Chapter 161

Third Person POV.

Amber stood just outside Richard's room, her heart heavy with longing as she listened to the sound of his laughter mingling with Giovanni's. It had been two long weeks since Richard was discharged from the hospital, and in that time, Amber had watched from the sidelines as he moved around the house without so much as a glance in her direction.

Despite her best efforts to insert herself into his life and to jog his memory, Richard remained distant and detached, as if she were little more than a stranger passing a few days in his family house. And with each passing day, his indifference only felt much worse.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood alone in the corridor, the sound of Richard's laughter echoing in her ears. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape, her heart aching with a pain that cut deeper than any physical wound.

All she could think about was how much she missed Richard, how much she longed for him, and the sound of his voice calling her name the way he usually did.

As Amber stood outside Richard's room, lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice Elena's approach until the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Quickly wiping away her tears, she turned her head to the side, hoping to conceal her distress from whoever it was.

Elena, however, was not so easily fooled. With a sigh of frustration, she approached Amber with a concerned expression on her face. She had seen Amber standing outside Richard's room on more than one occasion, her eyes red and swollen with tears, and for some strange reason, she couldn't ignore the pain she saw etched into her sister-in-law's face.

"Amber," Elena called out. "We need to talk."

Amber's heart sank at the prospect of yet another confrontation with her overbearing sister-in-law. She had grown tired of their constant clashes, each one leaving her feeling more drained and defeated than the last. But before she could protest, Elena was already leading her away, her determined stride leaving Amber with no choice but to follow.

Elena led Amber to a balcony overlooking the back of the house, a secluded spot away from prying eyes where they could speak in private. As they reached the balcony, Elena pulled a handkerchief from her back pocket and handed it to Amber, her gesture one of reluctant kindness.

Confused, Amber accepted the handkerchief, her brow furrowing in puzzlement as she glanced up at Elena. "What's this for?" she asked.

Elena hesitated for a moment, her discomfort evident in the way she shifted on her feet. "I brought you out here so you could cry," she admitted. "Don't bother trying to deny it, because I saw you earlier. You don't have to hide your tears from me, Amber. It's okay to let it all out."

Amber blinked in surprise at Elena's unexpected kindness, her confusion evident in the furrow of her brow as she tried to make sense of the sudden change in her sister-in-law's demeanor. It was a stark departure from their usual interactions, and she couldn't help but wonder what had prompted Elena to reach out to her in this way.

"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?" Amber asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Elena sighed, her expression softening with a touch of sympathy as she regarded Amber. "Look, I may not exactly like you," she began, "but I can't ignore the fact that you're clearly going through a tough time right now. And, well, I feel bad for you since you don't exactly deserve to be in this situation."

She paused, her gaze shifting to the ground as she struggled to find the right words. "I know you probably want some space to cry alone," she continued, "but crying can be really draining, especially when you're pregnant. I just want you to be careful and remember to take care of yourself."

Amber let out a weary sigh, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion as she absorbed Elena's words. "Thank you," she murmured. "I appreciate your concern, even if I can't control my tears right now."

Elena nodded in understanding, a small frown creasing her brow as she regarded Amber with a mixture of sympathy and guilt.

"Listen, Amber," Elena began, her tone hesitant as she broached the subject. "I know this might seem a bit random, but would you be willing to come somewhere with me?"

Amber's confusion deepened at Elena's unexpected request, her brow furrowing in puzzlement as she searched for an explanation. "Where?" she asked.

Elena hesitated for a moment before responding, her gaze meeting Amber's. "I think you could use a distraction," she explained. "And I think it's time you meet your stepmother again. I figured that you had been too preoccupied to keep up with Marlene’s case, as well as where her mother is right now."

"As far as I know, Marlene’s dead," Amber responded. "And as for Mary, she's in prison.”

Elena nodded. "Yes," she reconfirmed. "Marlene's really dead, and she was found dead in your family house. The police are still investigating.”

"But how..." Amber began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to comprehend what Elena was telling her. "I thought Giovanni said the case would be closed without any issues.”

"There won't be issues, kid. Her death will likely be ruled as either a suicide or an accidental overdose, and they're just trying to figure out the more befitting cause of death," she explained, her voice tinged with bitterness. "Her fingerprints were found on the syringe, so the police will have all the evidence they need to close the case as either of those options.”

"And Mary?" Amber asked. "Where is she now? Is she still locked up?"

Elena's smile was tinged with a hint of satisfaction as she met Amber's gaze, a glimmer of mischief dancing in her eyes. "You'll see soon enough just how she's doing, kid," she replied cryptically. "Trust me, it'll be worth the wait, and it might help you feel better if you knew how terribly the people who hurt you are doing.”

"If that's the case, take me to her," Amber said as she locked eyes with Elena. "I need to see for myself what is going on with her.”

***

Amber's heart raced as she followed Elena through the corridors of the mental hospital, her mind spinning with different thoughts and emotions.

After walking for what felt like forever, they arrived at their destination—a locked room at the end of the hallway. Amber's breath caught in her throat as Elena swung the door open, revealing a scene that sent a shiver down her spine.

Inside the room, a figure stood hunched over in the dimly lit space, her movements restricted by the confines of a straitjacket. It took Amber a moment to register who it was, her mind reeling with disbelief at the sight before her.

"Mary..." she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper as she took in the sight of her stepmother.

Mary looked nothing like the woman she had once known—her shockingly bald head and smaller frame were a stark contrast to the image of the woman she knew.

Turning to Elena, Amber voiced the questions that had been burning in her mind since they had arrived at the hospital. "Why is Mary here? And why is she in a straitjacket? Did she really go mad?" she asked.

"Of course not. She wasn't at the point of being a mental patient, but it felt to me like prison wasn't enough of a punishment for her," Elena replied. "So I had her transferred here to the asylum. As for the straitjacket, it became necessary when her condition started to deteriorate."

"And her hair..." Amber trailed off, her gaze flickering to Mary's bald head. "Why did they shave it off?"

"Her mental state has been declining rapidly," she explained. "And a while ago, she started pulling out her own hair, screaming that she wanted to see Marlene, and threatening to kill you the first chance she got. It was terrible, to say the least."

"So they shaved off her hair to prevent her from harming herself further?" Amber asked.

Elena nodded grimly. "That's correct," she confirmed. "I honestly don't think she's going to last. She's been heavily medicated since she arrived, and when the medications take a toll on her, she'll end up giving up in about two years."

"But that aside, how do you feel seeing her like this? Do you feel bad for her?" Elena asked.

Amber met Elena's gaze with a mixture of sadness and relief. "Honestly?" she began. "I couldn't have imagined a more fitting end for Mary. I'm too tired to feel bad for trash like her."