Teressa Rogers is far different from what I expected. The woman looks like in her early 40s. She is an afro-american and has a good decent working style. Just in one look, anyone could have assumed she's a busy woman.
She came visit just like what she said on the phone.
But it was rather a little annoying when she came an hour before lunch.
"So, what can I help you, Mrs. Rogers?" Hanna asks after we waited for the woman to read the file for about five minutes after her arrival.
She looks up slightly behind her rimmed thick glasses, making her look like she was staring from her nose. "I'm not married yet, and you can call me Teressa, Miss Marin."
"Fine, Teressa. You can call me Hanna because there are two Marin here." My sister pointing at me and herself.
Way of the beginning of serious conversation.
Teressa smiles for a moment then put down the file. She takes off her glasses and look at us alternately. "I apologize for contacting you suddenly for urgent reasons like this. But I am in duty of evaluating Marianna Stewart, if you are pleased to be in the corporation."
Hanna and I changing glances at each other. "What can we do for you?" I ask.
"I won't bother to explain it from the beginning about your profile, Chloe. I will ask the important ones. So, for the past two years you lived with her. Was there something you complained about?"
I swallow hard and take a brief glance at my sister. She is also waiting for my answer. "I'm sorry, I think I need you to be more specific, Miss Rogers?" I ask her back softly.
"Something that might be inappropriate and requires you to report it?" She presses.
"She-she is a heroin addict." I blurt out.
Hanna turns her face and sigh. This kind of stuff burdens her too.
"I understand. That is written and investigated. And may I ask why you didn't report that situation to your guardian and parents?"
The woman's gaze was firm and intimidate.
I can't stop twisting my fingers underneath the table. I look at my sister, hoping she could find a way out because if I told the truth, it would be possible that aunt Marry would tell the social service about my involvement with drugs. I can be sentenced to probation. And as far as I know, big boss and A.D. have something to do to ruin me.
"Because... I have no other choice." I tell her.
She nods her head slowly. "Could you elaborate more on that terms, Chloe?"
"Aunt Marry—" I start off, even though I was nervous. "She is not a good influence, but at least she wanted to took me in. I'm sure you have my bad record in Ravenswood high. She was willing not to report it to my parents because I begged her."
Teressa listened carefully. She doesn't interrupt me at all. "My parents, they divorced and always quarreled if they had different point of views, I mean all husband and wife do, but I couldn't make them fight because of me. I've felt bad enough about the mistakes I made. Mom must blame Dad for making me stay with an addict and dad must have always made a stupid solution that wouldn't be fair in my luck. Everything would be fell apart and I have been traumatized enough to see them yelling to each other."
It seems like she buys my alibi because Teressa look at me pityfully. Likewise with Hanna.
I should have known that I was good at acting.
"But did you so much aware of the consequences?"
"Yes, I did. That's why I'm able to keep it to myself."
Teressa nods, she then read one of the files. "Do you think she's a good person?"
"She — she's not too bad nor too good."
"Is that so? Then why does this seem to indicate that you aren't too familiar with her?"
I glare into her eyes. "I am an introvert, I have difficulty adapting with other people."
Before she gave further questions, Hanna interrupted her. "Actually, what has Marianna done?"
"She is allegedly not worthy of being a foster parent for David Wilson."
"You mean like a child abuse?" Hanna asks.
Teressa look at us skeptically. It seems like she is not only looking for answers but also analyzing each of our words "I'm afraid so, Hanna. There were bruises on David's body. He is ten years old. And also we found the smell of beer in his jacket. Do you know enough about what might be possible for Marianna Stewart did to your sister?"
Teressa's question was a blow to the gut to Hanna. She's shrinking. All the flashes of guilt were exposed in her eyes. "I was too busy with college, internships and my job for the past two years."
I won't blame her for that.
"Then—" I quickly shifted the situation. "Where is she now? Did the police have her arrested? "
"The police are still studying on the case and looking for relevant evidence for detention. But in the meantime she is being watched and cannot leave Ravenswood."
"I need to see her." Hanna says. When I turn around, she looks furious. "I want to see Marianna. Can I do that?"
"Of course. Maybe it's better if there's something you can add you need to meet the Ravenswood police department."
"I don't think it's necessary." Hanna look at me at a glance. "I just want to ask her something. Something very important that my sister might never tell me."
##
Despite looking super tired, Hanna remained adamant about meetings Marry by taking an hour's journey to Ravenswood. Sensing my sister's tiredness made me unable to ignore it. "Let's just pull over and take a beat. We don't need to rush to meet her. Teressa said she is not allowed to go out of town."
"Yeah, you don't need to remind me. And actually you don't need to come along, Chloe." She says flatly.
"I just don't want you to be alone." I murmur.
