Rose of Rage Pt. 01

So all those times... I thought. I felt like I was betrayed. Mom was already a traitor and now I knew that Holly had joined my traitorous mother a long time ago.

I studied my mother's face. She looked so much younger then she used to look, smiling as if she had nothing to worry about and she looked happy. Much happier then when we used to live together. I adjusted my glassed to look towards her left hand. No ring. Figures. I told myself. She was wearing jeans and a red tee shirt, a tee shirt I had chosen for her. She had an overcoat in an arm, wasn't wearing it.

She bought a new car. My head said. How did I know that, you ask? Well simple. I used to live with her. Her car had no ac, it was freezing outside and she wasn't wearing her coat. Plus, there was a car I didn't recognize, conveniently parked in the driveway.

After I had made my observations, I decided to crash their little chat.

"Well, well, would you look at that?" I said, almost laughing. "The mother, meets the step mother. What a touching moment. How are you doing, mother?"

They abruptly stopped talking. Holly looked like she saw a ghost and I could tell that my tone didn't please mother very much.

"Well, it was a pleasure." My mother said to Holly.

Holly nodded.

She walked towards me, hugged me and whispered "Be good."

I refused to say a word.

"Still mad I see." She chuckled and held me at an arm's length. "And here I thought you were supposed to be smart."

I wasn't gonna give her the satisfaction.

"You see, the thing is, you only get mad at people you give a fuck about."

She winced. All that practice in front of a mirror was paying off.

"Wow. Just... Wow." She said. "I didn't know my son had become so... cold."

"It's been 2 years. Things change. I can't always remain your perfect little baby boy, I guess."

"I see. Well, see you around then."

She walked towards her car and drove away.

I looked towards Holly. She was still shocked by what had transpired. I was acting completely different than I had over the two years she knew me. She looked at me like I was a complete stranger. I decided to lighten up the mood a little.

"Well?" I said. "Aren't you gonna invite me in for coffee?"

"Very funny Peter." She chuckled. "Hadn't figured you for a comedian."

"You don't really know much about me." I drove the point home.

"I guess I don't." she said without much thought. "Well do come in."

Don't get me wrong, I really did like Holly but in my book, withholding information is the same as lying to my face. I was punishing her a bit, estranging her, making her question what aspects of me were true and what were false. Never let the enemy figure you out, right? And it wasn't long before she would actually become my enemy.

She walked towards the door. I followed.

We engaged in some small talk, her doing most of the talking.

"We both know you didn't come her just to let me know that you're doing alright. I would have believed that a week ago but now, I don't really know."

She paused for a really long time. I didn't say anything. I knew there was more she wanted to tell me.

"Look Peter," she sighed. "I know I'm not your mother. I'm painfully aware of that fact. I know you dislike it when people take decisions about you behind your back, I mean, who wouldn't? But I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart that I never, ever intended to hurt you. You may not be my son but that doesn't mean I can't love you. And I really did think that whatever I did at that time was best-"

She stopped talking when I raised my hand in a "stop talking" gesture.

I looked into her eyes. She looked away.

"Only the guilty and the liars are afraid of making eye contact."

She made eye contact.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that you are not my enemy but a well-wisher? Well do you?"

"No. I don't know think that you don't know these things."

"Do you trust me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're angry and angry people often make bad decisions."

I smirked. "A fine motherly figure you are. Don't you know that mothers are supposed to trust their children and protect them? And you didn't even take a moment to think before answering me no."

I knew I had hit the bullseye when I saw the look of conflict and pain take over her face.

20 years ago, Holly had a child. There was a complication during birth. The baby lived, but Holly was never going to be the mother of a second child.

The baby was 4 when Holly was out with her on a walk. Holly met one of her old friends on the street who had recently moved to the neighbourhood. The friend then invited them for tea. The little girl, Sharon didn't want them to go but Holly insisted that they should. Since Holly was out on a walk, she suggested that they take a longer route to her friend's house. When they were about 10 minutes away, a truck which had lost control hit all three of them, killing her friend and daughter on the spot and putting her in a coma.

