The Choices We Make (Revenge)

Blame

"She didn't do it..." The sentence was out before he could stop it.

"What do you mean by that?" Charlotte asked, wondering. „How do you know?"

"I..." He took a deep breath. Maybe now was the right time to entrust himself to someone. Maybe he'd be able to sleep in peace again. "Because... I did it," he confessed.

Charlotte looked at him in utter disbelief. "You did... what?"

"I killed Emily."

"Oh, Daniel...." Quickly, Charlotte hurried to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "You never could do that! You only feel guilty because you were too drunk to prevent what Lydia did. I know you were with us downstairs when someone shot her. You just had learned that Sara had tried to take her own life. Do you remember?" She plucked at his shirt. "You mustn't blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done to prevent the catastrophe. You loved her!"

He freed himself from her grip. "You don't understand, Charlotte!" he exclaimed in despair. "I wanted to..."

"Daniel!"

He went silent when he saw his mother entering the kitchen. Her countenance was calm, but he knew that she had overheard the conversation. "Mom, I..," he began, but was silenced when she made a gesture with her hand.

"I want to talk to Daniel, alone," she said, turning to her daughter.

Charlotte obeyed without resistance. It was better to follow the rules when she didn't want to deal with the consequences.

"What did you hear?" he asked after Charlotte had left the room.

"Everything." Victoria grabbed a glass and poured herself some water. "But it's nothing I didn't know before, if that's what worries you." She puckered her lips to a hinted smile. "You should know that I leave nothing to chance. What do you think why I have suggested to your father to get rid of his little... slut?"

"You knew Lydia was innocent and still wanted to extradite her to the police for murder?" he asked, stunned.

Victoria shrugged. "She was smart enough to accept my generous offer. She has enough money now to build a new life elsewhere." She sighed theatrically and went towards him. "I knew you were overhearing my conversation with Emily on the yacht. I saw you. That's why I confronted her with the truth. I wanted you to know what a scheming and sneaky little bitch she was. I'm sorry you had to learn that way, that she lied to you about the pregnancy."

"You knew...?" He stopped in the middle of the sentence, bewildered. For a week he had lived with the guilt of killing his wife, and his mother had known the whole time.

She nodded. "I heard the gunshot and knew it was you. And I went to your father and told him about it. Yet, that makes no difference. What you did remains our little family secret. Do you understand?"

It was no request, it was an order. And though he felt such a relief, to stop lying, he didn't want to follow his mother's rules. "I killed an innocent human being!" he panted out. "Maybe it's so easy for you and dad to cover up a murder, but I can't and won't live with that guilt!" He turned to go. "Tomorrow, I'll go to the police and turn myself in!" he said.

"You won't!" Victoria hurried after him and took hold of his arm. "Your father broke things off with Lydia to set you free. It's over, Daniel. Nobody will ever suspect you for killing your wife!"

"I know it, you know it, Dad, Charlotte..." He broke off and shook his head. "Emily... If she's still alive."

"She's dead, Daniel." Victoria pinched his shoulder gently. "It's been a week. You know what they say... What the sea once devoured is no longer there. And if it's not the sea," she added quietly, "then it's the sharks that..."

"Stop It!" He pressed his hands against his temples. "I don't want to hear it!" The mere thought that Emily had fallen prey to a shark, was just too much to bear for him. He had to get out of here!

"Don't do anything rash. Daniel! Promise me..."

He heard the warning in her voice as he stormed out of the kitchen, ran up the stairs and opened the door to his bedroom. Breathing heavily, he sat down on the edge of the bed and closed his eyes. He would never forget the moment, as she had stood in front of him on the deck of the yacht. She had looked beautiful in her white wedding dress, eyes wide open and a faint apology on her lips. He opened his eyes abruptly, grabbed the wedding ring, and read the engraving:

"Forever and Ever"... Emily

Slowly, he let himself fall back on his pillow, while he still clutched the ring. Forever and ever, infinite, everlasting, beyond death... He didn't want to believe in his mother's theory that Emily's body had disappeared forever. And certainly not that she had become the victim of a shark. Sooner or later the sea would set her free. Or maybe she managed to swim ashore and was still alive. This thought comforted him and gave him some rest. He closed his eyes and slipped into a dreamless sleep.