They called her the perfect girl... until the police found out what she did.
The loud knock on the door pulled Angel out of sleep. She frowned and turned on the bed, thinking whoever it was would stop. But the knocking came again. Harder this time.
Angel sat up slowly and checked the time on her phone 6:12AM. Who could possibly be looking for her this early.
Still feeling sleepy, she got up from the bed and walked toward the door. The knock came again. "Coming," she said weakly.
The moment she opened, the door, her heart skipped. Two police officers stood outside. A tall man and a woman. Their expression were serious.
"Are you Angel Williams?" They female officer asked.
"Yes."
You're under arrest for the murder of Elisa John." Angel lips parted slightly. For few seconds, she couldn't hear anything.
"Murder " she repeated slowly.
They male officer stepped forward immediately. "You'll have the right to remain silent. Anything you say maybe used against you in the court of law.
Before she could react, handcuffs locked around her wrist. Fear rushed through her body instantly. "No.... wait..... this has to be a misunderstanding," she said shakily.
The officers ignored her. One of the neighbors opened her curtain immediately. Another person stepped outside whispers slowly filled the compound.
"Police"
"What did she do?"
"Isn't she the quiet girl?" Angel lowered her head in shame as the officers led her away. At that moment, she wished the ground would open and swallow her whole.
Inside the van, Angel remained silent. Her hands trembled slightly on her. Only one question kept repeating in her mind. How did the find out. Did someone betray her. Her chest tightened immediately. No Halima would never betray her.
At the police station, Angel was taken into an interrogation room. The room was cold and uncomfortable.
A middle aged officer sat across from her and pushed a phone towards her. "Call your parents."
Angel stared at the phone for a moment before slowly picking it up. Instead of calling her mother, she called Mrs Lucy's number. It rang twice. Then the woman answered.
"Ma... Please help me. The police arrested me. "
Silence
Angel swallowed nervously. Then Mrs Lucy finally spoke. "You got caught?"
Her tone immediately changed. Cold and disappointed.
"Ma please..."
"I warned you not to make mistakes." The line went dead.
Angel slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She stared at it in disbelief. That was when reality hit her. She has been abandoned.
The female officer led Angel into a small cell. As the metal door closed behind her, Angel sat slowly on the floor and hugged her knees.
For the first time in weeks. She felt scared. Not because of the police. But because she suddenly realized nobody was coming to save her. Her breathing became uneven as memories flooded her mind.
FLASHBACK.
After Elisa was rushed to the hospital, the atmosphere inside the hideout became tense.
"How could you be so careless?" She snapped. Angel lowered her head immediately. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Mrs Lucy laughed bitterly.
"If she wakes up and exposes everything, do you know what will happen" Angel remained silent. Tears gathered in her eyes.
"I didn't mean for things to go wrong."
"But they did," Mrs Lucy replied sharply. The room fell quiet.
The other girls avoided looking at Angel completely. Nobody wanted to be connected to a mistake. Halima finally stepped forward.
"Ma, please calm down," she said softly. Angel is still learning. " Mrs Lucy turned towards her slowly.
"This isn't a game Halima."
"I know."
"Then make her understand."
Angel wiped her eyes quickly. "I'll fix it," she whispered. Mrs Lucy stared at for a long moment before speaking. "You better do."
That night Angel stood in front of her mirror for almost thirty minutes. Her eyes looked tired and empty.
For the first time since joining the group, guilt began to eat her conscience. She stared at her reflection silently.
"What i'm I becoming?" She whispered. But deep down, she already knew the answer, she had crossed the line a long time a ago.
The next day at school, Angel couldn't focus. Students laughed around her while teachers taught but none of the words entered her ears.
She felt uncomfortable. Every sound irritated her. Every movement around her made her nervous. Halima noticed.
"You're thinking too much," she whispered during class. Angel forced a smile. But inside fear slowly destroys her.
During the weekend, Angel and Halima visited Elisa at the hospital. They carried flowers, fruits and a get well card.
The nurse smiled warmly after seeing them. "She's lucky to have caring friends." Angel smiled softly. If only the woman knew the truth.
Inside the ward, Elisa looked weak and lifeless. Machines beeped softly beside her head. A nurse adjusted Elisa's medication while Angel watched carefully.
"When is her next treatment?" Angel asked casually. "This evening," the nurse replied. Angel nodded slowly. That was all she needed.
Later that evening, Halima distracted the nurse outside the ward.
"Nurse!" She shouted.
"Please come quickly!" The nurse rushed after her immediately.
The moment the hallway became empty. Angel entered Elisa's ward. Her heartbeat became faster instantly. Her hands shook as she switched the injection drugs.
For one brief second, she hesitated. She stared at Elisa. Then she remembered Mrs Georgina's words.
FIX IT.
Angel injected the drug quietly into her body. After that, she walked out of the room calmly like nothing happened.
A few hours later, Elisa died. The doctor became suspicious almost immediately. Her condition didn't match the way she died.
The hospital reviewed the CCTV footage. And that was when they saw everything. Halima distracting the nurse. Angel entering the ward alone. Angel touching the medication tray. The footage was enough.
PRESENT.
"Tell us about the girl that accompanied you that day" one officer said. Angel looked away.
"We know you didn't act alone." She remained silent. Another officer leaned closer. " You're young Angel. Don't destroy your future because people that already abandoned you."
Those words hit hard. Because deep down she knew they were right.
Mrs Lucy pov
"She's been arrested, ma," she said carefully over the phone. I think your revenge is easier than we planned.
A dangerous chuckle echoed through the line. "No" they mysterious voice replied. "This is just the beginning."
Mrs Lucy narrowed her eyes carefully. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want Angel to die quickly." The voice became colder. I want her to drown first".
"In sin."
"In shame."
"In blood." A pause followed.
"And then when she finally believes there's hope..."
"I'll destroy her."
Mrs Lucy felt chills crawl down her spine." Because for the first time. Even she became afraid of the person behind the call.