Hanna let out a sigh and run her fingers through her hair. "What happened last night has nothing to do with you, regardless of the possibility of your connection with it. Everything is resolved and I am doing my duty as your guardian now."
"But—" I look away slightly. "Are you really going to be okay? What if A.D traps you and bring his body to the police? Doesn't that mean you.. you're gonna go to jail, again?"
She knew that what I said was true. Therefore, whenever she can't find the right answer, she constantly avoids making eye contact, like she always did. "It won't happen, okay? I promise. And whatever the odds are, that won't touch you."
I say absolutely nothing. She already looks pretty stressed with all of this matters. Maybe this is the time for me to try to be a good sister at a time like this.
Hanna pulls the car on the driveway.
The postbox that reads Stewart now looks different. Marry must have painted it from black to blue.
I climb out first, the streets around neighborhood were quiet because most of the residents might be working or going to school. The mat that read WELCOME is also gone. It seems like there will be a lot of changes I would see.
Hanna didn't bother herself by pressing the bell, she clench her fist and banging on the door firmly. It didn't take long until someone opened it.
Finally after all this time...
I saw another shoulder-length curly blonde hair and also the ocean blue-eyes of this woman. Her hair, which was once neatly arranged, was now in a mess, as if it had a collided mess with a knee-length lace skirt and black tank top.
Marry raises her eyebrows when she spotted me. "Chloe? What the hell are you doing in here?" Her voice hoarse. She seems to be sleeping less.
"Hello, Marianna." My sister's cold and threatening tone made Marianna realize that I wasn't alone.
"Hanna? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me. And you guessed wrongly if she wanted to talk to you. Because I'm the one who's gonna throw you off."
Marry smirks slightly. "And what kind of honor do I receive by welcoming you, ladies?"
"We heard about David Wilson." I tell her.
"What?"
"Social worker came to me and asked a lot of things about you, aunt Marry. I think this will be a time when I want to repay a little of your kindness or maybe giving you another thankfulness."
Marry sighs irritably. She look at us back and fort. "Come in."
We enter the house together. Marry didn't bother to go to the kitchen to make some tea. She just sits on the sofa with arms crossed.
Hanna stands on her feet and glaring at Marry. She seems uncomfortable. "What do you want?"
"What do I want? Are you really asking me, Marianna?" Hanna's voice starts to rise.
"Hanna, please." I warn her.
"Ohh... I knew it." Marry chuckles in not a very nice way. "Chloe has fessed up everything. Including the situation in this house." I don't know why, but she looks so calm. Considering our history won't do her any good.
"Why did you do that?" Hanna increasingly provoked by her anger. "Acted like a stupid masked angel and then dragging my sister into your puddle, letting her destroying herself and watching it in front row and keep it as a chip bargained so that our parents kept giving you a deposit? For God's sake, you are major asshole than I expected!"
To my surprise, Marry didn't flinch at all. She just stares at us straightly. "We all do anything to survive, Hanna. And if it wasn't for me to be willing to cover up your beloved baby sister's shit, then she would have been in a big trouble now." Her gaze lands on me.
"Bullshit, you—"
"I know you deliver drugs for big boss."
The whole room fell silent at once. Like, did we hear it right?
"What?"
"Don't you think I sat in the dark the whole time. You and that Grunwald boy were part of the dirty work. You even stole money from Gordon. Very classy, now you want to make me the only bad guy here?"
Hanna tries to calm herself even though I see she was very well prepared to throw any object across the room toward Marry. "Still, whatever mistakes she has made, you are her guardian here, Marianna. You're the person in charge and supposed to be the adult but you're just watching her destroy herself right under your nose."
Marry doesn't budge. Her expression grew flatter as if she continued to turn off her emotions. She laughs cunningly. "Hah, me? Say that to a woman who are trying to be a good sister while she isn't much better herself."
This is not a good sign. Hell will break loose.
I stand up straightly and try to pull my sister away, but she insisted on staying. "Come on, Hanna... you know it's no use at all to confront her like this. She's just a crackhead."
Hanna let go of my hand and about to throw any punch. "How could you still live with yourself, huh? You piece of a shit!"
"Not everyone lives as well as you, Hanna." Marry jumps up and approach us.
"Screw her, Hanna. Come on, let's go." I keep trying to pull my sister away but she steps forward.
I can't even expect her to slap very hard across Marry's face. I gasp out in surprise and hurriedly hold her to prevent her in further anarchy.
"Shit! Stop it, let's just go!" I beg her.
"That's something you deserve! Something our mother would definitely do to you." Hanna narrows her eyes and stares intently at Marry who's still holding her cheek.
Luckily one slap has satisfied her. I managed to bring my sister to leave this house immediately. But Marry's words stopped us.
"Our mother? really? Which mother? The real mother or mother you consider to be her mother too, huh?"
