Chapter 64

Priscilla's POV

"Your child is a murderer," he murmured, his tone cold and unforgiving. "Yet you stand here like a statue. Take the gun away from her, or I'm calling the police!"

My father's voice rang in my ears. I felt my hands shaking, but I couldn't drop the gun. My mother ran and knelt in front of him. "Please don't call the police, she is your daughter," my mom begged, crying. She turned her attention back to me, her eyes filled with tears. I couldn't stand it. It drove me insane to see her like this.

"Priscilla, my child, please drop the gun. You are going to spend the rest of your life in jail, please!" I heard my mother's weak voice. Glimpses of four dead bodies lying on the floor and blood everywhere flashed through my mind. I couldn't drop the gun. My eyes were fixed on him, the reason behind all this.

"Priscilla, drop the gun. Don't shoot anymore," my mother begged weakly.

"That's what you've been teaching her all along, huh?" my father asked. He grabbed my mother by her hair and pushed her to the floor. My thoughts went blank. All I could hear was the sound of the gun echoing inside the huge mansion and the groan of a man falling to the floor with a loud thud. My mother's screams filled the mansion. The gun fell out of my hand when I couldn't shoot anymore, which meant the bullets were finished. Now the house was filled with five dead bodies, blood everywhere, and pieces of broken glass. All I knew was that I had saved my helpless mother.

***

I sat up suddenly, gasping for breath. Sweat was pouring down my face, and I reached for the jug of water on the bedside table. My hand was shaking so badly that I spilled some water on the nightstand. I managed to pour some water into a glass and gulped it down. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered the nightmare that had just woken me up. It seemed like God himself was reminding me of my sins, of the blood on my hands. I was a sinner, unworthy of anyone's love, especially Max's. He loved me, but he didn't know the truth about me. I didn't deserve him, or anything good in life.

I needed to talk to someone or else I would go mad, I couldn't keep up with all these nightmares and thoughts alone, I needed someone but who? I had no one to call my own. I'm all alone and it's even more painful than I imagined. I wish my mom was here with me. I wish I could hug her and tell her that this burden I'm carrying on my shoulders is becoming heavier each day I'm spending alone.

It was a difficult decision, but I decided to call Liz for some understanding. It was late at night, though, and I wasn't sure if she would answer. I wiped my tears and picked up my phone from the nightstand. I dialed Liz's number and held the phone to my ear, but it went straight to voicemail. She must be sleeping, I thought, as I wiped away my tears again. I felt lost and alone, and I didn't know who else to call.

I looked down at my contract, which only had four numbers on it. My finger landed on Max's number, and before I could stop myself, I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear. It rang for a few seconds before he answered.

"Hello, who is this?" Max's voice came through the phone. It had been three days since I last saw him and I didn't know what to say to him after rejecting his love.

"Max!" I scrunched over, trying to stop my sobs, but I couldn't.

"Priscilla, are you alright?" he asked, his voice brimming with genuine concern.

I found myself sobbing even more intensely, at a loss for words to express my emotions. I unexpectedly ended the call without uttering a single word. I knew I shouldn't have reached out to him under any circumstances, but the fear of being consumed by depression was overwhelming. I haven't been able to go to work for the past three days, I've been locking myself in this apartment. Liz only visited once, clearly preoccupied with her duties. The room resonated with the sound of my sobs as I desperately covered my face with my hands.

Max's POV

My heart was racing when Priscilla hung up the phone without saying a word. She sounded like she had been crying, and I was worried about her. I thought she might have had a nightmare and needed someone to talk to, which was why she called me so late at night. I got out of bed, put on my slippers, grabbed my phone, and headed out. Liz knew where Priscilla was, and whether she liked it or not, she was going to tell me.

After walking for a few minutes, I arrived at Liz's room. I knocked on the door, but there was no response. She must not have come home today. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. How was I going to find Priscilla? Then I remembered Nicoles. He was good with computers, and I was sure he could track down her number. I quickly switched on my phone, unlocked it, and called him. After a whole minute of his phone ringing, he finally answered.

"This better be important, Max, because you are disturbing me right now," Nicolas warned. Liz's voice could be heard in the background, and I had no idea what was happening between them. At the moment, I didn't care.

"I need you to track a number for me and make sure Liz doesn't find out, I've already sent the number to you. " I said, not wanting to waste any time.

"Who is the person?" Nicolas asked. I scoffed.

"Did I ask you what you're doing with my sister at this hour?" I retorted.

"Fine, I'll send you the result in 10 minutes," Nicolas said. I hung up and made my way downstairs. The guard gave me the car keys for the car that was not parked, and I wasted no time in getting inside and driving out of the villa.

My phone rang 10 minutes later, and I pulled over to check the notification. I frowned when I saw that Nicolas had sent me the address for Liz's old apartment. So that's where she had been staying all along. I should have known. I turned off my phone and started the car again.

After driving for another 30 minutes, I finally parked my car in the parking lot, got out, and headed to the elevator. After waiting for a few seconds, I stepped out of the elevator and made my way to the apartment number. Reaching there I knocked on the door, I patiently waited for it to be opened but no one came, I knocked again. Just when I thought she was not going to open the door was opened.

I felt a painful tightness in my throat causing me to swallow hard. Priscilla's eyes were red, her face was filled with tears and pale. She didn't look well at all and seeing her like this broke my heart into 100 pieces, I can't stand this sight of her.

"Come here. "I said softly, opening my arms wide for her, Priscilla moved to me and wrapped her arms around me, sobbing very hard, I pulled her closer to a tight and comforting hug. This is all she needs right now and I'm always there for her, if not as a husband, boyfriend, or lover, I will always be there for her as a friend.

