Marcella Frost is undeniably beautiful. Lucille told me she models part-time, and I’m not surprised. She definitely has the looks and lithe body needed to model.
“Good morning,” I tell her, cheerfully. I go over to the counter and start gathering ingredients to make breakfast for Lucille and the boys.
“Morning,” she responds. She takes a sip of the coffee. “Oh! I nearly forgot. I meant to tell you earlier. Congratulations.”
I cock my head. “Congratulations? For what?”
“For your game.”
“My game?”
“Your game with Lucille. I have to admit that you almost had everyone fooled.”
My blood runs cold. I try to play it off.
“I’m sorry, Marcella. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She stands up and glides over to the counter where I’m starting to make breakfast. She leans on the counter.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to play dumb with me,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve already figured it out.”
The boys are looking back and forth between the two of us. I curse Marcella in my head for doing this now.
“You see,” she continues, “it isn’t hard to do a background check on someone. And yours turned up some pretty interesting results.”
She gestures to the boys. “A dead sister for one.”
I could strangle her for bringing them into this. The boys start to look confused and upset. I pull them close to me. They hang on to me as she continues to talk.
“What else was there?” she says, pretending to think. “Oh! That’s right! You’re a college drop-out in a bad neighborhood who inherited her dead sister’s kids. Oh, and you weren’t dating my cousin as of two days ago.”
My face flushes and I feel hot tears begin to prickle behind my eyes. She smiles.
“But I suppose deception comes easily to you, what with your criminal record and all,” she says.
I look away from her, not wanting to see her in my direct line of sight anymore. I see Lucille standing in the doorway looking shocked. I rush over to her.
There’s a look on her face that I can’t quite make up.
“Lucille!” I cry as I reach her. “Don’t listen to her, please!”
She frowns a bit like she’s trying to work this all out.
“Criminal record?” Lucille says.
I now know what the look on her face is. It’s one of horror.
At this point, both boys are crying. They don’t fully understand what’s going on, but they know enough to know it’s not anything good.
I wipe my eyes with my sleeve. “Come on, boys. It’s time to go.”
I rush towards the door, grabbing my purse along the way. I still have a bit of money left from Lucille in my wallet. It will be enough to get us a cab home.
I run out the door with the boys away from Lucille and her family. With each step I take, I feel my heart shatter.
Sixteen
Lucille