Chapter 29 BEAUTIFUL LIES
\[HAZEL'S HOUSE\]
It was a dark room. The lights were off. The night city light cast its soft glow on the room. Hazel stood by the window. The gentle breeze was blowing her hair softly. A bottle was in her hand. A Liquid.
Her eyes were dark as she stared at the contents written on the bottle.
Sulfuric acid.
She rolled the bottle in her palm with a cruel smirk.
"You think this is over, Ixora?" she laughed menacingly.
"Pretty. I will strip away that newfound confidence of yours. Your beauty," she muttered, her eyes fixed on the bottle.
She squeezed it between her palms, imagining the things it would do to Ixora.
It would ruin her face. The one she is proud of. And she might lose her life in the process. She doesn't care, and then she will slowly make her way into the good books of her family. She'd have Blake's sympathy and friendship all to herself and Drexton...she would make him become hers.
She laughed. Cackled. The thoughts bring her immense joy. A one she'd pop champagne once accomplished.
She was born to be wicked. Evil. Cruel. Pretending to be Miss Good Girl was all a facade.
She picked up her phone. The smile increased when she saw Ixora's reply, saying she'd be there.
"Perfect," she muttered, a sly smug appearing on her face.
She wore her hoodie and left the room.
\--
"Fuck," she cursed when she bumped into Maria, and the acid fell on the floor.
Her eyes went wide. She rushed to pick it up, but Maria was faster.
Maria read the label. Her eyes wouldn't stop growing wide at each word she read.
She looked at Hazel, who stood there like she wasn't the one the bottle fell.
"Hazel, what is this? Where are you going?" Mara asked, pointing the bottle at Hazel.
Hazel rolled her eyes. "Hand it over, mum. It's dangerous."
"I won't until you tell me the reason why you have acid with you," Maria said, her voice insisting.
"I just wanted to dispose of it, happy. Now give it to me," Hazel said, and wanted to snatch it.
Maria stepped away from her and opened the bottle.
"Mum, what are you doing?"
"Take a step more, and I will use it on your leg," she threatened.
"Now I want answers, the truth," Maria's eyes locked onto her daughter.
Hazel fell silent.
"Ixora?" Maria asked.
Hazel remained silent.
"What has gotten over you? You are the one who wronged her, and you want to ruin her face as well. You have gone crazy!"
"What I do is not your business. She had the guts to put me in the hospital bed. I swore to get revenge, and that is what I'm going to do," Hazel said, grinding her teeth.
Maria's eyes went down the drain. This wasn't her daughter. That wasn't who she raised. She didn't raise a monster...she didn't.
She wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
"I won't let anything happen to Ixora," she said.
She closed the acid, her eyes still on Hazel as she smashed to the floor.
"What have you done?" Hazel asked, anger brewing in her.
She was ready to burst any moment from now or probably do something worse.
Slowly, she balled her fingers into a tight fist.
"I won't let anything happen to my daughter. I will protect her. I... I will warn her about you," Maria said, and began rushing to the door.
Hazel traced her gaze around. Her lips curled into a smirk when she saw a knife on the fruit plate.
She took it. She smiled.
"Mother," she called, hiding the knife behind her back.
Maria stopped and turned to her.
"I won't let any one get in the way of my plan, not even you," she muttered and took out her hand.
Maria gasped with wide eyes. She spun and tried to run, but before she could take the third step—
"Ahh!!!"
Hazel pulled the knife out of her back, the red blood glistening on the knife.
"Ha... Hazel," Maria coughed, her voice growing weak as she fell to the ground.
Her blood was pooling beneath her.
"I'm sorry, Mum," Hazel muttered, and went to her knees.
She raised the knife and drove it deep into her mum's chest.
"Ahh!!" Maria screamed, and her blood splashed on Hazel's face.
A tear escaped Maria's eyes.
"H... Ha..." Her head dropped to the ground, and her body went limp.
Hazel wiped her eyes, which were turning glossy. She stood and went inside to clean her body.
She was supposed to be panicking. Her hands were supposed to be trembling. Her brain was meant to be spiraling. And being clouded with guilt...but she wasn't—in fact, she felt so good. She had just had her first kill, and it was her mother.
Now imagine what she'd do to Ixora. She smirked, her eyes dark as hell.
She came out all cleaned up.
"I will handle the body once I'm back," she glanced at her mother before leaving the house. She made sure to lock the door.
Immediately, she left, a foot, with slow, quiet and steady steps, walked in.
The steps were thick and at the same time silent.
The person walked to Maria's body, which was on the floor.
The person tapped the earbud. "Just as predicted."
\---
Hazel got back with a new bottle of acid. She opened the door. Her eyes widened as she staggered without being pushed.
"Mum!" she called out. Her voice bounced back to her.
"Where did she go? I... I was sure I left her here," she muttered, sweat clawing at her forehead.
She hurried and began searching around the house. Her heartbeat rose every second at the thought of her mum having come back to life or someone coming into her house.
"Mum!!!"
The same silence.
"Di... D...no. I made sure to lock the house," she held the doorknob to her mum's room with shaky hands.
She pushed the door open and saw no one.
She hurried down the stairs. Her blood was still on the floor. Then where did she go? Who took her?
She wanted to rush out of the house when her hand brushed against her back pocket.
The acid.
Ixora must be waiting for her at the bridge.
"I will look for the body when I return," she thought, and left the house.
\[A BRIDGE\]
Ixora stood near the edge, staring down at the water. The soft, cool breeze slapped her skin. She'd smile occasionally when it reached her ear. She felt relaxed. The water's soft sound and slow movements made melodic music in her ear.
She was waiting for Hazel and at the same time enjoying the ambient feeling of nature. She tucked her hair behind her ear, giggling softly.
"Xora," she heard her name.
She looked to see Hazel walking towards her.
Hazel smiled when she got there.
Ixora returned the smile.
"I..." both said simultaneously and shared soft laughter.
"I will go first," Hazel said, shifting her gaze to the water.
Ixora did the same, and silence ensued between them. Just the cool noise of nature.
"I'm sorry," Hazel began.
Ixora looked at her.
Hazel returned the stare.
"Really sorry. I got blinded by greed to the point where I forgot about what our friendship truly means. We have been friends for years, and I only wanted your money," she said with the utmost sincerity.
"I wish I could turn back the hand of time. Back to those days when we were sisters. We'd wear the same clothes. My mother will give us the same knitted sweaters. We would paint the city black and have the security men go after us," Hazel chuckled.
Ixora smiled and held her hands.
"I should also apologize to you. I said things I shouldn't have said. I hit you to the point of getting you hospitalized. I couldn't even come and see you after you went home. I am also guilty as charged. We should leave the past behind us, and start afresh, huh?" Ixora said softly.
"You are the best," Hazel pulled her in for a hug.
Ixora reciprocated.
Silence reigned between them once again.