She blamed herself for her child's and her friend's death. She thought that if she had never insisted on going, if she had never suggested the longer route, none of that would have ever happened.

"I- I- I didn't know you were so heartless." She said, almost sobbing. "To fall as low as to use my dead daughter as a leverage just to hurt my feelings?" Tears ran down her cheeks. "You really hate me, don't you?"

I smiled. "Do I even need to answer that question?"

It wasn't a sarcastic smile. I genuinely wanted her to figure out that I didn't hate her but I had a larger picture in mind that required me to be heartless.

Sad fully, she wasn't as bright as I had expected or she was just too distracted by what I said to understand the true intent behind the words.

"Get out." She said, silently crying.

I stood up.

"Make me." I taunted.

"I said get out!" She pushing me to the ground.

There was only so much she could take. I knew eventually she would crack and that's exactly what I was waiting for.

"Touch me one more time and you'll regret it." I said getting up and dusting my clothes.

"What are you gonna do? Hit me? Go ahead. I wouldn't be surprised." She said in a really serious tone. "Just look at you, huh? Just standing there like you're hot shit. You're 15, little kid and I have a solid 30 pounds on you. I suggest you get out, right now. I said NOW!"

I laughed. It wasn't exactly those evil dude laughs you saw on TV but it wasn't for lack of trying.

"Well that's the point. I'm 15. Imaging the looks on peoples' faces when they find out that the respected principal of our reputed school put her hands on a student. And in her own home of all places. Quite the scandal, ain't it? Plus, I haven't even touched you, nor have I tried to harm you in any way. You touch me, I retaliate. But that would simply classify as self-defence, wouldn't it?"

"You're trespassing." She said after a pause, trying to supress her anger. She finally understood that I was not one to be taken lightly and I had no problems playing dirty.

"Oh really? Well I have two eye witnesses that say otherwise. One of them is my mother. The other one is the nice lady across the street. You know she really adores me, don't you?"

I went silent after saying that. I didn't need to say any more than I already had. She didn't speak for quite a while.

"Well? Anything else you might like to say?" I said. "If you don't, I suggest you quietly sit down on the couch and listen to what I have to say before I call the police and tell them that you tried to molest me. Trust me when I tell you, I'm a really good actor. You, on the other hand, well..."

She looked at me. Any traces of love or concern she had for me were gone from her eyes. Instead they were filled with anger, hate and pain.

My mission was a huge success.

"You know those feelings that you're feeling towards me? That's what you feel after being betrayed. I just gave you a sample of what it feels like to be me."

She sat down on the couch.

I pulled out the red folder that I had placed under my shirt. It was an effort to make sure no one saw me enter or leave her house with any documents, just to be on the safe side.

"I must say, you really have got to introduce me to this PI." I said, opening the folder. "He has done his job splendidly well."

I looked at her. She knew that I knew.

"What do you want?" She said coldly.

"Money."

"How much?"

"Half of the total amount in your account and I want every last penny your husband owns."

"That affair happened 16 years ago. You think you can hold me hostage with that file?"

I smiled. "Turn the page."

It was a picture of her husband and his secretory banging on his office table. Date stamp said that the photo was taken just a day ago.

"Do you wanna see more? Plenty to go around."

She turned another page.

A picture of her husband fucking a prostitute. In Holly's bed.

"I suggest you do not see the next picture."

Her husband fucking a pregnant woman, doggy style.

"And I think she's pregnant with his child." I added fuel to the fire. "I mean, he is a multimillionaire... He does need an heir ya know."

She smiled. "And what make you think I didn't know any of this already?"

"Your smile, Holly. You've never been one for mind games. I'd prefer it if you don't try out your amateur techniques on me because they really won't work and will only end up embarrassing you."

She didn't say anything. She didn't need to.

"A word of this to my mother or that father of mine and your perfect little life will burn up faster than a piece of paper soaked in kerosene." Didn't want her spoiling my plans now, did I? This was, after all, gonna be a once in a lifetime surprise for the both of them.

"Well than," I said. "Let's make me filthy fucking rich, shall we?"

(^_^)/ To be continued...