“Why did you call me here Ben? Is everything ok with you and Ann,” Fiona asked sounding concerned as her brother’s expression remained emotionless.

“Sure, I mean we don’t fight much but that is because we don’t talk much either. Everything is tense and home and just…anyways that’s not why I asked you here.” Ben taps the mat as Fiona approaches and hesitantly sits down.

“What is it?” As he sits next to Fiona, he notices his sister’s swollen eyes.

‘She was probably crying before coming here,’ Ben thinks. Despite wanting to comfort his sister and hopefully lighten her burdens by giving her a listening ear, Andrew’s words echo in his mind.

“Did you really think I would get better if Scarlet died?” Fiona’s eyes widen and so does her mouth as she was caught off guard by this method of direct questioning. “Don’t freak out or anything, I just want to have an honest conversation.” Fiona stares at him unsure of what she is supposed to say.

“Ben, I just didn’t like seeing you like that,” Fiona says as Ben shakes his head.

“I know,” Ben says looking at his nervous sister. “You tell me, did you think I’d get better if she died? And please be honest, I know it’s a tough conversation but it’s one we need to have.” Fiona feels like the wrong step will land her in sinking sand, feeling cornered she thinks of what to say. “No thinking, no lies,” Ben says in a commanding voice. A few moments of silence follow as Fiona’s guilt gets to her; she lets out a sigh ready to talk.

“I… honestly don’t know what I was thinking,” Fiona admits averting her gaze. “I just didn’t want to see you in pain anymore. When she left and you called me, I… didn’t know what I could have done to make you feel better. At first, I thought after some time you would just get over it and move on but that didn’t happen.”

“The drinking bothered you, didn’t it?”

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

“It wasn’t just the drinking but what you were becoming. Nothing mattered to you anymore, the only thing you did was wallow in your sorrow and pain and nothing we did seemed to help you.”

“What do you mean?” Ben asks sounding startled.

“Come on Ben, Tom and I tried everything, and every time you were in denial, you always blamed yourself, and no matter what we tried, it always ended with you crying over her. Nothing we did seemed to help you at all. You were suffering and I couldn’t bare it,” Fiona sounds emotional as she continues. “I just thought if she disappeared you might get a chance to move on, I didn’t think you would be suspected or…”

“That’s not important,” Ben interrupts. “But why did you think of killing her? I know I was difficult at that time but did you think I was that hopeless? Why kill her? There might have been other things you thought about, right?” Ben looks curiously hoping for her to say yes to this question but there was only silence.

Fiona did think about so many things with that question, but she brushes off those thoughts just as quickly as they were suggested. She not only wanted her brother to be happy but she wanted revenge as well. She loved her brother a lot, so much that she hated the ones who hurt him. She knows what she did was wrong, that’s why she wanted to cover it up so badly.

“Ok,” Ben sighs seemingly disappointed.

“No Ben, I did think of other ways to help you but…,” Fiona tries making up one excuse after another, hoping her brother would believe in at least one. Ben just nods and Fiona is unable to read his expression. She apologises desperately hoping Ben would react in some way, but he didn’t, he just listened.

“Wow…,” Ben says after Fiona finishes. “I’m sorry you felt that way.” Ben takes a few moments trying to find the words. “Fiona, what you did was wrong, I think even you know that. Even if I was never suspected or anything, it was still wrong. There’s no excuse for that.” Fiona nods as she begins to cry. “I don’t know if I can just look past this just yet but, I…” Fiona hugs her brother before he can say another word and she just cries. She tries to say something but she cannot stop herself as she breaks down. This was all she wanted at this moment, a reconciliation with her brother… and eventually her husband.

One evening a few days later, Ann is out by herself sitting at a bar lost in thought as her mind jumps around going to different places. She noticed the change in both Ben and Oscar’s behaviour the past few days and even Fiona sounded better as well.

‘I think Fiona and Ben were talking. That’s nice at least,’ Ann thinks smiling while letting out a sigh.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”