- 3.
Ashley was in intensive care for a week.
Really, she was out of danger the first night,
but Mark wouldn’t let it go. He insisted on
using all the hospital’s resources for her.
I’m playing the good mother, so I didn’t
object.
Г
I’m going to take care of Ashley, find those
thugs, put them in jail, and get revenge for
her.
The next day, Mark was begging me to drop
the case with the police. “Ashley’s a girl. If this gets out, how can she ever live a normal
life?”
How thoughtful of him, he had never said
these things when I went through the same
thing, even though I am also a woman.
Did he ever think that I also felt pain?
I see now he only cares about Ashley.
How could I let him get away with it? “So
you’re saying we should let those animals
who burt Ashley walk free?”
<
“No, no way,” he said.
He looked furious. “I’m going to kill them.”
What a great father!
Then he looked at me, all hopeful. “You have money. Why don’t you pay someone to kill
them all!”
“You’re her mother. It would be wrong, but it’s
understandable.”
He stopped, stared. And then I stared.
I felt so bad, that I had married a monster.
“Paying for murder is against the law, Mark. I
don’t do illegal things. We should trust the
government. The law will take care of it.”
く
I didn’t drop the charges. I hired some of the
best lawyers in the country.
“I want the law to put those animals away for
as long as possible. I want justice for my
daughter.”
My friend, Summer, was one of them. She
asked, “From what I’ve heard, the ringleader
has connections to the mob. It’s going to be
hard.
“To make it work, we might have to go to the
media. But that would expose Ashley to-”
She didn’t finish, but everyone knew what she
meant.
I hesitated, like I was making a tough
decision “Rod guys should be punished Do
<
decision. “Bad guys should be punished. Do
whatever you have to do. Just make sure Ashley’s face doesn’t get out there. She’s a
strong, honest girl. I know she’ll support it.”
That was how she told me about doing it in
the past. “Mom, we have to let everyone know
about what happened to you. I can’t let you
suffer like this!”
So I’ll get you justice this time.
I paid the lawyers a ton of money, to make
sure the law would be served.
Ashley woke up and I ran to her.
She looked terrified. “Mom, did they catch
those animals? They can’t let them get away.”
L
Her eyes showed nothing but hatred, just like
Mark.
I realized then that those two are related, a
little too much.
I was startled by that thought.
Ashley grabbed my arm, and was hysterial.
“You hear me? I want them dead. Go kill
them!”
I was in shock, but told her in a sympathetic
voice. “Honey, I know you’re hurting. Your
father and I will get justice for you.”
“No! If they catch them, they’ll just go to jail. I
want them dead!
plesso help me kill them ”
L
Tears ran down her face. I could tell she was
hurting.
But not nearly as much as I had.
The pain, my husband’s betrayal, my
daughter’s cruelty.
“Baby, calm down. You can’t ask your mother
to kill someone.”
When she heard I wouldn’t do it, she got
angry. “Who else can help me? You don’t love
me anymore? I should have just died.”
Like she’s done for 18 years, she got crazy
and started saying hurtful things.
I used to be so busy, but doted on my
<
daughter, and would have given her anything
she wanted.
But this time, when she ran to the window
and threatened to jump, I just stood there.
She stood there for a moment, not knowing
what to do.
So she sat on the floor, yelling and crying.
She insulted me. “You’re a terrible mother.
You were never there for me. And now that
I’m like this, you won’t even help me. I don’t
want you as my mother anymore!”
I was furious. I picked up a vase and threw it
to the floor, to stop her hysterics.
“Ashley, Mark begged me to adopt you. You
く
eat my food, wear my clothes, and I gave up
having my own kids for you. You want
anything, I’ll give it to you. And you say I’ve
never done anything for you? You’ll only listen
to Mark, huh? Then why don’t you ask him to
kill them? Why me?”
I cried for all the love that I’d been through. I
truly loved this daughter.
But after I knew the truth last time, I saw the
hatred in her eyes.
This time I know what she is. She will never
be grateful, no matter what I do for her.
She couldn’t talk. Our argument ended when Mark showed up.
She ran into Mark’s arms, and he started
<
saying some comforting things.
If I hadn’t known the truth last time, I would’ve
never guessed.
Mark realized what I was looking at, and tried
to ignore me, and said something in her ear.
And I was too tired to watch them act like
good people.
I just got a message on my phone. Summer
had organized the evidence.
Last time, they destroyed all the evidence, but
they won’t get the chance this time.
I’m going to show my first card. And I hope
that Ashley, Mark, and those thugs can
handle it.
