chapter 3

Richard and I agreed to do a physics project together. we had lunch together on the lunch break ! I can't believe this is the first time I've had a boyfriend, in all my 15 years I haven't had a boyfriend or girlfriend, he told me that I have to act whatever I like and relax because if I try to please everyone it's going to be hard, Okay, I have to go prepare myself, I'm going to his house to do the project.

I'm really very upset ! My dad hit my mom and I packed her things and I don't know where it went, and my dad's downstairs and the bottles of alcohol and cigarette butts are all over the place, I'm so scared and hiding in the closet if he tries to hit me or hurt me, I don't know why my mom went and left me, I feel so scared, I hear his steps,.

I noticed I missed you a lot, didn't I? I was in the hospital and I recovered tonight. that day, frankly, my father was agitated and he beat me up. only Richard came to visit me, he gave me all the lessons.he's very nice to me.

Today in art class told Richard that my drawings very beautiful, but sad and reflect the severe pain, I explained to him that after taking my parents to travel and escape my mother to a place not known to anyone.

I had to live with my aunt's family, I feel a tingling in my heart, it's not a health problem but a psychological one,I feel scared and strange even though I have a wonderful family! Richard understood that and talked to me a lot about it when you're surrounded by hundreds of people but you feel weird in their midst, well that just hurts.

Richard and I had a fight, there's an art gallery and he wants me to participate, so I refused on the grounds that I don't have a proper painting, and he yelled at me that I'm not sure of myself and I have to be stronger and that my painting will be the most beautiful, but I didn't hear him,

Asshole, it turns out he went to register my name! Imagine me? He even asked me for a painting as soon as possible to hand it over, I started painting, honestly, after he convinced me with his great style to take part, he beat me in this round.

I wear my knee-high red dress and stand in front of my paintings nervously waiting for the commission, as Richard called it, to evaluate my painting. The feeling that Richard described to me, being in the middle of people and who you love, but you're alone, I won the painting, and let's say now I'm sitting opposite Richard and Christina, who came with us, drinking the juice and putting in front of me the certificate of honor that was given to me.

Roxana began to feel bored and turned the pages until she reached a page full of hearts and on the page opposite her a cartoon of a girl with her head shyly and a young man holding a bouquet of flowers, the page attracted her attention strongly to read aloud and enthusiastically:

Richard told me he loved me and gave me a bouquet of red roses. I told him that I reciprocated feelings , we were very happy, we were like cherry blossoms that bloomed in a harsh winter.

Roxana whistled, expressing her great enthusiasm, for Matthew to look at her with reproach, Roxana jumped from this page to another page, noticed another cartoon depicting a girl dragging something like a disappointment. Matthew points out her readings, shakes her head, agrees, and starts.:

I can't believe, Richard is gone forever, he and his family have traveled somewhere else, I'm in so much pain, he didn't even leave me a goodbye message ! I knew this by accident from Christina , and worse still, I'm pregnant now, I'm really in trouble !.

Roxana and Matthew exchange looks. is what they're reading right ? Matthew grabbed the notebook from her and said,:

- I looked at him sympathetically, understanding how he felt.

He turned several pages until he read in a hesitant voice:

I came out of my aunt's House on the run to live alone, I argued that I needed a while to be alone, my psyche was tired, and my aunt understood and rented me an apartment away from them as I asked her, of course I hid my belly well, it doesn't show much, I'm only three months old, right now I'm on the train to the other side of town,

I'm thinking about aborting the baby. it really freaks me out ! What is my fault for raising a child and giving birth to a cruel life that knows no mercy or pity? But no , it's the only trace left of Richard, of my dear Richard.

Lying in the hospital bed with my beautiful daughter in my lap, I look at her and shed tears of pain, tears of pain that mixed with tears of joy to face everything and secretly give birth, I hold her in my hands, holding her to my chest, I feel her little heartbeat beating me, I feel her little breath beating in my chest, look at her closed eyes, I smiled at her in tears, she approached me and gave me a tissue to wipe my tears and said, " everything's fine, don't worry.

I stand at the door of the orphanage quietly, or let's say it's a convent and an orphanage at the same time, I hear the cries of young children whose circumstances may be similar to those of my little girl, the nurse instructs me to stand up and help me in, she's really very nice, she wants to help me even after her job in the hospital,:

I saw this girl lying in front of my door the other rainy night. can I leave her here?.

