His Beautiful Addiction

 Before she got to the house, Michelle had taken some peanuts, she was allergic to peanuts and she knew if she consumed it, she was going to pass out. So when she passed out, she really fainted but it was because of her allergy and not because of Douglas.

They had a family doctor, so when she fainted, she was carried into a separate room and the doctor was called quickly. By the time she woke up, she had a drip on her arm. When Michelle woke up and saw the doctor, she burst into fake tears; the doctor consoled her and she calmed down after some time.

''Where is my son? '' she asked, Richard did not come home often, but she knew he must have heard the news by now and so he must have come.

''He is not yet here, '' the doctor breathed but before he could complete his sentence, the door was pushed open and Richard walked in, looking crestfallen.

''Mom… '' he called as he walked to his mother on the bed,

Michelle turned to the doctor sitting beside her, and she smiled faintly'

''Can you give us some time alone? ''

''Sure; '' the doctor nodded and stood up from the couch, walking out the door.

Richard didn't say anything till he was out of the room, then he turned to his mother and peered at her scrutinizing. Even if he wasn't sure of anything, the one thing he knew was that his mother didn't love his father, so when he heard his mother fainted after she heard the news; he had a feeling that she must have done something. 

He did not want to believe that she was capable of killing someone, so he came to ask her himself and hear her tell him the truth while looking her in the eyes.

When Michelle saw the look in her son's eyes, she knew what he wanted to ask but she waited for him to say it.

''How are you? ''

Richard asked as he sat down on the empty couch in front of her.

''I'm fine; it was just a minor breakdown, that was all. '' She replied weakly, sitting up on the bed.

''How did he die? '' He didn't want to ask directly, so he beat around the bush, waiting for her to tell him herself.

Michelle sighed;

''They said he consumed poison, no-one knows if it was suicide or homicide. Richard, he is gone… your father is gone… ''

Tears clouded her gaze as she spoke; Richard was surprised, was she crying for a man she had cursed for over 20 years?

''Mom... did you do it? You can tell me the truth, ''

Seeing that she wasn't going to talk, he asked her straightforwardly. Even if Douglas was butchered into tiny pieces, with everything he had done to her, she would not flinch, not to talk of brewing tears.

Michelle looked at Richard with surprise in her eyes;

''Do what? '' she asked with a shaking tone,

''Mom, '' Richard breathed; ''you know you can trust me, please, '' He wasn't going to blame her if she killed him, damn, he had not seen someone as wicked as his father in his entire years of existence, but what he didn't want was her lying to him.

''Did you? ''

Her jaw tightened as she watched her son for a few seconds; ''No, I did not. I didn't kill him. ''

She reached out to hold him as she spoke looking hurt and sincere; Richard was surprised, did she really not kill him?

''I didn't, don't you trust me? '' she asked, looking hurt by the fact that he did not trust her.

''I… I do, I just wanted to know. '' Richard said after a few seconds.

Michelle smiled and opened her arms; ''Come, let me hold you. ''

He hesitated before he leaned and hugged her.

''I'm sorry; '' She said, patting his back. Although she was sure that he wouldn't hurt her, she didn't want to tell him anything that would implicate him, peradventure she got caught. Therefore she would lie to him. If anyone had to live with that, it should be her.

They hugged for a while before Richard sat upright;

''Are you feeling alright now?'' He asked and she nodded;

''I'm fine now, just that, I wasn't expecting him to die so soon; ''

Richard did not reply,

''Did you see the news?''

 ''What news? ''

Richard paused; his eyes drooping;

''It seems father was behind Mia's death too. '' He said, sounding really pained; even though he knew his father was wicked, he didn't expect that he was that wicked. He killed his wife's sister and watched her cry all day and night and didn't even say a word. That was heartless.

Michelle pretended that she was just finding out for the first time;

''what? How? '' She asked, looking aghast,

''that's what the media says and they have proof to support it. Maybe that's why he killed himself, he couldn't take the shame. ''

Michelle kept mute as she stared blankly into space.

''This has been one hell of a horror marriage; ’' She breathed after some minutes of silence, tears dropping from her eyes. Richard consoled her;

''it's going to be fine from now on, he's gone now. '' He said, patting her arm. She had wasted a huge lot of her life with him, but she wasn't dead yet, so she should be thankful.

Michelle wiped her eyes and she looked at Richard when she remembered something;

''Rich, there's something I need to tell you;''

''I'm all ears; '' there was nothing he would hear now that would come as a shock, he had gone through the worst of nightmares, so nothing could shock him anymore.

''I don't want you to be surprised when you hear this, because soon, it won't be a secret anymore. ''

She paused as she waited for him to say anything but he didn't speak;

''I had an affair with Charles. ''

His brows creased with worry; there was only one Charles he knew but he didn't want to think that it was even possible;

''Which Charles? ''