"I am joking, only about the obituary thing. However, I am more curious as to why Mathew is here. Certainly not to propose marriage after killing the love of my life. Only an insane person would do that."
Once again, I meant well when I started that sentence, but the words that came out of my lips were honest to a fault. It seemed I had lost all ability to tolerate and coddle those who caused me harm. I continued staring at them as if they were seeing a ghost. Mathew, on the other hand, had his eyes fixed on me, studying me. I flashed him my biggest smile. He was certainly smarter and stronger than the idiots I had already taken on. He was not an easy target, and somehow that made me more excited. I wanted it to at least hurt so I could face Claire again without feeling like death incarnate.
"Love of your life seems like an audacious statement given that you guys did not date." Mathew broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Says the king of audacity. Most people wouldn't show their faces to someone they had wronged, but not you, Matthew. Flimsy things like morals and empathy don't burden you. I envy you for that. I said that, meaning every single word."
My smile spread wider across my face as I envisioned plunging a knife into his heart. I fantasized about bashing his face so far in, his skull breaks open. He needed to be strangled while in the water so that every breath he struggled for, he only got air. I wanted to hurt in new and innovative ways. His hurt wasn't the kind that could be healed, just endured. Therefore, he did not even deserve the mercy of a low-quality life; he deserved to suffer and die without any hope in the world. Finishing him off would require a bit more finesse than we were used to, but there wasn't anything I wouldn't sacrifice for the opportunity to inflict unimaginable horrors on the man that sat in front of me.
"So why are you guys here? Where do you require assistance?"
"Look, a man I only as strong as his support system." My father began emphasizing the word man instead of community. "It is important now more than ever for us to stand as a family as well as expand it, since Brian is currently incapacitated. He sustained a lot of injuries and is unlikely to fully recover enough to perform his duties as our firstborn."
"The children you have will potentially inherit everything we have, my mother chimed in. Plus, with Mathew as a partner, not only will you be taken care of, but the future of your kids is guaranteed to be smooth."
I laughed out loud again, not finding the will to stop myself. It was a loud, boisterous sound that did not reach my ears. Once again, I watched them squirm with sharp, clear eyes even as my body rocked with laughter. Again, Mathew seemed to understand the situation faster than my parents. My excitement only doubled at his indifference to my crazy behavior. I was practically salivating at the idea of breaking me.
Mercy finally made her entrance with a tray filled with cold juice as well as freshly baked cookies courtesy of sunshine. As she set down the tray, she 'accidentally' knocked over a glass on Mathew and then frantically began trying to clean up the mess. I watched as she slipped his phone from the bottom of the tray and let it fall close to him before excusing herself. I watched Mathew to see if he had noticed anything, and he was too distracted peering down past Mercy's open blouse. Every ounce of fascination that I associated with him vanished, leaving nothing but the concentrated hatred I felt for him. This was the last time he would get the chance to breathe with ease close to Mercy again.
"So let me get this straight: my father, who broke my bones for fun, wants me to fulfill my familial duty. My mother, who hasn't spared me a glance in over a decade, wants me to continue our lineage. Worse still, you want me to marry the man who is responsible for the death of my dear friend, whom I loved more than all my family combined. The same man who did not think twice about ogling my friend."
"At the hospital..."My mother began.
"At the hospital, what?" interjected before she finished her sentence, no longer interested in keeping up appearances in front of these vultures. "That I had developed amnesia and forgot everything that you assholes did to me?"
"Why did you cry?" My father spoke up clearly, trying to establish his position as a patriarch as he straightened his posture.
"Have you guys never had of happy tears. I was so happy that the universe was for once taking my side, I had to go see it with my own eyes. That asshole got his three friends to sexually assault me. Last time I checked, I wasn't Mother Teresa. Even Teresa enjoyed witnessing others' pain, so I doubt she would forgive you. I thought I could do this because maybe the world wasn't so bad, but I may have to perform ritual cleansing after you leave, because once again, you are bringing your negativity to my house. Get out of all of you!"
I started my tirade with a calm, incredulous tone, but by the end of it, I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I hated how entitled they felt to come to my home and propose the most insulting thing to me as if they were doing me a favor. I knew my parents and their small minds, so I wasn't surprised by their antics, I wasn't even disappointed, I had grown immune to their brand of ignorance. I was more shocked that Mathew had decided to follow along; unlike my parents, he had a cunning and clever mind. He also knew how much I hated him, and I swear there was a ghost of a smile when my patience finally ran out and I resorted to shouting. Despite my order, nobody moved an inch from where they sat, my parents giving slow, wide-eyed blinks like they were seeing me for the first time
"Sunshine!" I yelled, and in less than thirty seconds, she was right beside me. Mercy was hiding behind her, yet still choosing to stay close.
"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. I am done with this nonsense, and I would like for you to leave my house." I said using a much calmer tone, but there was tension in my voice that I could not mask
Sunshine picked up my father from the chair and set him down closer to the door. My mother, seeing how easily her husband was picked up, scrambled to her feet, not wanting to be manhandled. She moved to Mathew, who looked on unperturbed, but I blocked her, signing for her escort, my parents out. She turned on her heel with Mercy trailing behind my parents at the front. I turned to Mathew big smile on my face. My smile after my crazy display had him visibly flinching as if I had struck him.
"Don't worry, baby, now that they are out of the way, we can finally have an honest discussion."
I moved to sit next to him, pouring a fresh glass of juice. He took it from me and hesitated before drinking it. I moved closer, practically sitting on his lap. I watched as the wave of exhaustion hit him all at once. He realized his mistake a second too late. My crazy smile was the last thing he saw before he passed out.