"It's okay, I'm here now, stop crying. "I mumbled softly, rubbing her hair smoothly, I even forgot the fact that I was standing at the entrance right now. Priscilla's body trembled with sobs, her tears wetting my shirt. I don't know what happened to her or why she is crying but I'm sure of one thing, those nightmares are hunting her once again. I know very well that she can't sleep alone.

After a few minutes of standing at the entrance, Priscilla stopped weeping. She let go of me and stood a few steps away, wiping her tears, but they didn't stop flowing. I invited myself in and closed the door behind me, locking it

.

"Aren't you leaving?" Priscilla asked, surprised that I had locked the door. Did she really think I was going to leave her like this, all alone?

"Are you okay?" I asked, ignoring her questions. I took a step closer, wiping away her tears with my thumb. Seeing her like this was truly heartbreaking.

"I...I'm...I don't know!" she stammered, tears still streaming down her face. "I miss my mummy. I wish she was here and never left me!"

"Priscilla, look at me," I said softly. But she didn't meet my gaze. So, I used my finger to lift her chin and make her look into my eyes, which were filled with tears. "I know that sometimes I act like a jerk, but I've promised you that I'll be there for you no matter what. Even if you reject my love for you, it's okay. I won't hold any grudges against you. I'll always be here for you as a friend. Don't ever hesitate to call for me if you need me because I'm just a phone call away, okay?" I asked her while ceasing my thumbs on her cheeks. She nodded silently, without saying anything.

"Come, you need to rest. You look tired," I said, taking her hand in mine. I then led her to the main bedroom that I thought she would be using. After pushing the door open, we both went inside. I helped Priscilla lie down on the bed, and after tucking her in the blanket, I slipped inside the blanket too. I pulled her head onto my chest, making her rest there. We lay on the bed in silence, and she needed rest after crying so much.

"I was born into a wealthy family of three. My parents had a deep love for each other and I was their cherished princess. My mother worked hard to provide for our family, while my father took care of me at home. We were a happy family until a young girl, around 15 years old, came to our house on my 7th birthday. She claimed to be my father's child and that her mother had taken her own life because he left her for a wealthier woman. As a young child, I didn't fully understand the situation."

Priscilla poured her heart out to me, tears streaming down her face. I was grateful that she trusted me with her story.

"My mother was devastated when she found out and started crying every night. I think she realized that her husband was an unfaithful man who played with other people's hearts. My father sent the girl to an orphanage, but I'm sure he was hurting too. The woman he loved took her own life, and he drowned his sorrows in alcohol, becoming aggressive and abusive. He started coming home drunk and would beat my mom and me. Our once joyful home became filled with sorrow and fear.

My mother tried to put on a brave face for me, but I knew what was happening. My father's beatings, cruel words, and constant belittling broke my mother's spirit. She was a model, but the abuse left her with bruised and battered features, making it impossible to continue her work. Our financial situation worsened, and my mother's companies went bankrupt. We couldn't afford my education any longer, and I had to drop out of school in the eleventh grade.

As my father's alcohol addiction consumed him, his behavior only worsened. When he realized my mother had no money left for him to drink, he became increasingly restless, grumbling in clubs and bars. One day, he crossed a line that he never should have. He bet on my mother and me in a gambling game, and unfortunately, he lost. He brought four men to our house, and my heart sank at the sight."

Priscilla held onto my shirt tightly, tears streaming down her face. The situation had become unimaginably dire

"When my mother saw all those men, we both hid in her room. She locked the door, but when she heard my father unlock it with a spare key, she decided to hide me in the closet.

I watched as those men tore my mother's clothes off, leaving her naked and defenceless. They took turns violating her without any mercy, while my father stood there, too drunk or indifferent to their savage actions. My mother's agonizing screams filled the room, and I knew she was being assaulted. Unable to bear it any longer, I felt a surge of madness wash over me. Desperate to protect her, I rummaged through the closet, searching for something, anything, that I could use as a weapon. And then I found it—a gun. Loaded with bullets, I burst out of the closet and started shooting the man who was violating my mother. He dropped to the floor, his blood staining the once pristine surface. One by one, I gunned down the others. When I turned my fury toward my father, he threatened to call the police on me. All my mother could do was plead with him not to involve the authorities, but he callously disregarded her pleas. Enraged, I acted without conscious thought. The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, immediately followed by the nauseating thud of his lifeless body hitting the ground. I cannot recall pulling the trigger; it was as if my mind had become blank.

Realizing that the police would soon arrive, my mother and I made the difficult decision to flee and live on the streets, disguising our identities. Unfortunately, luck seemed to evade us, as my mother fell gravely ill shortly after. We rushed her to the hospital, where we received the devastating news: she was in the late stages of blood cancer, compounded by HIV and AIDS. I was determined to do everything in my power to save her, even at the tender age of 15. I hustled on the streets, begging for money and taking on odd jobs like car washing, just to afford her medication. However, her condition was already too severe, and the cost of the necessary surgery was exorbitant. By the time I managed to gather the funds, she had already succumbed to her illnesses.

I have no regrets for the actions I took that night, even though I know I am branded as a murderer. I was just a desperate young girl trying to protect her mother at all costs. I understand if you now despise me because of my past. This is precisely why I rejected you and why I urge you to stay away from me—I do not wish to bring any harm or misfortune into anyone else's life." Priscilla's voice trembled as she shared her story. Listening to her tale, tears welled up in my eyes. She had endured so much at such a young age, and I found myself succumbing to empathy rather than judgment.