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“Mom?”
She blabbered something coherent, stared at me, and then raged, banging her head against the wall and causing herself harm. The blood seeped from her head wound.
It’s when I knew she thought I was my father.
“Stop! Please stop!” She shrieked at the top of her lungs.
She was far gone. My mother didn’t exist.
I’d gone back to my room and returned a few minutes later. I hugged her as she cried in frustration, telling me something that I didn’t understand. And then I kissed her head. I loved her so much.
“It’s okay; mom. It’s okay. I’ll protect you. It’s over now.” I sobbed.
I wanted to make them pay for this.
I pulled away from her, and although she was still trying to hurt me; I gave her a small smile. I gave her the satisfaction that she’d hurt my father. I don’t think she remembered anything else. I pushed the pillow over her face and pressed hard. Her small body flailed, trying to come up for air, and I cried.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry.” I’d told her as I’d smothered my mother, ending her sufferings.
It was quick.
Part of me had wanted to steal the gun from Chris’s room and shoot him and Aster. I’d stood at the entrance of their bedroom and almost done it, but then I remembered Theo. I’d be sent to prison and then what would happen to him?
I went to bed and pretended I hadn’t done what I’d done. Killed my mother, that is.
I’d been a good kid. I’d pretended to respect Aster and father, keeping the hate and the hunger for vengeance at bay. I let them trust me enough to hand over the company. I treated them betterthan Devin did. I did everything my father asked of me. I covered up Devin’s and Daya’s fuck ups for them. I was the epitome of a dutiful son, so much so that Aster nearly wished I was hers.
I waited.
For the right time.
For years I waited, and then the boating accident happened. Theo knew the accident was going to happen, and he’d helped me with it.
The Montgomery’s maintained a low profile, and that meant no pictures in the tabloids, no personal information. Grandpa Hugh liked it that way, and no one had questioned his choice, and that had helped Theo and me to build up the story over the years. The lies we had weaved together to get everything that was never ours.
I’d been a good grandson to Hugh and earned his respect when he’d remembered things. Later on, he was far too affected with Alzheimer’s, realizing that I was his step-grandson or I’d killed his daughter, my step-mom.
“Momma...” James said, pointing at the screen again and bringing me out of memory lane.
There was another clip playing, the one with Millie and my wedding. I switched off the screen and picked him up in my arms.
“Let’s go for a walk, son.”
I walked out of the room and met with my gorgeous wife, who was dressed in a sea-green velvet cocktail dress. Her dark eyes were shining with adoration.
“My boys,” She said lovingly, touching her cheek, “I’ve been looking all over for you. What were you doing here?”
“Mama...” James said, pointing at his mother.
“Just watching our old movies.”
She picked James into her arms and kissed his cheek, and then quickly wiped the lipstick stain from there.
“Can I convince you to go to the charity ball with me?”
I pulled her towards me. “You know how much I hate attending those. I think James wants to sleep, so guess I’ll raincheck this time.”
She pouted, “Is it important for me to go?”