IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THIS - EPISODE 41

Lavender’s viewpoint

Once upon a time, I was a fool, once upon a time, I let my mind turn me into a puppet. So many mistakes I made, so many times I made people around me hurt and cry; so many times I stabbed them in the back, but not anymore. I almost made another mistake, bringing in death into my own home because of my kindness, but thank goodness I followed my instinct.

My suspicion grew the very moment I caught her glaring at me but quickly covered it up. I could not let the uneasy feeling go, so I kept an eye on her and asked Zimò to give me the number of the guy monitoring Peyton for me. While the person was investigating Peyton, I kept an eye on Roxy, but still didn’t notice a thing since Zachary and Sera had no complains about her. I let my mind convince me that they would know, forgetting they can’t know it all as children. Finally, when Lilith came for the wedding, the moment she laid eyes on Roxy, she knew Roxy was up to no good. Lilith has always had the ability to detect malicious intent and vibe from people, and knew when someone was pure in heart. It was one of the reasons she made me her best friend, because according to her, she has never felt so at peace and calm with anyone but me. So when she saw Roxy, she knew without a doubt that she came back deleterious intention.

I didn’t wait for a second to pay attention to what she was doing. I thought it was me she was after until I saw the scones given to my children. I remembered then that Zayne was always eating a particular muffin, scones and bagels made by Roxy. Thankfully, Lilith and Jiayi were around so they helped me examine one after I took it from where Zach dumped his. Jiayi helped me locate the guy paid to monitor Peyton and after a little punch, he admitted that Peyton met up with Roxy but it was only once so he didn’t think it mattered, and he didn’t know Roxy was related to me in anyways.

He was a crappy worker, terrible with his job because if he really was dedicated to his work, he would monitor her phonecalls, messages and chats and everyone who visits her, just to be sure. Because of his stupid investigation, I almost made a mistake. What if Lilith didn’t come on time? What if I didn’t notice on time? What if I lost my kids?

The plan was simple, we were going to deal with Peyton once and for all. I didn’t care what means, as long as I get rid of her. She tried to harm my kids. Nobody, no freaking body can ever dare lay a finger on my kids and get away with it. I would fucking deal with her and show her what it means to be friends with Lilith. But Lilith told me to handle it legally, for the sake of my after conscience, so that was what I planned to do.

Brushing my fingers into my hair, I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, my head tilt to the side. Rominic sat on our bed, bottom lip in his mouth and forehead furrowed in concentration, eyes fixed on his laptop. His fingers were keying the buttons rapidly, but I knew he was typing nonsense.

“Argh!” He shouted in anger, pulling at his hair in frustration. “Why can’t I fucking think of anything!” He cried. I turned, looking at him with a smile. “Laverne, help me!” He looked at me and pouted.

“Maybe you should calm down and take a break,” I suggested, “maybe play with the kids or do your geek communication with your precious Zachary, I’m sure you’ll be able to think of something after that. I don’t really have ideas right now, except if you want to work on a new kitchen appliances.” He rolled his eyes and went back to staring and murmuring. I stood up from the chair, smoothen my hair and walked over to the bed to get my bag. Rominic decided to stay at home for the day, which is a good idea. The seven days was over, it was time for the plan.

I pressed my hands on the bed, leaning closer to him still smiling. I used my hand to close his laptop and push it aside. “Please, don’t stress yourself. Today is your off, you promised to take it easy today, no working. You are suppose to play with the kids, remember?” He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off with my lips. He muffled out his complain, not really kissing me back at first and when he was about to, I pulled away because I knew he would drag me into the bed and mess up my hair and lipstick.

“Hey, come back here!” I giggled, shifting away from his reach. “I didn’t kiss you back, come here!” I shrieked, scooting to the door while laughing. Damn my heels. I ran to the stairs and used the banister to slide down before he caught me. “Lavender!”

“Too slow!” I shouted laughingly. I jumped down from the banister and ran, running past the children and waving at them. “Hey, kids, hold your father for me so I can leave, he’s after me… Shit!” I screamed as Rominic came running towards me. He used the banister too. I bolted to the door, running as fast as I could to my car. I already knew I would be caught, and I was when I got to the car. Rominic grabbed me by the waist, spinning me around and drawing a loud laughing shriek from my mouth.

