GUILTY CONSCIENCE

" How dare you slap her like that? You have no right to maltreat someone's child." Mrs. Celina scolded Aunt Elisa.

" Wait. Are you talking to me like that?" Aunt Elisa furrowed her brows at Mrs. Celina.

" Who are you that I can't talk to?" says Mrs. Celina with gritted teeth.

Aunt Elisa shook her head and responded," You are beginning to grow wings. It's time I cut it off." Aunt Elisa warned as she lowered her gaze on Mrs. Celina.

" Nothing you can do that you haven't done before. Nothing…" Mrs. Celina spat out every word with anger as she moved closer to Aunt Elisa.

On hearing this, Aunt Elisa gave a burst of hearted laughter as she clapped her hands mockingly.

" I can see that you're getting used to my punishment. Well, sorry to tell you that I have changed a dimension." Aunt Elisa teased as Mrs. Celina tried to raise Angela from the floor.

Ignoring Aunt Elisa, Mrs. Celina asked Angela," Are you hurt?" and Angela shook her head, identifying a 'no'.

After ensuring Angela's health, she was taken to a seat to have some rest by Mrs. Celina.

' I would have landed in trouble today for what I know nothing about. Thank God that I caught Aunt Elisa putting the poison in Mrs. Celina's meal. How would it have ended if she actually ate the meal and died?

I would have been accused of killing an innocent soul, while the real devil will be pretending as if she did nothing.

The only option I had in mind was to fall and throw everything away. But how am I convinced that Aunt Elisa won't do it again?

This house is no longer safe…

Oh heaven, help us. We can't fight Aunt Elisa physically. If only you could change her mentality about Mrs. Celina and her daughter, I would be happy.

Why so much hatred?' Angela cried inwardly.

' This brat had the guts to spoil my plans! I feel like strangling her to death. This is the best way to get rid of this woman, but this… this… gosh!

I pitied her before, but now, she must face my wrath too. She must face the consequences of saving this woman from my hands.

Wait… does that mean she saw me putting the poison in the food or what? If she does, then I would have to warn her in case her eyes caught me.' Aunt Elisa cursed inwardly.

" Angela, I need you in my room ASAP!" aunt Elisa said with a commanding tone as she left the dining room and furiously went to her room without taking her food along.

" Yes… Yes, ma'am," Angela stuttered as fear caught her. She began to shiver, wondering what would happen next.

A minute after Aunt Elisa left, Angela stood and said to Mrs. Celina," Be careful…"

" Huh? Be careful about what?" Mrs. Celina was lost.

Without answering her question, Angela followed Aunt Elisa to her room, as her heart was pounding heavily inside. She don't know what await her?

Angela stood by the door and fearfully knocked as she patiently waited for permission to enter.

" Come in, the door is open." Aunt Elisa's voice echoed, and it made Angela shiver more.

She gently pushed the door and opened it until she found herself inside the room.

" You… you asked me to come, ma'am." Angela stammered as she buried her face in the ground.

Aunt Elisa moved closer to Angela with glaring eyes. And at that very point, Angela felt like the earth should open and swallow her up.

" What did your eyes witness in that kitchen?" Aunt Elisa finally asked after being waited for that statement for a long time by Angela.

She knew something like this must come up because Aunt Elisa's guilty conscience must judge her after what happened in the dining room.

" Nothing, ma'am," Angela responded as she swallowed hard.

She could feel Aunt Elisa's eyes on her. It was obvious that she was glaring at Angela with anger.

Aunt Elisa took a few steps toward Angela and whispered in her ears," Tell me the truth and I promise to give you whatever you want. That's a promise…"

" B-But I didn't see anything. The only things my eyes witnessed were the dishes and nothing more." Angela explained.

Aunt Elisa nodded her head in satisfaction and sighed in relief.

" Let me assume that I believe what you said, but trust me if you dare vomit out what your eyes didn't see, then be ready to go back to where you belong." Aunt Elisa said with gritted teeth. Inching her face close to Angela's face.

On hearing that, Angela got terrified because she wasn't ready to go back to that street life. It was hell, spending a whole night outside without having a good sleep. Street life is never an easy life, especially for someone of her age…

" Ahh!" Angela shrieked sorrowfully and said," Please ma'am, don't throw me out of this house because I have nowhere to go. This is the only family I have. Throwing me out of this house is like telling me to go and die a miserable death."

Angela pleaded with teary eyes as fear was written all over her face. Aunt Elisa's words weren't a joke.

Aunt Elisa pecked Angela's cheeks and smiled before embracing her and said," I can't do such a thing to you."

She kissed Angela on her forehead, and Angela was shocked to her bones. How possible can Aunt Elisa do this to her?

" Thank you, ma'am," Angela appreciated and let out a drop of tears from her eyes as they engaged in a tight hug.

After a long conversation, aunt Elisa freed Angela and said," You can prepare another breakfast for yourself, or you can eat the one I dropped on the dining table."

" Thank… thank you, ma'am," she appreciated even when she wasn't ready to eat the food.

Who knows if she also poisoned it?

Leaving Aunt Elisa's room, Angela went directly to the parlor, where she found Mrs. Celina cleaning the mess in the dining room. Angela stood for a few minutes and intensely stared at Mrs. Celina with pity as she wondered what would have happened to her by now.

Would the both of them be wallowing on the ground by now after eating the food? Or was it going to be only Mrs. Celina?

" You don't have to do this, mom," Angela muttered as she gestured towards Mrs. Celina and held the long broom in her hand. Angela collected it from her and began to clean up the mess.

Silence reigned between them as Mrs. Celina tried to digest what Angela meant by what she said before leaving for aunt Elisa's room.

" Mom, you know, I have been wanting to ask you something." Angela turned around and spoke.

" What's it?"

" Why did Aunt Elisa think you are responsible for her brother's death?"

" Hmm…" Mrs. Celina sighs and responded," Well, I can't tell. Only she knows what she had seen or heard that gave her that idea."

" I'm afraid of what might happen hereafter," Angela muttered as she motioned toward the kitchen to carry a hand parker to park the mess.

" Can you stop making me scared? Why are you speaking in parables, Angela?" Mrs. Celina inquired as she was lost in thought.

" Well, I can't say much, but be careful…"