SOMETHING IS WRONG

"You want me to look for them? They might be around somewhere. Maybe in the cafeteria." Damian offers.


Cafeteria? They didn't know Papa was no more? Why do I feel like this—like something is wrong?

"No, Damian! Let them be." I say.

"It is weird because we were with them outside but I didn't realize when they left. They weren't there even when the doctor brought us the shocking news," Mrs Riccaforte says.


So, where did they go?

"Its... It is alright. No problem. I will just..."


My voice is cut off by the sound of the door swinging open as if a strong storm pushed it. Four morgue attendants walk in.

I know I am a total mess right now, but I doubt I would forget to make a phone call to these people. I haven't given any consent for my father's body to be taken to the morgue. So, why are they here?

Like the fools that they seem to be, they stride past, ready to get to their business here. "Excuse us. We are here to take the body to the morgue." One of them elucidates as they surround the bed. "We will start operations for his cremation."

What's that?

Cremation? We all dart our eyes at each other, everyone as bewildered as the other, while these four nincompoops start lifting the body.

"Hang on right there!" I snap to them, and they plod the body down, gazing at me as if I were a lunatic. "Crema... Cremation?" I query, gazing at their disgusting, ugly faces.

"Yes, miss."

The nerve! "Who gave you the freaking audacity to decide that, huh? Who even permitted you to come here?"

They look at each other in bewilderment, perhaps wondering who I am.

"I am Ellie Marrie Riccaford, the daughter of the deceased, and I haven't given any consent to this. So who gave you the order?" I fire.

"His wife did!" We all spin around to hear the voice and figure of Gracia sauntering in through the door, her pet alongside her. They catwalk majestically until they are racking before me. "I did!" She asserts.

She did!? She did, huh?

"How dare you?" Damian's mother starts, but I raise a hand to silence her.

I am not being insolent, but this is my fight. If I restrained myself before, it was only because of my father, but now I have no reason to hold back my wrath towards them. If this is a fight they are looking for, so fucking be it! A war is what I will give them!

"Gentlemen?" She calls, ignoring my murderous gaze. "Take the body away!" She orders.

I turn to the four puppet morons as they start with the body again. "Nobody moves that body from here unless you want to go to jail!" I yell, and they stop. "You try to touch that body again, and not even this woman who is giving you orders will be able to save you because she too will be rotting behind bars with you all."

"On what basis?" She mocks.

"Stealing a corpse!? And I will make sure even your slut of a daughter follows you in jail," I state.

"I am his wife! You can't have any case against me, Ellie, so cut the drama!"

A wife who wasn't there when her husband died. A wife who has not even cared to bid the final goodbye to her supposed husband. A fucking wife who hasn't shed a tear for her dead husband. A freaking wife who isn't showing any remorse whatsoever for the demise of her husband. Who's being a drama queen between the two of us?

Wait, how did they even plan all this in such a swift way? When and how did they learn about my father's demise? It hasn't been 20 minutes since Lemuel brought me the bad news, and Damian's mother clearly said that these fools were not in their midst when the doctor relayed the news to them. So, how is this?

"Miss? I believe she has the right as your mother, to do whatever she wants.

"She isn't my mother," I snap at the oblivious guy who spoke, "and neither does she have any rights. Tell her to prove that she really is Mrs. Riccaford. A marriage certificate or any document that proves she is his wife, and I will back off!"

I turn to Gracia, who is about to explode with rage.

"Uumh, madam? I am sorry, but you really need to prove that you really are his wife before we can take away the body." One guy says this to Gracia, who is fuming with anger and humiliation.

Of course! What else can she do? I do not care from which garbage Papa picked her, but I will not allow her to walk all over me.

"Well then, Gracia? You are wasting the gentlemen's time. Have any proof?" I challenge, and she looks away, her daughter clinging to her arm in an attempt to soothe her stroked ego.

I turn to the four men."She clearly doesn't have any proof, meaning she is a fraud. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and accuse you all of being her accomplices. And next time, learn to read through fake masks!"

"We are very sorry, Miss Riccaford! Please, excuse us!" They all bow slightly and take their leave.

"You have won this time, but don't get too complacent!" Gracia fumes, and for the first time today, amidst all this, I can afford a smile.

"You are wrong, Gracia, because I always win! And even in the last episode of this game of yours, I will still fly the flag of victory high!" I state.

"Then good luck with that. This isn't over, Ellie! You will see!" She scoffs and taps her feet on the floor. She and her daughter stride out.

"The nerve of this woman! She makes my blood boil! Where does she get all these guts from?" Damian's mother fumes.

I can't believe that even in your last moments, you are tossing me aside.

Nelly's words back in my father's room echo in my mind.

"No, mama!" I murmur and add. "It is not just about guts! She is... this is all so dubious! Something is definitely wrong here!"