Chapter 20
Vanessa crouched in the corner of her family’s balcony, the cigarette between her fingers trembling, ashes falling onto her shoulders
Frint footsteps sounded from downstairs, each step landing like a hammer on her heart–the knew the police had come for her.[]
The asswalt scheme had been exposed days ago
The two thugs didnt withstand questioning before confessing everything, even producing the ten dollars she had given them as “hush money from their shoe soles
“Vanessat Pack quickly Her mother burst into the room staffing a cloth bundle into her hands. Your father palled some strings. He says you should hide at Uncle Roger’s farm in the countryside until this blows over….
Hide? Where can hide? Vanessa suddenly laughed shrilly, her eyes bloodshot. Those useless idiots! Why couldn’t they handle one simple job?! They couldn even rain heri Why WHY?! I should have paid more for better peopler“]
Her Lather paced anxiously in the living room periodically peering through the door track “Why isnt Maxwell here yet? If he’d just put in a word, the police would have to show some respect to the military..”
e mention of Maxwell, Vanessa’s eyes instantly darkened before igniting with venomous resentment.
She had sought him out yesterday, kneeling on the concrete floor of his military office, dutching his past leg while sobbing hysterically, claiming Jordan had driven her to desperate measures and begging him to help for old ties sake.||
But that man had only stared at her coldly, like she was a stranger, finally saying just one sentence: “You must face the consequences of your actions.
“He’s not coming“” Vanessa suddenly screamed hysterically. “He only cares about that bitch! I tried to destroy Jordan, so he destroyed me!”
“Keep your voice down Her mother covered her mouth in pande. “Make any more hose and were done!
The footsteps outside grew closer, accompanied by husbed vulces.
Vanessa violently pushed her mother away, grabbed the bundle and ran toward the balcony.
Their apartment was on the second floor, overlooking a small and cluttered with junk. An old locust tree stood in the corner, its branches reaching the balcony edye
“What are you doing? her father cried out in alarm
can’t be antested: Vanessa’s voice broke with tears but remained resolute. “If 1 go in my life is over!”
She slung the bandle onlu her back and climbed onto the windowsill, reaching for the tree. The rough bark scratched her hands, and her plastic sandals stopped against the tree, but she pressed on.
Downstairs, police were knocking at the door. “Is Vanessa Hayes home? We’re from the police station with a summons.”
Her father tumbled with the door, deliberately slowing down.
Vanessa managed to climbs unt a beach and looked down. The dark ground below made her dizzy.||
Granting her teeth, she closed her eyes and jumped, expecting to hand in a ple of weeds. Instead, with a loud splash, she fell into an abandoned rainwater cistern In the corner of the yard ||
Water splashed high, accompanied by a paid stench of stagnant mud ||
Vanessa failed in the water, her shoes long gone, her ankle sliced open by sulunged broken glass. The water flooding into her mouth prevented her from screaming
The cistern wasn’t deep, but its buitum was covered in slippery algae and rotting loaves. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank, ley water filling her mouth wad making her vision blur.[]
Vanessa Her mother peered over the balcony, spotting her daughter’s flailing hand. “Quick! Vanessa fell in the cistern“]
Her father rushed out barefoot, grabbing a bamboo pole from the wall. “Grab on! Quickly! ||
But Vanessa had no strength left. Her hand wavered above the water briefly before sinking completely.
When the police arrived at the scene, chaos had erupted around the cistern ||
Flashlight beams danced across the waer’s surface, illuminating her parents athen faces.
By the time they pulled Vanessa out her body was waterlogged and pale, her lips purple, all signs of life gone
The girl who had once dreamed of trampling her sister underfoot and climbing the social ladder through men ultimately ended her brief, twisted life in a fetid. cistern in her mos backyard.]]
