Chapter 2

THE WITCH

I don’t have the best memory but I remember how my head banged from a raging headache. How my back ached from my eight-hour shift and most importantly the feeling of hopelessness as my sister-in-law broke the expensive laptop I bought her.

“Amber!” I screamed in horror a spider-webbed crack already forming on the laptop screen. “Have you gone mad?! That was hundreds of dollars!”

The words had barely left my lips when I received a hard slap across my face.

I gasped, my hand gripping my stinging cheeks as tears tinged my eyes.

“I need a laptop for college. How dare you buy me anything less than the latest edition?! You classless whore!”

Anger roiled my stomach at her harsh words. Before she could process it, I returned the slap.

Crack! Across her face.

“I worked hard for that laptop!” I yelled, heaving in anger “If you want the latest edition, then go work and buy it yourself!”

My heart hurt from how much Amber just wasted and now I would have to pick up extra shifts to get that money back.

My hands shook and I was about to storm away when Amelie, her twin sister marched into the living room.

“Herley! Where’s my pink dress? I need it,” She demanded.

Exhaustion and anger battled in my stomach as I released my hair from its bun.

“What pink dress?” I snapped impatiently.

Amelie’s face went pale. “Wait. Don’t tell me you haven’t done the laundry. I HAVE A PARTY TODAY!”

I sighed deeply, I had in fact forgotten to do the laundry. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I had a shift at the hospital and—-”

“And you decided to abandon us without help,” My mother-in-law finished as she stepped out from behind Amelie into the living room.

“I’m sorry Rosa,” I apologised again in irritation. “I was late for work so I didn’t do the laundry. She can wear something else to the party”

“What about me?” Amber demanded. “You slapped me and refused to get me a laptop for school!”

A steady ache started behind my eyes and I sighed trying to be calm, “Amber, I’ve told you already! You want the latest edition? Then pick up a job like other students,”

The words had barely left my lips when Rosa’s face turned red

“Work?!” She shrieked. “You want my daughter to suffer?! After everything my son did! He even took in that bastard of yours!”

“MY DAUGHTER IS NOT A BASTARD!” My voice cracked as angry tears stung my eyes.

I tried to walk away but Amber fisted her hand in my hair and roughly pulled me back.

I screamed as pain exploded across my scalp like a thousand pinpricks.

“Remember,” Rosa hissed. “Gabriel is only this way because of his uncle! One day he’ll get his revenge on Atlas and we’ll be wealthy again. You just wait. You’ll be on the streets faster than you can imagine!”

Fear and anxiety trickled down my spine at her words. I couldn’t let that happen, my marriage to Gabriel was all I had.

“I’ll get it. I’ll get your laptop,”

Amber let go of my hair with a push.

“Good girl,” Rosa preened and chuckled. “Now apologize to the girls for hitting Amber and not doing Amelie’s laundry,”

The last thing I wanted to do was give in to their demands but I had to keep my marriage with Gabriel, if not for me, then for my Batya.

“I’m sorry,”

***************************

My hands shook as I scrolled through the website, staring at the laptop's price. $1700 !!!

I didn’t have that much money.

Not when every penny I earned was sent directly to Gabriel so he could save for Batya’s education. I

Almost as though the goddess had sent her, my phone rang. It was my best friend and co-worker, Prisca.

“Hello?” She said the minute I picked up the phone.

“Hey, Prisca. I really need your help,” I whispered softly.

“What’s up? Did something happen to Batya?” Her worried voice filled my room.

I glanced at the bed where my baby girl was asleep and shook my head. “No. No, she’s fine. I’m the one with the problem. Please, I need to loan Seventeen hundred dollars,”

The line went silent for a few seconds.

“Prisca?”

“That’s a lot of money, Herley. What’s going on?”

Prisca has never approved of me funding Gabriel’s family.

“I need to get Amber a new laptop,”

Prisca might never understand but my marriage to Gabriel offered Batya a social security number. It gave my daughter a safe place in the human world. Gabriel loved us, protected us and most importantly, never asked the hard questions. With him, our secret was safe.

