Part 4: The Quiet House
Part 4: The Quiet House
The flashing blue and red lights of the Oakhaven Springs police cruisers sliced through the dark branches of the oak trees outside.
The garden still smelled faintly of tequila and white flowers, but the celebration was entirely dead.
Grace stood on the front porch, wrapped in a knitted shawl, watching two officers lead Katherine down the stone steps. She was still wearing the white wedding dress, its hem stained with dirt and morning dew. She didn't look back at the house. She looked relieved to finally be caught.
Caleb stood in the doorway behind his mother, his face completely expressionless as the taillights faded into the foggy morning.
"Are you happy now?" Grace asked without turning around to look at her son.
"Justice isn't about happiness, Mom," Caleb replied, his voice entirely detached. "It's about balance."
"You ruined your own life to ruin hers," Grace said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You built a marriage on a foundation of pure hatred. You let me love her. You let me call her my daughter."
Caleb didn't answer. He simply turned around and walked back into the empty, quiet house, leaving the front door open behind him.
Robert walked up next to Grace, putting a heavy, tired arm around her shoulders. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a cold, gray light over Oakhaven Springs.
May you like
The string lights in the garden finally flickered and shut off automatically.
The perfect wedding was over. The perfect family was gone. And as Grace looked out over the empty lawn, she knew that the heavy shadow of Beatrice’s ghost would never truly leave their home.