“Rominic, put me down! Please!” I laughed, he spun me around repeatedly while I shrieked. He knew how much the whole spinning me in the air thing was terrifying. Finally, he put me down on my feet. I floundered helplessly, my vision spinning on and on. He caught me before I plunge to my demise. Okay, that’s exaggerating. “You are crazy and stupid!”

“I love you too,” he laughed. His hands held me securely to his body, my hands pressed to his chest as I panted. “Now, my kiss…”

“No k…” He claimed my lips with his. My eyes sealed shut on it own volition, against my will. A small moan leaving my lips gave him enough room to coax my lips apart and slide his tongue into my mouth, emitting another moan from me. Rominic guided me backwards until my back was resting on the door of my car… His car actually, but what’s his is mine. His tongue was hot, scorching and sweet on mine, somehow spreading fire along my body. I suddenly didn’t want to go out anymore, I wanted to stay back, get rid of all my clothing and lay under the sheets for as long as forever.

He dominated our slow but feverish kiss, giving me a taste of his morning coffee taste and taking mine with much gratitude and love. I wanted to feel each and every inch of her body, our moans muffled by our own lips. But when we are lost in our world, we always forget one littlest detail.

“Ew, Mom, Dad, no grossing about!” Groaning in displeasure, Rominic and I reluctantly pulled apart and threw them a glare. Serenity giggled while Zayne gagged. Sera who spoke was staring at us scoldingly, like a mother to her children. “Aren’t you suppose to be going, Mom?” She asked evasively, giving me a knowing look.

Right.

I pushed Rominic away and smiled awkwardly. “I need to get going…”

“To be continued?” He asked hopefully, eyes staring into mine pleadingly. I winked at him, causing him to grin. I chuckled. “Where did you say you were going again? You didn’t really tell me where,” he said thoughtfully. I opened the door of the Pagani Huayra BC sport car and smirked.

“I’m going fishing,” I sent him a coy wink before jumping into the car, slamming the door close so he wouldn’t ask more. I didn’t wait a second before starting the car and zooming off. Indeed, I was going to catch a fish.

Peyton’s viewpoint

‘I’ll be there in ten,’ I reread her message over and over again, smiling to myself. To say I was surprise when she contacted me that she wanted to speak to me was an understatement, and to make it even more amusing, she wanted to discuss how to settle our differences once and for all so the hatred would not pass on to our children. I don’t know if I should comment on her bravery or laugh at her stupidity. How much kinder can she be? Did she really think I’d just smile at her and accept her so called hand of friendship? She wanted to insult me further.

Hand of friendship my foot. She had been intentionally flaunting her relationship with him over the internet to annoy me and now she decided to be friends so she could flaunt it more. I hadn’t forgotten how she had been chatting and flirting with my husband. Ethan was always staring at his phone, smiling and blushing because she was chatting with him. So now, she wanted both my men to show me that she can be a devil as well. Her hand of friendship was just a way to seal the deal, or it wasn’t, I didn’t care. All I knew was that she was going down once and for all before she ends up taking everything away from me.

My kids met her, somehow, I don’t know how, but they did. And since then, they hadn’t stop talking about how nice she was to them and her smile. Her plan was obvious, to frustrate me but I would never let that happen. I was bitter, envious, angry, furious! So what was I commenting on? Her so called bravery to mock me directly or pretend kindness? No, I would never fall for it because I’m not as foolish as her. If she was smart, she wouldn’t have agreed to meet me in a abandon warehouse.

How smart is she.

“Peyton? Peyton, are you here?” I smiled widely, dropping my phone and raising my head. She finally arrives to die. “Pey… Hey, there you are, I thought you wouldn’t show up,” she smiled as she walked towards me, “so, what are we doing here?” She asked, looking around with that infuriating smile. “Is this Ethan’s?”

“Why? So you can know how rich he is before stealing him away from me?” I blunted out. Only the sight of her was irritating. She walked in here looking like a doll pulled out of a giant safe. Clothed in a sugar gray capelet coat and a black bondage boots with very thin heels. The capelet of her coat was bedecked with diamonds, actual diamonds, just like her shoes. The coat was short, stopping almost mid-thigh. The Lavender I knew would never dress like this, this hot and expensive but I guess almost ten years is enough to change her.

Why would she wear such an expensive clothing to a meeting?

Simple, to show off.