“I know you’ll refuse,” I added hurriedly. “But I can’t lose my marriage, Please!”

“Herley,” Prisca whispered.

“I’ll pay back, I promise–”

“HERLEY!”

I flinched at the anger in Prisca’s voice.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Her voice dropped to a whisper.

My stomach turned. Something was wrong. I could hear it in her voice.

“What? What is it?” Panic washed over me. What the hell happened?

My iPad pinged to signal a new notification.

“I just sent it,” Prisca whispered. “I’m sorry”

I could barely process Prisca’s words as I clicked open the file she sent and stared in shock at my screen.

Gabriel.

My husband Gabriel, who was supposedly broke and struggling with his company, his face was splashed across Forbes and he was set to receive some sort of award. “

What? What is this?” I rasped with fear in my voice as my eyes zeroed in on the woman by his side in the photo. Kitara.

Gabriel’s secretary. Why was she standing so close to him? Why did he have his arm around her waist and why did they seem so happy?!

“I I I don’t understand,” I shook my head disbelievingly.

“I’m so sorry Herley,” Prisca sobbed. “I tried to tell you,”

I didn’t reply, my finger shaking as I clicked to play the video attached to the file.

It was camera footage of a brightly lit hotel room.

Right there on the bed. Gabriel and Kitara. He held her in his arms, the both of them naked and having a conversation.

“How much longer do we have to wait?” Kitara pouted. “I want to announce my pregnancy,”

I pressed my hand against my mouth and sobbed silently.

“Of course my love,” Gabriel grinned. “We just need to get the award first. Thanks to Herley’s nursing salary for three years, the company can finally receive an award,”

M My salary? The same one he was supposed to be saving for Batya’s schooling? The room seemed to spin about me and bile rose up my throat.

“I hope she won’t cause a problem for us,” Kitara frowned. “She might insist on her marriage to you,”

Gabriel shook his head. “I’m not married to her sweetheart. I never filed the marriage certificate, you have nothing to fear,”

My iPad fell from my hands in shock but not before I caught a glimpse of the diamond ring Kitara had on her finger.

“Herley, calm down…”

I couldn’t hear Prisca over the rage and hurt in my stomach.

“Mama?”

I blinked at my girl, the noise of the laptop had woken her up and she stared at me worriedly with her big blue eyes. “What happened?”

The room felt too small. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe.

I snatched my car keys from my bedside table and tugged on Batya’s hand. “Come on baby, let’s go,”

“HEY! Where are you going again?! You’ve not done the laundry! And lunch?!!” Amber screeched as I stormed past the living room, Batya’s hand firmly in mine.

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. I had slaved and worked away for Gabriel for three years. And now this?!!

“Mama? What happened?”

I could feel Batya’s worry as I drove, my hands trembling on the steering wheel.

“I’m fine baby,” I choked out, trying my best not to agitate her.

“No,” She cried. Her voice rose. “What happened? Tell me! What happened,”

I hastily wiped at my face and turned back to reassure her. “Baby I’m fine. Okay, mama’s fine,”

Batya shook her head. “Mama, you’re not fine. I I”

The sudden fear in her voice had me slamming down on the car brakes.

I quickly turned back to the road and managed to control the car.

“Mama, I don’t feel good. My magic—” Batya cried, her voice turning hysterical.

“Batya Breathe! Breathe!” I shuffled between looking at her and back at the road.

All thoughts of Gabriel shelved, as I tried to get my baby under control.

“Mama, I can’t control it. I I,” She shook her head and unlocked her seatbelt.

“No! Batya NO!” I left the steering and turned back. “Put it back on, right now!”

“Mama, I don’t feel good!” Batya shook her head hysterically.

“Batya, please. Breathe, put your belt—”

“It’s coming,’ Batya whispered as her eyes widened.

NO!

I had lost my magic but I could still feel it in the air. The heavy surge.

I slammed on the car breaks immediately and turned back to the road to see Batya’s magic pull an oncoming car towards us.

My eyes locked with the driver of the car, pure terror on his face as he watched Batya control his car at an alarming speed. shit!

“MAMA!!” She screamed in fear.

That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.