By A Rose

|CHAPTER EIGHTEEN🌹|

Mrs Beckley's eyes were filled with insanity. Insanity which evolved from fear and hate. Insanity which was not so far away from death.

"Yes. Yes. Your father gave me a single rose just like this one. He told me that I was special to him. He told me that when the time was right our jokes would become reality. He said he was lucky to have someone like me in his life! He told me that he was never going to leave me. He said he'll stay close to me even after high school!! There's no better feeling than hearing such words from the lips of the one you truly love. Isn't that right dearie?!" She asked as she gazed at Wes, still wrapped in her insanity.

"I was excited by those words and my hopes were lifted high. I was no longer the whore's child. I was something better because of that man and he had made a promise that he was not going to part ways with me. That valentine turned out to be the best and I was glad until I saw HER with him."

Beckley began to squeeze the petals of the rose she held while she gazed at it with contempt.

"I was on my way back home and there she was. Tina Willie. She was stealing from me again. They looked happy. They just stood there and when Johnson finally noticed me, he told me your mother was...They were together all that time and...Anyways, we all graduated from high school and I enrolled into the same college as your mother and father. I had forgiven Tina, but I had to keep an eye on your father. I sensed evil within Tina. I didn't trust her and I was right. She threatened me a number of times to stay away from your father along with new friends she had made. After all, she was always popular wherever she went. I often told your father, but he told me to let it go. He told me that she was just a bit jealous."

Mrs Beckley then lifted her gaze off the rose and stared at me.

"Your father never told you about me did he?" she asked.

"Um...No he didn't." I replied.

I was not sure if that was the right answer to give a crazy lady who was obsessed with my father. It was the truth but it did not feel like the right answer.

"Sure he didn't. Why would he? I was just a shadow of his past." Mrs Beckley took in a deep breath and continued in a louder tone.

"I still stuck to your father's side even after we became graduates with educationally awarded degrees. For his sake I had no relationship of any kind. I still believed we would end up together somehow. He actually got married to your mother, Tina and in a year she was pregnant with you. I was devastated but Johnson told me that I was still a part of his heart. He still gave me red roses every valentine. And a single red rose was more than enough for February 14th. Yes. Yes. Yes. He never stopped giving me the roses I deserved. Johnson was married but that didn't stand in the way of my eternal love for roses."

"He always dreamt of going into the business world, so I helped him with that. I was a pretty successful person in Denmark, where we all lived and I had influence. In a few years, I also got married to a wonderful man. His name was George Beckley. A kind hearted soul he was. Sadly my husband was a just distraction from your father. But as the forces of nature would have it, soon enough I actually fell in love with George. I loved him with my heart. Everything was perfect except a few problems." She paused and continued.

"Right after your parents got married, your mother got her hands tied in a mess with the bosses of a cartel. She owed them money from the drugs she had ordered over a long period of time. A part of me wanted to save her and the other wanted to see her go down. But due to the love I had for your father, I tried to talk to her and offered her help. Your mother warned me to stay out of her business, scared that I was going to blow her cover. I did stay away. Soon her relationship with your father began to collapse and so did her relationship with me. Johnson soon found out about the money your mother owed the drug cartel, but he lacked cash at the time. He begged me to help him get a good investment. If he was to produce the money from an unknown source, your mother would've found out and that would only cause trouble. So I helped him start a computer based business and invested half of my company on him. He became quite wealthy and offered your mother money to clear her name. Her name was cleared but I decided to totally get rid of the cartel for your father's safety. The drug 'dons' got mad and...I..."

Tears began to leave Mrs Beckley's eyes in lucid drops.

"One night I got back home and found my Georgie dead. He had a hole in the middle of his chest and his arms were crossed like a dead Pharaoh." Beckley burst into tears.

"Say what?" Were the only words my brain could muster.

" It hurt me. My heart felt pain it had never felt before. I cried for weeks. Just when I found someone more than a replacement for Johnson, he had to die on me. I was pregnant with my own child then. Due to fear for my child's life, after I gave birth, I sent my new born to live with a friend, far away from Denmark. I did remain in Denmark for your father's sake. I stayed close to your father and it made your mother vexed since she was in Rehab. Yes. Yes. She wasn't happy you see. I played the role of mother to you and to Johnson, I played the perfect wife. I enjoyed it. You were only five back then and I was way skinnier than I am now, so it'd be hard for you to form a picture of me from your past." Beckley said in between pitiful whimpers.

"In time, the monster within your mother showed itself. Your mother had set a plan with her old friends from the cartel. Due to the cartel's actions, your father lost half of his assets and his sister was killed. I was framed. I denied strongly, since I did nothing but no one believed me. Some said I wanted revenge for my dead husband. Johnson cut off ties with me. He ignored the demon he got married to. He said it was my fault. He said I wanted his company for myself. I was really disappointed and hurt." Beckley's tears dropped quickly as she continued.

I was baffled at her tale of my mother. The woman I remembered was never like that. Well, I could only remember little of her. I only hoped Beckley was lying but my heart said the lady told the truth.

"Like that wasn't enough, I headed to my hometown to feel at ease with my family, since I had lost it all. Even the child I had was lost. I lost contact with the friend I gave my baby to. Like a cruel joke I had no idea where my child was. Everything was gone. Everything! So I got home in search for love but met grief and pain. My entire family was killed! My father, mother, brothers, sisters and even my grandparents were dead! They were killed the same way my husband was. They were all lain on the floor but this time they held roses at a hole on their chest. I felt hate. Hate for the world that always tagged me the helpless stripper's child. Yes! Yes! Yes! Hate for your father who had turned his back on me after I had made him rich. Hate for your mother who caused all my problems. She stole my friends, my love, my husband and my family. I couldn't just fold my arms and let her get away with what she had done. No! No! No! I had to get rid of her. So I did. The same way she got rid of my husband and my family. All it took was a hole in the centre of her chest and a single rose."