Taste of Vengeance ✔

Chapter 12

Hey all! I saw that only half of the readers read the previous chapter, so make sure you haven't missed it since it's an important one. ^^

. . .

The ride from the airport to her apartment was the most awkward thing she had ever experienced. Alinde – Juice's mother – hadn't said much to her, and even with the knowledge that her son had died, she had managed to give Venus a disapproving look, clearly disappointed in Abigail for being friends with a transgender.

It hurt her that the woman asked her no questions. She was just staring out of the window, giving Abigail the impression that she was here only out of moral obligations. Elise, Juice's older sister was silent either, although tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her mother didn't seem to care; she made no effort to comfort her daughter.

There was a pit in her stomach. So many times she had encouraged Juice to reach out for his mother, to restore their relationship. He had been ashamed of robbing her when he was nineteen, but if Abigail had known the woman wouldn't shed a single tear at her son's funeral she would have encouraged him to hack into her account again and take all the money.

But maybe she was just trying to keep it all together. Maybe she would break, once she saw his body, once his coffin would disappear in the ground.

As they entered the apartment, the woman looked curiously around. She created the impression that she expected to see her son there, as if the fact that he was dead just didn't get through to her. Despite the woman's cool behavior, Venus stuck around and made four cups of tea.

"He died in jail, right?" Alinde asked. "I'm not surprised. I've always known he wouldn't grow old. He was always stepping boundaries, provoking all forms of authority."

"He was a good man," Abigail said in a stern voice, glaring at her. "I don't need to hear your bullshit. If you gonna talk shit about him, you better leave. This is my house and I won't tolerate any hurtful words about Juice."

"Juice?" The woman answered with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, Juice. If you'd shown a little bit of interest in your son the past years, you would have known he called himself that way."

Alinde pressed her lips together. "He has always been the black sheep of our family. Have you any idea what it's like when your son is a criminal who refuses to turn his life around?"

"Have you any idea what it's like to be cast out by your own mother?" she shot back. "The only person on earth who should love him unconditionally? You never gave him a stable environment to grow up in, it's partly due to your own shortcomings that he started a life of crime."

"Open your eyes, girl," the woman said, shaking her head. "Juan Carlos made his own choices. And he made bad ones. It's a shame that he dragged a pretty girl like you into his misery. If he had truly loved you, he would have turned his back to his criminal activities."

"He did love me," she snapped. "I know that! Now get the fuck out of my house!"

"I'm..."

"GO AWAY!" Furiously she clenched her hands to fist. "Get the fuck out before it's not only your son's funeral this week!" She stood up from the couch, her fists shaking, tears stinging her eyes.

It was Elise who grabbed her mother's arm and forced her to leave the apartment, casting Abigail an apologetic glance. Her sympathy didn't soften her; as soon as the door was closed Abigail tore open one of the boxes, took out the dinner ware and smashed it against the walls until she dropped on the ground, sobbing.

Venus sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around her, softly rocking her. "It's okay to be angry, sweetheart. Throw it all out."

"She's horrible," she sniffled. "How is it possible that she gave birth to such a wonderful man?"

"Sometimes those things happen."

Abigail swallowed, remembering that Venus had been sexually abused and forced into child porn by her own mother. "I'm sorry," she whispered, leaning against her friend. "If there's one thing I should have learned from your situation, it's that some mothers are monsters."

Venus petted her hair. "Luckily those mothers are a rarity. It's good that you gave her a chance, sweetie. You did all you could."

She sighed, wishing her own mother had been here. She couldn't remember a lot of her, but right now she just craved for the comforting embrace of a mother.

Or a father.

Or her best friend.

But it felt like they had all more important things to do than standing by her on this bitter day.

"I'm glad you're here, Venus," she whispered, blinking the tears out of her eyes. "I wouldn't know what I would have done if I was alone."

The woman kissed her forehead. "But you're not, sweetheart. You're not."