The nun realized I was lying. it was first September, and it didn't rain last winter. she smiled at me trying to believe my lie.:

- No problem, honey, give it to me.

Held her more firmly to my chest and I feel with great reluctance, she sighed and brought tears to my eyes and I said:

- Can I give her a name?.

- Amelia, her name is Amelia. please keep her.

- The nun smiled and said, " of course."

- Can I visit her?.

I walked several steps outside the monastery and I heard the screaming and crying of the little Emilia, I stopped for seconds, I came back to run inside and take the baby from the nun's hand and hug her strongly and cry for her cry, The Nun raised me on my shoulder and helped me to sit on one of the benches in the garden, after half an hour, I gave worry.

Sitting in my apartment that my aunt rented to me, I put in a wide bag a lot of clothes for Emilia, which I bought at my own expense, well ! You have to be strong. Isabella will visit Amelia every once in a while , but you have to go back to your world and study right now, don't you?.

Matthew was about to cry, but Roxana screamed at him trying to get her and his nerves right:

- Don't start crying like a baby ! I swear I'll slap you if Beijing!.

He didn't speak and stayed silent trying to hold back his tears, Roxana picked out another distant page, her grandmother was twenty, she read to Matthew out loud:

My wedding after a week and I feel bad, all I do is lie to that poor guy who will be my husband after a week, which would make my visit to Amelia. say, I want to cancel the wedding, and to be honest, but I don't, I do, I have started a new life.

Roxana said angrily as she looked at the painting corresponding to this writing:

- Apparently our precious grandmother was very impulsive in her decision, look at this painting, a girl in her room with a wedding dress hanging on the closet, and on the other side people are getting ready for the wedding she wants to run away from, our grandmother made a mistake.

- Matthew looked at her sharply and said, " Just Keep Reading."

I exchanged glances and moved to another page, threw it to him and said:

Picked it up and said: I'll do it.

Picking it up and looking at history, he said, " this event is about a year away?".

She raised her shoulder carelessly and said, with a sharp look at history: this is the date of my mother's birth.

- The heart of Matthew Page and said : I don't think you want to read.

Retrieved defense of him, and said : Let me take the helm, Matthew, you're an idiot.

He said carelessly : as you want.

She chose a random page like her to read very loudly:

Today my two daughters meet each other for the first time Helse and Emilia, they speak very conservatively, I did not feel like they are sisters but I really do not want one of them to relate to the other, they each have their own world, different environment, different upbringing, different father, everything is different, I sit in a park bench and they are standing away from me, of course you're calling me now.I'm going to talk to them.

- Roxana said with a smile: look at this picture.

- You mean a drawing?.

Look at the little drawing opposite this page, a woman sitting on a bench and two little girls standing conservatively in front of each other trying to open the conversations of the rest of the events everyone knows. Married Emilia by hills and then gave birth to Matthew that everyone was careful not to show it to the outside world because he is the son of the daughter's illegal, after three years came Roxana on this frightening world. Roxana got up looking at a photo album on the shelf, turned toward it and the enthusiasm permeates her chest from the photos that you might find this room full of secrets, carefully picked it up and wiped the dust off it and returned to sit next to Matthew, quietly opened the first picture apparently a photo of their high school grandmother with:

- That's serious ? I didn't rest for him.

- Roxana fired a laugh and said: If you see the photos of my grandfather, it's scary!.

- Matthew smiled for her comment and said: Definitely his pictures.

Moving on to the other picture, she was gathering Isabella and the nurse with the baby girl who is Emilia. The dates were below each photo, they began to move between photos to glimpse a picture of Isabella, Helsey and her father. And then again a picture of Isabella with the two children in the garden painted in the diary, then a picture of Matthew with his mother, his father and his grandmother, and then a picture of Matthew with his grandmother, it was so many pictures until Roxana glimpsed a picture of her and her mother and grandmother, but without her father to hang a whisper:

- My mother always kept my father away from photos, she did not want a memory of him, even my grandmother did not know her son-in-law very much.

