- 4.
Mark was dead.
Dead on our wedding day.
Killed by a few words from my mother.
The guests stampeded down, gaping in horror
at the scene.
Mark’s mom collapsed on the ground,
clutching his body.
L
I was numb.
My heart was shattering.
The man who had promised to love me
forever was gone.
I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Mom strolled down, smoothing her hair, like
nothing had happened.
Mark’s dad lost it.
He grabbed her arm, screaming, “What did
you say to him?
Why did he kill himself after you talked to
him?”
Mark’s friends and family were yelling too.
“You’re a monster! How could you do this?”
“We heard the stories about you killing your
husband. We knew you were bad news. But
Mark told us we were wrong. He said we
needed to give you a chance, he said we had
to be nice to you. He tried so hard to defend
you, and you killed him! How could you do
that?!”
“You should be locked up forever!”
Mom shrugged them off. “He chose to do it.
What does that have to do with me?”
Mark’s mother broke down, grabbing Mom by
the collar. “You murderer! Give me back my
く
“He was such a good kid! He didn’t deserve
this!”
“He loved your daughter. He would have done
anything for her.
He kept telling us to be nice to you, that he
wanted to live here with Sarah and have a
family! He was so happy. Why would he do
this?”
Mark’s mother was sobbing.
I didn’t stop her.
I just looked at my mother, feeling a wave of
disappointment.
“Why?” I asked.
L
“Was killing Dad not enough? Why did you kill
Mark too?”
Dad had been a good father. We had a happy
family.
But my mother’s words destroyed it all.
Mark was my chance at a new life.
Now, Mom had taken that away too.
I hated her more than I ever had.
Mom looked at me.
“You think that too?”
“All I want to know is what you said,” I
く
replied.
I remembered the look on Dad’s face before
he jumped.
The same look Mark had.
What were those words?
The guests started to scream at my mom
again.
“First her husband, now her fiance! You don’t
deserve to live!”
“If you don’t give us an answer, we won’t let
you leave here alive!”
Mom shrugged off Mark’s mother.
L
“I’ll tell you,” she said. “But are you sure you
want to know?”
The room went silent.
Everyone was scared.
They knew those words were deadly.
I stepped forward.
“I want to know,” I said.
Dad.
Mark.
I needed to know why.
Even if it killed me.
Mom looked at me. “You’re sure you won’t
regret this?”
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
She leaned in and whispered those words in
my ear…