She tilt her head and smiled. “Don’t get angry, I was only asking, plus, Ethan is not my spec. You of all people should know my spec,” she winked at me. I gritted my teeth together, fighting the urge to bring out the gun a little bit too early. “So, how’s that husband of yours anyways? I haven’t seen him since the anniversary,” lying to my face when she had been flirting with my husband online.

“He’s fine, but I know you already know that. After all, you have been chatting with him behind my back, trying to steal my husband away from me just like you stole Rominic!” What she did next surprised me, she laughed. Lavender laughed, throwing her head back as she laughed. I stood there, staring at her in confusion.

“So, the great Peyton can feel jealous and pain from seeing the one she loves… Oops, sorry, the ATM you married, chatting with another woman. I guess it’s a different feeling to get a taste of your own juice,” she tilt her head and smirked, a look I never thought nice Lavender would wear. “Don’t worry, I only plan on using him enough to break your rotten heart. Did your kids talk about me? I was exceptionally nice to them you know, like a real mother should. I bet it pained you to listen to them talk about me so fondly…”

“I knew it! You did it on purpose! You are trying to get rid of me!” She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Just thanking you for the past, bitch,”

“I would rather die than let that happen… No,” I pulled the gun out of my belt and pointed it at her. “I would rather kill you than let that happen.”

“Like you intend to do with my kids?” She asked smirkingly, not showing a single sign of fear. My hands on the gun trembled from shock, she knew? How? Did Roxy betray me?

“W…w…wh…what are you talking about? I’m not responsible for poisoning your kids,” I stammered. She raised a brow.

“I never mentioned them being poisoned, Peyton. Now, how did you know that? Are you that cruel, Peyton? Kids, really?” She asked with a slight frown and twitch of her eyebrows. I scoffed, she had no idea how important those kids are to their getting back together. Since the cat is out of the bag and she’s going to die anyways, then there’s no need hiding.

“Those kids played an important part of getting you back to Rominic’s heart, you slut. You think I don’t know how you slept around for money? You are a good for nothing whore…”

“Of your making, yes,” she nodded, “and I did it to provide for my babies. You don’t need any reason to be a slut, it was written in your mother’s destiny and passed on to you as her lovely little bitch,” she spat disdainfully, glowering at me with so much anger and hatred. Well, bitch, the feeling is mutual.

“Don’t you dare bring my mother into this, it is between us…”

“Your gold-digger of a mother tried to ruin mine so it is my concern. You are as despicable as her, and now you managed to bring Roxy into it. Don’t worry, Roxy did not betray you. She’s eager to get rid of them as well…”

“That’s what you get for messing with me. That little fool really thinks I’d let her have Rominic after she completes her mission of helping me get rid of those nuisances you call children,” she shook her head pitifully.

“You plan on killing her afterwards, don’t you?”

I smiled innocently. “I have to get rid of every witness, you see. But don’t worry, she’ll be here in a few minutes to take the fall for your death. Of course, I would have to kill her too so she won’t implicate me, but she will take the fall…”

“But you see, Peyton, I didn’t come here to die. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve come to peace with the fact that the poison have eaten too much in too deep to save them,” she smiled bitterly, “so I’m telling you to your face that if they die, I’ll make your kids mine and make sure you watch as I break your world apart. If it means me leaving Rominic to be with Ethan just to destroy you, I would. I would go to any length to get rid of you…”

“Not if I kill you first!” I cocked the gun and ready to pull the trigger, but sudden pain erupted from my right shoulder, the one holding the gun. The gun slipped out of my grasp, falling at my feet. I wanted to bring my other hand to my shoulder but a burst of severe pain erupted in it as well, followed by my legs. I crumbled to the floor, screaming from the pain spreading through out my body.

All the while, she stood there, laughing at my pain. Tears streamed down from my face, I couldn’t move my limbs but the pain grew every single minute. A lady sashayed towards her, blowing the gun in her hand dramatically. She was a beauty of caramel blonde, baby blues, 5,9 and screamed dangerous. She shot me.

“Don’t cry, those aren’t bullets but just a little something that would feel like you are being torn apart. It last for two hours so sit down and relax, this is going to be the longest hours of your life.”

“Lilith, she has no choice but to relax,” Lavender laughed, “her screams is beautiful, don’t you think?”