Me and Hanna freezed up and turn our head around. Marry eyes lands on me. "You don't know anything about this, Chloe?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Marry glance at Hanna. "Your sister might be too young to remember it but she must remembered that day."
The wrinkles on my forehead increasingly deeper. I really don't understand what she meant. Is she high?
"You're a bullshit." Hanna say to her and pulling me away.
"Too bad, couldn't agree more. But so is she. You don't realize that she is just like her mother. A bad girl whose involved with drugs and troubles. Like mother like daughter. Junkies."
Before Hanna threw a diatribe or maybe give her another blow, I preceded her. "Shut the hell up, Marry! Don't you ever dare to talk shit about my mom!"
She smiles sideways. "Mom? Hmm - very funny. I state the facts about your mother. But who I meant was not Ashley, my dear. "
I frown faintly. Actually what is she talking about?
I feel Hanna's hand on my shoulder tightened. She didn't say anything and pulls me right out of Marry nonsense instead.
"Sooner or later you can't avoid the truth forever, Hanna. Her mother is just as trash as her." Marry says, half screaming.
I couldn't help but break away from my sister to walk closer to Marry. "What kind of bullshit are you talking about now?"
"Why did you think your father wanted to let you to me, Chloe? Jesus, Thom is really a good father. He kept the truth but put it in bitter reality. Are you sure you want to hear it?" Her head tilts to the right. Maybe I shouldn't listen to the words of people who are definitely hangover.
Hanna's strong hand pulls my shoulder so I could move away from Marry. "Stop talking. Every time your mouth opens, there's only bullshit and stupidity there. Stop before I grant you another slap, Marianna." She threatened her with glaring eyes.
"Am i? gosh, you're just as awful as your father. Maybe it's the only thing that can make you two at least blood. Poor Ashley."
"You bitch. Stop talking or I'll beat the crap out of you and have you arrested. You know we can do that, don't you?" Hanna threatened her more seriously.
Marry sees me still trying to digest her words. She lets a satisfaction smile. She knows that I remember everything people say to me.
"You can't do that," she says casually.
"Of course we can." Hanna hiss.
"Oh yeah? Well, I hate to remind you this but, it will also make me inevitably expose the crime of your sister committed. It doesn't matter who should be guilty one. The cops will filter out major crimes. She also made someone commit suicide, don't you remember that, Chloe?"
I lost in my overwhelming situation. Marry managed to influence me and her words are not a joke to boil our blood. She threw a shade up about Leon Grunwald.
"I'm gonna kill you." Hanna was ready to jump in to give Marry another slap, but I immediately prevented her.
"Come on, Hanna. Don't mind her. Screw her. Let's go." I tried my best to attract my sister.
"If I have to see your disgusting face again, I'll make sure you're gonna regret that, Marianna. Note it!"
"Well, fuck me over, Hanna. At least I don't lie about one thing." Marry look in my direction again. "Felicia Jones. My cousin."
##
"Do you believe her bullshit?" Oliver says, after I told him what had happened at Marry's house a few hours ago.
After me and Hanna back to Rosewood, I got the urge to reaching out for my boyfriend and asked him to pick me up so we could chat freely outside.
He took me to The Brew and ordered me a warm latte. We took a seat in the corner of the cafe because I don't want anyone to accidentally eavesdropping. Even though neither Ollie nor I have brought up anything about Eliot Rollins.
Speaking of the real devil, the cops were hunting him down now after they had found an oddity over his disappearance. If traced further, they have set it as a list of fugitives. But I don't know what would happen if there is evidence pointing to his disappearance.
I watched my boyriend black eyes sluggishly. "Something tells me that she wasn't lying, Ollie. Yes, she's fucked up but she rarely throws up nonsense when she was trying confronting people."
Oliver scoffs. He leans his back on the chair. "Then, what did you conclude from that shit she threw you in?"
"I don't know yet, I'm afraid to think it out loud." I mutter under his gaze.
Ollie leans over to squeeze my hand. "You won't be able to get a peace in mind unless you pouring it out." His voices nearly soothing.
I shut my eyes for a moment. "I think what she meant was... the truth about my mother - the woman who gave birth to me."
Oliver raises an eyebrow. "Your mother?"
I look up into his eyes. He waited for me to continue. "Like I told you. She brought up about my real mother and why my dad left me to her in Ravenswood. And something about Hanna who might recalling that day."
"Wow, back off." Ollie bat his hand to me so I take a break. "You're over analyzing it or guessing something you're afraid of?"
"Both." I say quickly. "Marry tried to tell me something. Felicia Jones."
Oliver's nose flaring and his forehead furrows deeper upon hearing me mentioned unfamiliar named. "Who?"
"She said it was her cousin." I rub my face slowly.
"Wait a minute. She said this Felicia is her cousin. Does that mean— "
"She's the woman Marry meant." I fiddling my fingers nervously. "My real mother."