They saw a picture of the two young women, the grandmother and the grandkids with the picture hanging on the wall, although Matthew was three years old, but he does not remember anything from all this, continuing to flip the album, after that picture that brought them together once they did not see nor a picture that brings them together , Roxana closed the album and I got up from the couch towards the library with the attractive shelves, despite the amount of dust on it. I picked up the camera assigned to the library. it was a camera with a holder, too.:

Matthew was surprised by her request and looked at her with strange eyes, but he didn't want to think much, he really had a lot to think about, he went down the stairs towards the back garden, Roxana fixed the camera in front of the huge tree in the middle of the garden and asked Matthew to stand in front of the tree, she pressed several presses and ran towards him, Is this the form of a girl who went through difficult circumstances ? A girl abandoned by her mother? He let out a little smile when he saw her running towards him and screaming.:

- Look, this is literally the picture!.

- Are you gonna put it on the album?.

- No, I'll take it.

They entered the room and Roxana carefully placed the picture in the album recording the date below the picture, the picture looked great, with Matthew's surprised gaze and Roxana's catchy laugh, behind the tree under which they both spent their childhood. This is the image they've been looking for all their years, they have to complete each other and forget the past , but who knows ? There may be facts that are not yet known that may tip all the Scales, who knows but fate ? No one but him, so the mystery envelops their lives on all sides, with no outlet for clarity.

The truth of death :

"The end of life is the only end we know, death is the only mystery-wrapped truth we know amid the madness of this world."

Roxana is still searching the room, and Matthew flips the photo album with a small smile on his hole, many of these photos bear him happy memories, Roxana shouted and exclamation marks over her face:

- You won't believe what I saw!.

Matthew didn't care. he thought her childish mind had found a toy or something, until she screamed and threw a bottle at his side.:

- Grandma keeps bottles of drink here!.

Matthew gave Roxana a question mark and said,:

- Are you serious?.

Let out a sarcastic laugh: it seems that our grandmother is not the kind grandmother we expected.

- I picked up the bottle he re-tossed : yes, yes I will return it, let me continue my exploration.

Roxana was excited for the first time to enter the room she had always dreamed of entering, and discover new discoveries, she wanted to search every inch of the room, she was very happy, but Matthew did not share her enthusiasm this, but it did not mean her she used to cool people towards her and especially a stranger she met only yesterday to discover :

- My mother's car!.

Matthew got up to get his head out of the window and also looked. he doesn't know this car or its owner, he told her . :

- Are you sure?.

She said with horror : yes, I'm sure ! Let's hide.

He said quietly : don't panic like that, what do you want your mother? Come down to say hello to her and it's all over.

She approaches him with anger flying out of her eyes , and do you think we're in a movie ? I'm telling you she's crazy telling me to say hello to her ! Just shut up. let's go out and hide in the attic.

Matthew refused and said: No, I will not agree.

She tried to organize her breath, but eventually she shouted : Listen to me Matthew!.

But no life did not call, leaving her alone in the room does not deny that she had a desire to catch up with him and face her mother, but she felt danger, she felt something coming, she came out of the room running to the stairs leading to the attic to hide in it waiting for the news from her partner.

- How can I help, Mama?.

Matthew said his words to Helsey, who just got out of the car and showed signs of discomfort on her face as soon as he heard him say,:

- First of all, don't call me Aunt ! I'm not that big , it bothers me.

Swallowed Matthew artificial smile and said : Well, ma'am, how can I help you?.

Hilsey, despite the wrinkles that really began to spread on her face, tried to draw the most attractive smile she had to say : Are you new to the neighborhood ? This is the first time I've seen you here.my mother's home is here.

Matthew, anticipating events, said: Mrs. Isabella ? Miss Roxana sold the house a while ago to me.

All the courtesy and admiration of Halsey's face was removed for anger to take its place , but she tried to restrain her to say :

- When did it happen, and how is the heiress of the House . I'm Isabella's daughter and he is...

Matthew interrupted her to say, " I don't think so, miss Roxana showed me the contract that proves it to be her, but anyway you can kindly come into the house, ma'am.

Hilsey snarled in front of him to say, :

He looked and he almost burst out laughing. is this woman crazy or what? He walked in behind her to see what she was going to do, entered the secret gate code, walked down the paved corridor, raised her head with high confidence like a peacock, pushed the door of the house that was half open, and walked around and said,:

- You haven't changed it much, sir.

