KAVIRA

The moment I opened my eyes, new fresh tears retraced the path they'd burnt down my cheeks

TWACK!!

My ears rang from the deafening sound, the left side of my face burning.

The blur in my vision instantly disappeared, letting me see the people around me– my in-laws.

"She has lost the baby. Of what use is she to us now?" My mother-in-law spat. It was obvious that she hated me more. I did not think that was possible.

I blinked at her, disoriented, as the taste of metal filled my mouth.

Unbelievable!

I couldn't fucking believe it!

The hospital tag was still taped to my wrist. I still felt a gaping hole in me, one I wanted to swallow me whole, yet they couldn't let me be?

I scanned the ward, taking in each of their faces.

I had done everything for these people; I lost my place at home when I was forced to sell off my gold heirlooms from my grandma to help my husband out of a financial crisis.

Those pieces meant the world to my mother. They were the only things she had left to feel close to her late mom, my grandma.

When she found out, it was like something inside her broke. The shock and pain hit her so hard that she ended up in the hospital that same night.

I remembered it like it had only happened seconds ago.

My mother's tear-streaked face and the way her lips quivered.

And even when I closed my eyes to get away from it, she was still there, begging me to retrieve it.

She couldn't bear it. She died.

My siblings blamed me. They said I killed her, and I'd been forced to live with the guilt all my life.

They called security and had me thrown out of her hospital room and out of their lives.

After that, none of them spoke to me again. To them, I was dead.

I returned from my reverie when more tears stung my eyes. The elderly woman who was my mother-in-law was still talking-- screaming, maybe.

But I couldn’t hear words-- just the ringing. And it was so loud I could barely hear my own thoughts.

My chest hurt badly and my eyes burnt. I couldn’t breathe.

I had chosen this family over her...over them; my own family.

Still... it didn't stop my husband's family from calling me names when I was sick and couldn't do chores for them all day like I used to.

Neither did it reduce the sneering; it aggravated it.

It was all coming back to me now.

Like the hypnosis was starting to wear off, and all it had to take was losing everything.

'Good one, Kavira,' I sarcastically scolded myself in my head.

I opened my eyes and noticed the teary face of my husband's sister glaring at me with this look in her eyes.

I knew that look far too well, because it was the same one I saw in the eyes of my siblings before they finally cut ties with me for good.

Her eyes called me a murderer just like theirs did, but how could I kill the one person I would lay down my life for without a second thought.

"You've always been so dramatic, Kavira, but my son isn't here to save you now," the old woman came again, making me wonder what I needed saving from this time.

I knew what she was doing; she wanted to remind me I was alone now.

Yet, I fell for it; how could I not?

Maybe I deserved this. Maybe I was the problem. Maybe if I hadn't fallen in love with him, things would've been different.

I couldn't defend myself like I bothered to in the past or even find words to say to them. I was completely exhausted.

So I just kept quiet.

I could never please them even though none of them were innocent.

My eyes locked with my late husband's younger brother. It was true that he almost looked as distraught as his sister, but he had this air surrounding him.

His eyes were looking at me in the same lustful way they always did, but this time, they were bolder. Way bolder.

He had made advances at me severally, despite me being married to his older brother.

Even when it really pissed me off, I didn't tell Charles because I didn't want to destroy the bond they shared.

I had given up my sense of self and conformed to every decision they made.

I never ate what I wanted, because, according to them, I was too fat to eat at all.

I could not speak; I had no opinions. I was tailored to their tastes, and for what? More hate?

Now they're hitting me for having a miscarriage?

MY own child.

The child I bled for, prayed for... a baby I had always yearned for.

Charles and I had tried everything: ovulation days, IVFs, surrogates; it never worked.

Until one morning, it finally did.

But that was the same day he was poisoned. I had to wait for him to recover before I could tell him.

After all this, she thinks she was more pained than I will ever be?

"I wanted this baby more than life itself," I suddenly screamed, my hands trembling and forming into enraged balls.

I wanted to pound the living daylight out of them with my fist, but I didn't dare.

"This baby was the only part of Charles that I had left," I croaked, the hot tears soaking my face again.

"Shut up, wench; you could cry all you want, but you can't deceive us. We know you caused this. You never wanted him happy. You killed my son and now my grandchild."

"It's not true, I promise," I defended weakly. "He didn't eat anything I cooked before he left for that meeting."

I knew that they were only pretending not to know that. But they knew it was the truth.

That was probably the only reason why they hadn't called the cops on me.

I felt like an imposter for speaking my truth. Years of conditioning would do that to you.

'Did it really have to take losing myself? Losing everything?' my brain screamed for answers.

Answers I couldn't provide; I couldn't give what I needed.

I caught a glimpse in the silver IV tray.

That wasn't me, that face, those eyes.

I didn't want to make my husband have to choose between me and them, so I endured until it wrecked me.

I couldn't breathe. It felt like the air was poisoning my lungs.

"I know karma will get you, bitch," Charles' sister spoke with venom in her voice.

"You’re no longer part of this family," my mother-in-law uttered in conclusion.

I was in pain. My mind was spiralling, but none of them cared. She stepped closer. "If you ever show your face at that house again, we’ll drag you out like the trash you are. Do you hear me?"

My sister-in-law scoffed. "Let's get out of here!"

I used to cry and plead for their forgiveness, but not this time.

My lips stayed closed, but my heart was calculating.

They thought they'd won.

They have no idea.

They yelled about throwing me out, without realising...

The house was mine.

The cars?

Mine.

The company? The lands? Even the heirloom rings on my sister-in-law’s dainty fingers?

All mine!

I never told them.

But now? I would show them who the true trash were when I throw THEM all out of my house.

One. By. Fucking. One!