“Wanna listen to some more? The cops won’t be here for the next two hours, and I did bring Netflix and snacks,” they both laughed while I watched in tears and helplessness. The lady, Lilith, shot at me again, this time, shooting at my back. I screamed as the pain exploded in me once again. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, just cry, my vision blinded by tears.

They really sat down on a bench and watched a movie, eating and laughing, enjoying my suffering. Blood and mucus gushed out of my nostrils and mouth. Whatever they did could not be legal, it couldn’t. I couldn’t do anything but scream and cry, praying silently that Roxy comes, but she never came.

What happened to her?

“Hey, times up, honey. Did you enjoy your break?” Lilith asked tauntingly. I felt a cold metal in my arm before it broke my skin. She injected me with something. She repeated it five times before she stood up. The pain was slowly disappearing, one after the other, but the numbness never left.

“You are sure the police won’t detect the chemicals?”

“Never,” Lilith said, “they would only detect the ones for paralysis, as your act of self-defense. And even if they do, Rave owns the cops. You’ll be fine. Hmm, where’s the Roxy girl?”

“Don’t worry, the kids would handle it,” Lavender chuckled, “hear that, Peyton? That’s the sounds of sirens,” she gloated. She tricked me. Lavender set a trap for me and I willingly fell for it. I understood she got our conversation on record, so I was as good as gone. Lilith gave her the gun, saluted and dashed off. After everything, I fell at her feet.

Cops trooped into the warehouse, they already knew their target. Lavender handed a phone to them, saying something quietly to one of the cops as the rest bundled me up. She put the gun into a bag and bowed politely, a clever snake. I couldn’t speak but watch as I was bundled out of the warehouse, screaming in my head. I made her into what she is now, and she outplayed me.

~~~

Roxy hastily packed her bags, praying to God that her father don’t return and question her, that would only delay her. She didn’t want to see the look of disappointment in her eyes when he finds out what she had done. She was getting ready to meet Peyton as planned, but later received a text that the plan was canceled, Lavender didn’t show up. She had to stay back. She was worried, anxious. After giving the children the last dose of poison, they were going to die.

To her, the change of poison helped bring Sera back to health, eating her slowly. After the last dose, no doctors would be able to save them. She just had to wait. Well, not until she overheard Rominic on the phone. Lavender had called and informed him that she was at the police station. She didn’t wait to hear the reason why, she bolted to her room and began packing her necessary. Her father would just have to forgive her.

How did she get herself into this?

Flinging her backpack on her shoulder, she grabbed her phone and ran out of her room. She looked over her shoulder as she scurried out of the house through the backdoor, trying not to look too suspicious.

“Roxy!” She screamed from fright at the sudden appearance of Zayne. Placing her hand on her chest, she exhaled with relief. “Take a look at my drawing,” the excited kid exclaimed while showing her his book. Roxy huffed and pushed the kid aside.

“Go fuck yourself, you are in my way,” she snapped. As she took a step, pain erupted from her right calf. She screamed as she fell on the ground on her knees. She looked at her calf, a syringe protruded out of it. “What…”

“Now, that’s not a nice thing to say to my little brother, Roxy,” Zach said mockingly as he strolled to her front. He smiled innocently at the distraught woman. “She’s getting better, isn’t it? Sera have been learning archery for camp next month, she’s getting better, no?”

“I’d say I am,” Sera said cockily, waving her little bow as she smirked, “bullseye.”

“Hey, she didn’t see how good you are, try it again,” Zachary said with mock excitement. Roxy tried to stand but she couldn’t move her shot leg. Her heartbeat had quickened, sweat starting to form over her forehead and black dots clothing her blurring vision.

“What the hell did you shoot me with!”

“Don’t worry, you won’t die, just sleep,” she screamed again as another pain erupted from her arm. Sera shot her again. Zyaire who had joined them pushed her down completely and gave Zach a high five. She couldn’t move, just laid there, stiff with a fast beating heart and blurring vision.

“Dad, she’s over here!” Serenity yelled, pulling her father over to where they trapped the criminal trying to run away. Their mission was accomplished. Zachary crouched in front of her and waved.

“In your next life, don’t be a selfish thief,”

“And don’t mess with the Verlice, got it?!” Sera squealed, jumping with excitement at the amazing game she played with her siblings. Roxy closed her eyes, letting the darkness enfold her, a single tear escaping her eye.