Resent, Reject, Regret by Aqua Summers

Deirdre was so happy about this that she almost cried. Gritting her teeth to suppress her pain, she staggered toward the front door.

It opened, its swing slow and creaking. She then looked, and her eyes suddenly glinted. “Bren!” She stepped forward, animated by her excitement. “Bren, listen! There’s something you must kn—”

“Shut the hell up and follow me!”

At that moment, Deirdre noticed how bone-chillingly frigid he looked. She instantly froze. “W-What’s going on?”

His stare could freeze blood. “Lena was out driving. She ran over someone by accident and killed them. Then, she ran.”

Deirdre’s mind went blank. “She killed someone in a hit-and-run? Then she should report herself to the authorities! What does this have to do with—”

A lump formed in her throat. Her voice broke and disbelief dawned on her as she fixed her eyes on him.

His words came out like a decree. “Take the blame for her crime.”

Deirdre’s eyes widened in horror, and she felt like her world was on the brink of collapsing. “No! No, no, no! No! Why? Why should I be the one to… to be imprisoned? To be sentenced to death? To suffer in her place?!”

“Because, Deirdre McKinnon, you pretended to be her for two years!” Brendan snarled. That woman’s wails were so grating that he cringed. “They managed to snap a picture of her when she ran away, but the two of you look the same anyway! Everyone will think it was you. You have nowhere to hide.”

“Then tell the world we’re not the same person! Tell them that Charlene and I are two different people!” she yelled, her breaths heavy and labored. “And you’re wrong about me pretending to be her. She’s the pretender! She took away my life six years ago! I was the one who risked her life to save you from the fire, Bren! It was me!”

Deirdre had expected disbelief and shock, and yet to her surprise, Brendan hardly frowned. Something worse took over his features—disgust. “Lena was right. You found out about her rescuing me from the fire six years ago, and your sorry *ss immediately tried to pretend to be her in that story! You really scraped the bottom of the barrel, Deirdre.”

“What… are you saying?”

“If you really were the one who saved me 6 years ago, why didn’t you blare it out like a f*cking PSA over the past two years? It would be just like you to want the whole f*cking world to know!”

Tears burst out of her eyes. God knows how much she had tried to tell him over the past two years, but he had never let her finish a sentence. He hated hearing her speak, and the only thing he could stomach was her face. His favorite version of her was that of a lowly mute.

“Look, I have had enough. Report yourself to the authorities without any funny business and I’ll make sure you don’t get the death sentence. You’ll get a few years maybe, but by the time you’re released, I’ll compensate you for your time.”

years maybe? A few years?!

thick with tears. “Fat chance, Brendan Brighthall! Don’t you even think you can make me do Charlene’s time. She killed someone! She should pay

A storm then overcame him. “Ah. I get it. You love it rough. You’ve

from her to destination

strength to collect her phone, she

call

are you,

so feeble. So vulnerable. Tears welled up

with that of a typical child. Since Deirdre had agreed to become Charlene’s placeholder wife, Brendan

of unexpected. Deirdre sniffled and checked herself before answering, “Hi, M-Mom. I’m, uh, at home with Brendan right now. Why

lost. “Aunt Engel? She went away.”

nurse, Mrs. Engel, had never left her mother’s side. “Where

confusion. “Dee Dee, is this house someone else’s? There were people over here. They broke things and pushed me and

could react, though, she suddenly heard Ophelia’s shriek. “Arrghhh! Get away! Why are you

“Mom?! Mom!”

cut short, leaving only Deirdre’s futile cries echoing into the void. She felt her heart palpitating and leaped into

the front door. There was no sight of her mother. Deirdre lunged forward, grabbed a

her hand away without showing a tinge of sympathy. “That nutcase was your mother?! God, crazy does run in the

eyes widened in rage. “You people sent my mother to an institution and claimed this house

now, Mr. Brighthall wants the house back and wants your mother hopping merrily away, okay? By the way, I know you’re thankful

like that, the man got in his

and dragged to

notification interface of the phone she had been holding. It was a video. Deirdre opened it and saw a middle-aged woman shivering in a

was her mother!

said a disembodied voice. Whoever was speaking was standing outside

a bucket before zooming into its content. It was some kind of mushy chum so minced and gooey that no one could tell what kind of food

scooped a bowl of it and flung it at Ophelia. “Food, looney! You were whining about being

into her corner disobediently. She shot a look at the food and pinched

have a meal! Stop being a

she shook her head. “B-B-But I don’t wanna!