"Come on, Chloe. Do you really buy it?"
"Then what do you think of this riddle, Ollie? My sister didn't say any of her infamous denial other than threatening to chop her off in hell."
He senses my tension. His gaze pacing soften. "Have you tried talking about it with Hanna?"
"When I tried to asking her to say something about it, she immediately told me to shut me out. But I know my sister. When she is uncomfortable talking about something, she will definitely lie and avoiding eye contact."
Oliver nods understandingly. He sips his coffee before saying, "Maybe she doesn't want you to let that stuff crawling deeper to your skin."
"Yeah, because if it's true then there will be a million possibilities to take and it will be difficult for her to stay out."
"Then who do you trust more? Your sister or a woman who has wronged you?"
I pause for a moment. To be honest this must be an easy matter to answer, but he knew I doubted both parties. "I don't know, Ollie. They both insist on showing who is the shittiest."
Oliver earns an apologetic smile. Even though I hate being stared like that by anyone, I can still feel the tinge of affection from him. He takes out his cellphone out of his jeans pocket and typed something on the screen.
"You said the name is Felicia Jones, right?"
I nod my head and couldn't divert my astonishment at the brightness that suddenly appeared on my boyfriend's face. "Yeah. I hope so."
Oliver chuckles faintly. His eyes then squinted over his cellphone screen seriously.
The incoming call snaps me up. When I see who the caller is, I doubt whether this is the right time to pick it up or reject it.
Oliver raises his eyes slowly. "Who is that?"
"Uh, Emily. Maybe she is looking for Hanna or something." I lie to him. Actually it was Seth.
Oliver no longer brought up of me secretly asking for Seth's help behind his back. The last time we discussed it, we had a fight. I'm not sure it's his feeling of being betrayed or jealously but I can't take the risk to add this to my current problems. It's beyond good Ollie no longer wants to debate it.
Suddenly I remembered when Seth said I had to see something and it seemed so important.
"Hello."
"Chloe, what took you so long?" His deep voice sounds tired.
"Sorry, I'm kinda busy lately. What's up?"
Seth sighs. "I'm not sure how to show you this, but I think you'd better meet me up so I can explain it to you."
I glance over Oliver who fortunately was still busy with his cellphone. "Alright." I say briefly.
"When can I meet you?"
"After school, I guess."
"Tomorrow? Okay, Cool."
I bit my lower lip. "Sorry to bother you." I don't know why I feel obliged to say that to him. But this is at the same time surprising because Seth suddenly acted like we were friends and he wanted to help me with anything.
"That's fine. See ya."
And the call ends.
I lower my phone and put it on the table. Lucky for me, Ollie didn't ask anything about this. Either because he is busy or just wants to respect my privacy.
"Umm, Chloe."
"Yeah?"
"I'm not sure about this but you have to see it for yourself." He tells me.
What's with those who want me to see something? I mentally guessing.
Ollie handed me his cellphone. We both inclined our heads to see the facebook page of a woman named Felicia Jones.
"Umm, this ..."
"For some crazy reason, I find her has some resemblance to you." He says carefully. "Her hair and eyes are almost the same as yours."
Well, damn.
"This ... this is impossible." I say haltingly. "How could you find her?"
"Believe me, when I type that name, there are thousands of names appeared from other parts of the world. When I filter the location in Ravenswood, there are only three left. One elderly woman and one black woman. And only her looks suitable for further viewing of her profile."
When I clicked on the photo album, my eyes widened in one of the pictures.
"That's ... that's Marry." I pointed at the picture where Felicia and Marry were in a nightclub along with a big guy with a snake tattoo almost covering his left hand. The photo looked old, maybe ten years ago because the two women looked younger. Marry looks fresh and ranges in her early 30's, I think.
Oliver clicks on the photo and there were several comments in it. One of them is from Marianna's own account. She pointed to the woman next to her as her cousin.
So what would that means If Marry gives me some kind of clue about who my mother is? Felicia Jones, is that really her?
Oliver was right about the resemblance between us. The color of her eyes is exactly just like mine, so is her hair color. The way she held the bottle is almost the same as mine too. I like to grip the bottle from the neck stem not on the body.
"Based on her profile bio, she is forty-five years old."
"So, if this is true, my father has cheated on my mother with another woman before Isabel." I say limply. "She is seven years younger than my mom."
"Chloe, baby." Oliver rubs my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
It would seem like a big lie if I nodded my head. Therefore I chose not to react.
"Whatever it is, you know that I'm always with you." He assures me.
I turn my face to kiss his gripping hand on my shoulder. "Thank you."
"Do you want me to delete this search history and just forget about it? We don't need to bring this up if that's what you want."
"No. The ship already sails."
"What?"
Slowly, I look into his eyes. "I gotta find out who's my real mother is before someone messed it up, you know."