The fifty-six-year-old woman ran into her spartan bedroom and clung to the corner of her bed before ending in an explosion of tears. Looking at her feeble state, Eva felt so remorseful that her bones nearly cracked at this scene.
Mrs Anne then got up, wiped her tears and gasped for breath. She went to the living room. The woman clutched her large bag and reached for her phone which was sunk in it. With her hands shivering, she dialled a number.
"Hello," Mrs Anne said in a low voice.
Eva could not hear Mrs Anne's interlocutor, but since she could read Mrs Anne's mind, she managed to understand what the conversation was all about.
"Hello, mom," a male voice replied. The voice seemed familiar to Eva, but she did not pay enough attention to this.
"I'm sorry, but regrettably-
"What happened, mom?"
"I've lost my job... So, I think I won't be able to afford your studies at the university," Mrs Anne replied, crying out her heart.
"Ma, don't worry about it. With the scholarship that I won, I will be able to manage," her son replied.
"Yes, but the problem is that a sum of money must be contributed on a monthly basis in addition to your scholarship. But now I am helpless," Mrs Anne said.
"Mom, it's okay... Don't worry, I will manage. But, how come you've lost your job?"
"There is that girl... I forgot her name. She made a complaint against me to Mr Deloyal..."
Mrs Anne explained everything to her son. Eva could feel the grief and helplessness overtaking the woman.
Once the conversation was over, Mrs Anne got up and staggered to her bedroom. Eva followed her. The woman sat on the floor and got lost in her thoughts. Eva could read her mind and feel every ounce of torture being inflicted on her victim. Mrs Anne was reminiscing about the recent years of her life.
Fleeing away from her violent husband who nearly killed her thrice, Mrs Anne had had her name changed and all her qualifications were invalid as they did not bore her actual name. So, it became very difficult for her to get a job with a modest salary. However, most of her salary was used to finance her son's education. Now, jobless, Mrs Anne wondered how she would manage to gain her a living as well as paying for her son's study.
Eva crumbled on the couch as she looked at the aftermaths of her misuse of power.
Wondering what had happened to Mrs Anne later on, Eva was teleported. The next two months since her dismissal, Mrs Anne had been looking for a job, but in vain. With a reference letter drafted by Mr Deloyal; on which the incident with a prestigious client (Eva) was mentioned, Mrs Anne was left with no chance of being recruited. "You're guilty," said a little accusing voice in Eva's head.
Mrs Anne opened her fridge; the odour of stale food intoxicated the air. She pulled a chair and sat in despair, daydreaming about food to soothe her gnawing hunger. Eva sat on the floor in front of Mrs Anne. She cried out for Christian in her head, for she was not able to handle such a degree of liability flowing in her veins.
Chapter 17
"May her soul rest in peace," the priest declared after a prolix prayer.
Eva was prostrated by her guilt. She could overhear people talking about the tragic death of Mrs Anne, who literally died due to starvation. Suddenly, a guy grabbed the coffin which was to be sent underground. He cried, "No! Mom! Mom! Please don't leave me!"
His coffee-coloured hair reminded Eva of someone. Some men held him back while he was violently agitated. As the guy turned toward Eva, it was actually the person who Eva was reminded of – it was Christian.
Eva goggled at him with her heart beating so loudly that her ears were to be exploded. She had killed Christian's mother. Eva recoiled and fell on her knees – beseeching the Lord to take away her life. Heart melting in the acid of culpability, Eva could barely breathe. She could hear the minds of the people around her accusing loudly the one who got Mrs Anne sacked from her job. Thankfully, Mr Deloyal did not mention Eva's name.
Eva stared at Christian who sat on the floor, hitting the rock bottom.
"No, No! Please! Christian!" Eva shouted, but of course, nobody could hear her. Suddenly, Eva felt someone's hand on her shoulder. It was Christian. She cried even more loudly, unable to face him.
"Get up," Christian said.
Eva hesitantly did so. "I'm really sorry Christian..."
"Why are you sorry?"
"Your mother died because of me... I feel so disgusting... Please, forgive me if you can..."
"I have already forgiven you, else you would not be here," Christian replied.
"What do you mean?"
"I wanted to avenge my mother, but through the necklace, I learnt a lot of deceiving things. Foremost, I learnt that it was you who got my mother fired. But, how could I kill my first love?"
Eva remained voiceless, mystified and penitent. Her eyes got asphyxiated in the shores of despair.
"I loved you, Eva. Since childhood, I always thought I would marry you one day, but destiny has his own way. It brought up apart," Christian added.
"Christian..."
"So, I had to decide between either avenging my mother or simply ending my agony," Christian added with an unseen smile as if to comfort himself.
"Do you mean that you committed suicide....because of me?" Eva then added in a quivering voice, "If so...please spare me from this fact...don't tell this... Please, Christian..."
Christian remained completely silent, but his mind cried out loudly, "You killed me after annihilating my soul."
The end
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