don’t understand what really happened to your dad. And I gave you therapy because you’re traumatized for what happened—”

“Shut up! I don’t want to listen to my mom’s other man,” she said and aimed the knife at mom. “You’re the reason why my dad died. You’re a bitch—”

“Y-your dad was suffering from depression because of sterility, Audrey…” Her mom suddenly confessed while kneeling on the floor and crying. Justin was on her side and comforting her. “He was suicidal, and I’m afraid that he’ll leave me because of our problem as a couple.”

Althea knotted her forehead. “What a lame lie, mom. Dad was depressed and suicidal because of sterility? Then who I am—” She paused and looked at Dr. Edward. The truth was now slowly unfolding in front of her eyes. “No…It can’t be.”

“I am your biological father, Audrey,” Dr. Edward told her and stepped forward. “I got your mom pregnant and told your dad that it was his. We did that to save your dad from killing himself—”

“Liar!” Audrey shouted and pushed Rose towards them. She then held the knife on her neck. “All this time…you fooled me, mom.” Her tears fell from her cheeks. “Why did you lie to me?”

“Audrey, I-I only did what’s best for you,” her mom answered in tears. “I want you to grow up happy without those traumatic events in your mind.”

“Audrey, give me that knife, baby, please?” Dr. Edward stepped forward and reached for her hand. “Let’s fix this and start a new beginning—”

“No…” Althea stepped back. She remembered everything she’d done. She killed Nikki, Rose’s mom, and she attempted to kill Rose. There’s no hope for her. “You made me like this, but I have the power to end myself.”

Before they could stop her, Audrey slit her neck with the knife.