Chapter 11
Brianna tried to argue, but Noel, completely fed up, shoved her hard toward the door. “Get out!” he shouted.
He didn’t hold back, and Brianna stumbled and fell to the ground. Furious, she sprang up and slapped him across the face. Her voice was shrill and full of rage.
“Now you’re trying to act like you’re innocent? Who was it that said Cornelia’s
mom was just a burden and would be better off dead? Stop pretending to be the good guy!”
Noel’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he kicked her hard, sending her reeling. “Shut up! Say one more word, and I swear I’ll kill you!”
“Oh, I’m going to say it!” she screamed, defiant. “You couldn’t wait for Cornelia’s
mom to die! You’re the one who told me to torment that poor old woman, to take her
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medicine away and let her suffer! Do you remember that night when she was sleeping, and you-‘
Before she could finish, Noel lunged at her, grabbing her hair and slamming her head against a nearby cabinet.
“Shut up! I said shut up!” he roared, completely consumed by rage.
All he could think about was silencing her. He didn’t hear her screams. He didn’t notice the blood spilling from her head- until it was too late. By the time he came to his senses, she was lying on the floor, barely breathing, her head covered in blood.
Warm liquid splashed onto his face. He touched it with trembling fingers and saw red—his hands were covered in her blood.
Panic set in, and he scrambled out of the house, stumbling into the street.
The night was dark, but the street was still busy with people. When they saw his
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blood–soaked hands and dazed expression, they backed away in fear.
Noel stared at the horrified faces of the passersby, then looked down at himself. Suddenly, he burst into laughter–wild, hysterical laughter that didn’t stop even when tears started streaming down his
face.
Sensing something was wrong, someone called the cops. When they arrived, Noel stood there motionless, letting them arrest. him. From the incoherent things he
mumbled, the cops quickly realized they needed to check his house.
There, they found Brianna’s lifeless body.
She was dead. Severe head trauma. She had died instantly.
I found out about it the next day on the news. Noel was being held on charges of intentional homicide.
The case drew a lot of attention, and people couldn’t stop talking about it.
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I hadn’t expected it to end this way, but strangely, I didn’t feel anything. No sympathy, no regret. If anything, it felt like they had finally gotten what they deserved.
After breakfast, I went to the cemetery. Under the warm sunlight, I stood in front of my mom’s grave, running my fingers over the cool surface of her photo. She looked so kind and gentle in the picture.
I sat down by the gravestone and talked to her for a long time, telling her about everything. I told her that the people who hurt her had faced their punishment and that she could rest easy now.
Before I left, I pressed my face against the gravestone, speaking softly, “Mom, in your next life, you can be my child. I’ll take care of you. I’ll protect you, and I’ll never let anyone hurt us again.”
A soft breeze brushed against my hair as if my mom was replying to me.
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