Chapter 20: Confusion

Hours Later

The door bell rang softly and Mrs. Chen went to get the door. Her footsteps echoed through the quiet hallway as she made her way from the kitchen where she'd been preparing dinner. The familiar sound of the doorbell at this hour was unusual - most visitors came during the day or called ahead.

On opening the door her eyes widened at who she saw. She blinked twice, wondering if her old eyes were playing tricks on her. The young woman standing before her looked thinner, perhaps a bit more tired than she remembered, but there was no mistaking that face.

"Queenie," she called softly just to be sure she wasn't mistaking or hallucinating. Her voice was barely above a whisper, filled with disbelief and hope.

Queenie let out a soft smile, the same gentle expression Mrs. Chen remembered from all those months ago. "Mrs. Chen," she muttered softly before stepping forward and wrapping the older woman in a warm hug.

Tears slipped out of Mrs Chen's eyes as she held the girl she'd watched grow up in this house. "I was so worried dear child, I thought something had happened to you, I thought..." Her voice broke as emotions overwhelmed her. She'd spent countless nights wondering where Queenie had gone, if she was safe, if she was eating properly.

"I'm fine, you don't need to be worried. I'm healthy and okay," Queenie said after she broke the hug, her hands gently squeezing Mrs. Chen's shoulders in reassurance.

"Oh look who we have here, if it isn't the murderer," Catalina said walking up to them from the living room where she'd been lounging on the sofa, watching television. Her voice dripped with venom and her lips curled into that familiar cruel smile.

Queenie gave Mrs. Chen a small smile before walking into the house fully, her eyes taking in the unchanged interior - the same expensive artwork on the walls, the same crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the same cold atmosphere that had made this place feel more like a prison than a home.

"I see the poison really made you lose a lot of weight, you should be lucky you lost only weight, I would have been more happy if you had lost your life," Queenie said, her voice steady and calm, completely different from the timid girl who used to live here.

Catalina glared at her, shocked by the boldness in Queenie's tone. This wasn't the same cowering, frightened girl she remembered. There was something different about her posture, her voice, even the way she looked directly into Catalina's eyes without flinching.

"How dare you speak to me in that manner, have you forgotten your place?" Catalina's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment.

"I see just because you became Jamal Deveraux's wife for a day made you grow lot of wings," Catalina said and made to slap her like before, raising her hand with the same casual cruelty she'd always shown.

If it was the old Queenie she would tremble in fear and accept the slap without trying to retaliate, probably even apologizing for making Catalina angry. But what they didn't understand was that, it wasn't the same Queenie that they're seeing now. The months away from this house had changed her in ways they couldn't imagine.

Queenie held Catalina's hand firmly, stopping it mid-air with a strength that surprised them both. Her grip was steady, unshaking.

"I would have allowed you to slap Catalina, but my husband made it clear to me that no one is allowed to hit me," Queenie said before pushing her hands away with deliberate force.

Catalina chuckled at her boldness as she stared at her, rubbing her wrist where Queenie had gripped it. The laugh was hollow, masking her shock at this transformation. She made to talk but Georgina's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"What's happening here," she asked coming down from the stairs, her heels clicking against the marble steps. She'd heard raised voices and had come to investigate, expecting to find the usual household drama.

Catalina quickly held her cheeks, putting on the same victim act she'd perfected over the years. Her face immediately shifted into a pained expression, her eyes filling with fake tears.

"Mom can you believe this thing over here slapped me," Catalina lied smoothly, her voice taking on that wounded tone she'd used so many times before.

Queenie scoffed, shaking her head at the predictable lie. "I expected it from you," she muttered, not even bothering to defend herself because she knew how this household worked.

Georgina glared at Queenie in fury, her face contorting with rage. The sight of her stepdaughter standing in her house with such confidence, such boldness, infuriated her beyond measure.

"How dare you lay your hands on my daughter, I think you might have forgotten, Jamal Deveraux has divorced you, so who gave you the right to be so arrogant," she snapped, her voice echoing through the foyer.

But Queenie only rolled her eye balls not saying anything, which somehow made her silence more provocative than any words could have been. The dismissive gesture was so casual, so unbothered by Georgina's authority.

"Catalina slap her back," Georgina ordered, her voice sharp with command and anticipation.

Catalina smiled inwardly and stepped closer to her, relishing the opportunity to put Queenie back in what she considered her proper place. Her hand was already raised, ready to deliver what she thought would be a satisfying blow. But before her hand could get to her face, the next words that were heard made Catalina's hands hang in the air.

"Darling if that hand, even a tip of her hand lands on your body I'll make sure she gets to spend the remaining days of her life behind bars."

The voice was deep, authoritative, and completely unexpected. Everyone turned to see who owned the voice, their movements synchronized in their shock.

Only to see Jamal standing on the doorway, his tall frame filling the entrance completely. He was dressed in his business suit, but there was something dangerous in his stance, something that made the air in the room feel charged with tension.

Georgina's eyes widened in complete disbelief. What's he doing here, why is he still supporting her, she thought frantically. Her mind was racing, trying to process this unexpected turn of events.

So many thoughts ran through her mind - confusion, panic, anger, and a growing realization that something had gone terribly wrong with her carefully laid plans. The confidence she'd felt this morning was crumbling like sand through her fingers.