Amanda stood frozen, her heart racing as her sister entered the room. Instinctively, she crossed her arms, a shield against the turmoil she felt inside. Fred, on the other hand, was engulfed in shame and guilt.

Anna slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes ablaze with indignation. “You betrayed me with my sister,” she thundered, her anger erupting through the layers of fear that had enveloped her. She darted her gaze between her husband and Amanda. “Oh my God…” she gasped, covering her mouth to stifle a cry. The weight of betrayal crashed down on her. Turning to Pat, her chest heaved as fear transformed into raw, unfiltered rage.

“I...,” Fred managed, his voice barely a whisper, barely able to hold the shame that threatened to consume him.

“You got my sister pregnant, Fred, while I was oblivious in my own home!” Tears rushed down Anna's face, a torrent fuelled by a mix of anger and heartbreak. She yearned to rise, but Pat gently urged her to stay seated, concern etched on his face.

Anna’s heart raced unbearably, the reality of the betrayal hitting her like a tidal wave. “All the silence, your cold distance, the grief from our loss... oh my God…” Desperation twisted inside her as she fought for control over her spiralling emotions.

Suddenly, Amanda cried out in pain. “Please help me.”
Anna was confused; she felt this could not be; this was familiar, but she couldn’t understand why her sister was in a pool of blood. The pain was like that of contraction as they were seconds apart, and the blood could not be menstrual period. There were some tissues covered with blood on her bed, covered in large blood clots the size of a plumb. This could only be one thing, its miscarriage.
Fred felt like he was going to throw up right there in the room until Anna shouted at him to call 911. He quickly left the room to make the call.

“Are you pregnant?” Anna asked her sister, but Amanda was in tears, cupping her face in her hands. “Tell me, Amanda, are you pregnant? I can only help if I know what’s going on.”

Amanda was in too much pain to answer her sister. She screamed again, overwhelmed by the agony.

“Alright, you need to lay down so I can examine you,” Anna said, helping her sister raise her legs for the examination. As she gently pulled out the tampon, a thick, long clump of tissue came out with it. At that moment, Anna realized her sister was definitely pregnant and was experiencing a miscarriage.

Fred rushed back into the room. “They are on their way,” he announced.

“I don’t think we can wait for them,” Anna replied, placing some pillows under Amanda’s head.

Fred looked terrified. “What’s happening to her?”

“Don’t you dare!” Pat shot an angry look at her. “Your son killed my husband!” she raged at him.
“I’m so sorry…” Joel whimpered.

“Sorry is an understatement, Joel. Sorry has no meaning to me right now.”

“I love you, Pat. I love you,” Joel said, tears streaming down his face.

“Stop it!” Pat shouted at him. “I have been living with my late husband’s killer for four years. God!” Her jaw clenched in disgust. “How can I be sure you didn’t plan the whole thing? How can I be sure you didn’t just blame your medical negligence for your own gain? How can I be sure it was just an accident and not something you had plotted?”

“What?!” he exclaimed, taken aback. “You know me, Pat; you know I could never do such a thing.”

“I don’t know you, Joel. I don’t know you, and I’m not sure what you’re capable of. In fact, I don’t even know who you are.” She cried out, turning towards the door.

Joel moved quickly to grab her hands. “Please, Pat, I am so sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He tried to meet her gaze. “I love you so much and will do anything to make this right.”

“Are you asking me to leave your house?” Mama asked, her voice breaking.

Joel hesitated.

“You’re asking me to leave your house, Joel, my own son,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “After everything I did as a mother, everything I went through for you to succeed in life, and you’re standing here…” She sniffed. “You’re standing here, asking me to leave.”

Mama was overwhelmed with tears.

“Is it because of that woman you call your wife? The same one who has destroyed your life? Is she the reason you want me to leave?” she shouted, still in tears.

“She didn’t destroy my life, Mama. She did nothing,” Joel replied, his eyes brimming with tears.

“So what does she have over you? Why…?”

“Nothing, Mama, nothing…”

“Can’t you see your life? Can’t you see what you’ve become? You look miserable and unhappy. That woman has done something evil to you.”

“Mama, stop it!” he shouted, tears spilling down his face. “She did nothing. I did something to her.” He cried out, feeling overwhelmed.

Pat felt her heart skip a beat. She jolted from her spot and gently walked toward the living room.
“What!” Mama gasped, struggling to understand what he had just said.
“I did something to her. I did something terrible, and she doesn’t even know,” he cried out.
“What?”
“I killed her husband,” he blurted out.
Mama gasped again and covered her mouth with both hands.
Pat was already by the door, the sound of her bag, keys, and phone dropping to the floor jolting them. Joel turned around and found Pat standing there, staring straight at him.