- Answered false and he closes the door behind him : Markus, my name is Marcus, Ma'am sit down I'll make you some coffee.

Halsey lay on the couch with a leg on top of a leg waiting for Matthew to finish making coffee, who was thinking Where did Roxana hide? And what's the secret to Helsey's sudden appearance ? Is there an end to her mind, or does she want the house back,or another goal? I found him. he was actually shocked ! He predicted that his grandmother is the perfect grandmother, but quite the opposite, but remains in his best view. He poured two cups of coffee and went to the lounge to introduce one to Helsey and sit in front of her and say, :

- So, Mrs. Helsey, how can I help you? Is there something on your mind?.

- She smiled hills and said: No, honestly I just wanted to take a look at the house, and that my daughter had sold him, look at this bad luck!.

- Matthew smiled and expressed regret, trying to seize the opportunity and asking her : and how was your relationship with the deceased ? Miss Roxana told me it wasn't good.

Halsey was displaced in her own world, this is what Matthew imagined because she fell suspiciously silent after throwing him this question , but as if Roxana on the day he spent with her gave him a bit of curiosity, he kept looking at Halsey's eyes trying to understand her reaction , but he failed , and he sighed and waved his gaze away , but:

- I don't know Matthew, I trusted you, maybe fate put you in front of me to tell you.

She turned to her quickly and shock and returned to silence after she spoke these few words, taking the opportunity to look closely at the division of her face, it is believed that in the Forties some wrinkles began to try to seize the beauty of her face wearing a white dress just above the knee without chest or sleeves, but when he wants to compare, his she drew a smile on her face to start talking like she saw the tape of the past. ،

She was walking around Roxana in the attic that she ascends for the first time, she is really surprised that Matthew seems to keep a lot of things here, and there are a lot of children's scribbles on the walls, it seems that he was a naughty child in his childhood, attracted attention as she searches the books arranged in a way arranged on the bookshelf books Audible and amazement on her face:

Let's say she found a big meal for her curiosity.

Matthew quickly climbed the stairs to find Roxana, who hid for an hour and a half without making any noise ! He started to feel anxious after he made sure Halsey was going and she promised him another visit, he shouted Roxana's name at the top of his voice until he saw her with her eyes literally soaked with tears. Afraid of what she found out, happy that she was fine, he approached her and shook her by the shoulder to speak, until she said as she looked deep into his eyes with all fear:

- Isabella didn't die but was murdered.

In the attic, she shows him what she discovered. she says, very seriously, she uses it for the first time. :

- See Matthew after I found my mother's diary I read some pages from it, she hates her mother for preferring Amelia over her, and the large number of young men she recognized and loved but she was an emotional loser and when she saw your mother's success, she was shocked so she is malevolent about her dear family.

Trying to understand her speech, he said, " We all know this , but how did you know that Isabella was killed and didn't die?".

- Where to?.

He walked behind her confident and intuitive, saw her heading towards the wall-mounted wardrobe to throw and remove all clothes randomly, which made him feel angry and then saw her groping the wall surprised and carefully watching what she was doing, suddenly, she took off the paper that was covering the door to open it and say with a sarcastic smile:

- Here you go. the shocking facts are still in there.

Shocked entered this room that did not know of their existence, although he slept in the attic and spent his childhood where ! He said he was shocked. :

She explained: "look at the beginning of the room is tight and never appears outside, so I guess it's a good place to kill and kidnap, secondly look there's a closet, I just searched it and there's a lot of knives and Sharp Objects! There's even a hammer ! And the ropes fill the floor. look, they don't even have a window ! It's the best place to kill someone!.

He looked at her mockingly and said, " Roxana, these are just hypotheses put forward by your mind that loves adventure, it could be a room for our grandmother to spend her time away from all this world!".

She didn't know it existed.

Raising his eyebrows disapproving: how ?.

- With my grandmother's diary, with the drawings there, a hometown where I didn't see the room, I'm sure she spent his last days here ! Don't forget we both didn't attend her burial ! Because as the doctors said she wanted to donate her organs ! Do not forget that the grave we visit is.