Cherry Lipps - S01 E27

2 years ago

Cherry Lipps - S01 E27

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 27

” I did it,” Craig said gravely. ” I killed my father.”

The room was Soo quiet, Scarlett thought she was in a graveyard. For a long moment, no one said anything.

Then Garrett broke the silence. ” I’ll leave you two to sort things out yourselves,” he said, rising to his feet. ” But remember I’ll be around tomorrow to take Daisy. Make your decisions.”

Scarlett studied him. There was a dangerous glitter in her eyes, but her face was expressionless.

Garrett showed his teeth and gently walked away. He opened the door, got out and slowly closed it as if it were made of egg shells.

It was just Scarlett and Craig in the house.

Scarlett returned her eyes back to Craig. She was no longer at ease. There was a deep frown on her face and she looked like she was about to explode.

Her hands balled up in fists, she spoke curtly at Craig. ” Craig, tell me you’re bluffing.”

Her voice was shaking and broken. It was as if a knife had been forced through her windpipe.

Craig didn’t meet her eyes. He stared at his feet, shutting his eyes with slow steady breathing. ” I wanted to tell you but… I was scared you’d hate me for it.”

Scarlett groped her way to a chair and flopped on it. She was shaking Soo much she feared she might collapsed if she stood for too long.

Craig glanced up at her and it shocked her to see how red his eyes were.

” Scarlett,” Craig began. ” I’m going to explain everything to you. At the end, I’m sure you’re gonna hate me Soo much. But do know I never meant to hurt you.”

Scarlett said nothing. She waited patiently for him to speak.

” When I was six,” Craig began. ” My mother died. The press took it she got killed by a thug. But that was a lie. My mom was a victim of domestic violence. She was constantly beaten by my dad for many things. Outside the mansion, under public eyes, they’re the sweethearts of the year but at home, they’re cats and dogs. My dad brutally beats her soo much she constantly checks in the hospital for treatments. She could have left but dad wouldn’t let me go with her. He claimed me as his son and heir and if mom must sign a divorce, she would never set eyes on me. Mom loves me soo much she country risk leaving me with my dad. So she stayed and endured everything. She also loved her husband. At one time she explained he was only being mean because of his first marriage. She believes he would change. However she was wrong. He didn’t change. He only grew worse. One day, while secretly playing with my toys in dad’s studies, my parents walked in and got into a heated argument.”

Craig paused passing a tongue over his dried lips. ” My dad raised his hands on my mom and punched her in the face. Mom struggled to get away from him but he ran after her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her over the furnitures. I hide behind the book shelves, watching with horror at the way dad maltreated my mom. Mom fought back but she was weak and helpless. Dad came down on her and kept throwing punches from all corners at her face. Mom brushed out from under his weight and managed to grab a chair and flung it at his leg. His knee joint dislocated from the impact of the chair. This enraged dad Soo much he fell on mom and closed his fingers around her neck. He didn’t released his hands from her neck even when she pleaded for him to stop that she couldn’t breath. He kept on with it until he snapped a bone in her windpipe. Mom’s head fell to the side of her shoulder, winding up dead. That’s when dad realized what he had done and backed away in fear. He had killed his wife. He killed my mom. I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t.”

Scarlett watched him clenched his teeth as the memory filled him with rage.

” Dad got Soo confused and helpless, he paced around the room with his dislocated leg, wondering what made him do such a thing. I remained where I hide, fighting with a failing effort from crying. I don’t know what he would do if he saw me in the shelf. Would he kill me also? After a long while, he summoned enough courage and called up Henri. Henri came into the studies and stiffened at the dead body of my mom on the floor. Henri had been dad’s butler for years ever since his first marriage. Henri loathed all the women dad had married. He never liked my mom either. Dad relied on his confidence and asked for help. Henri was willing to oblige for a huge sum of money which my dad willingly agreed to pay. It was a perfect set-up. The fight had happened at night. At that time, we had no maids living in the mansion. It was just Henri, Yin the cook, the security guards and the Japanese gardeners. Dad’s studies was soundproof so most of mom’s screaming weren’t heard outside the room. Henri organised some men who came around, took the body and had it discarded at a lonely area at a ghetto. That formed the news of my mom having being killed by a thug. I didn’t leave the studies until it was morning. I weaped my soul out. I got soo devastated, I couldn’t eat a thing. My dad killed my mom for no good reason. His hot tempered took the life of the woman who’d brought me into this world. That was something I could never forgive not forget. Right from the age of six, I began plotting revenge. I began plotting on my dad’s murder.”

Craig stopped to catch his breath. He looked away at the window outside the house.

” It took me fifteen years to get the perfect murder plan,” he continued. ” But there were a lot to be careful of. I also needed a cast iron alibi to protect myself. The day I met you, I found my alibi.”

Scarlett stiffened.

Craig bite his lips hard. ” I really wished you’d forgive me, Scarlett. Just so you know, I hadn’t the nerve nor guts to hurt you. But you were the only one that could help me achieve my aim. After our First meeting with each other, I started digging into your past. I met some fellas who knew you from your childhood days. They told me a lot about you for some cool hard cash. I learnt about Garrett and how you were accquited over the drug saga cause of your unborn child. You haven’t been updated with the newspapers else you’d have heard of the recent jailbreak that happened a year ago. Garrett was amongst some of the prisoner’s who escaped. He was holed up at a friend’s place so he could find some means to leave the country for London. I met with him and struck a deal. It was arranged Garrett would murder my dad. Homicide cases are loved by the cops. They derive thrill from digging out clues to find the killer. This was why we needed a scapegoat to divert all their attention on. What the cops hates are too much complicated puzzles. This was why we picked you. But then you were independent with your business. I wanted you to come live at the mansion so my dad would see you. Initially, Garrett was supposed to sneak into the house, kill my dad and have you take the rap. But you proved stubborn cause of your business. So I organized Garrett to burn your stall. Garrett hired a friend of his to burn down the business. This same friend broke into your house and had it bugged with a listening device. That way, Garrett was able to listen in to every conversation going on in your house; including your calls with Eddie,” pausing, Craig managed to look up at Scarlett. ” It worked. We had you lived in the house as a maid but things didn’t go according to plan. My dad fired you. Garrett wanted to leave the country anytime soon. He had been bugging me over the phone about it for a long time now. If we didn’t get to kill my dad that night, then he might leave me stranded. I had to think fast. So I made my dad mad and ran out of the house. I knew he suspected you and I had something going on. I knew he’d ask Quinn to take him to your house. Quinn had been suspicious of us ever since he caught me climbing down to your room the night we made love. I saw him watching from the garage but pretended not to notice. I knew he would make enquires about you and he did. This just added to my advantage. I called Garrett and told him of the change of plans. The moment I drove you home from the cemetery, Garrett was already waiting with the gun. The gun was bought by me. Money could do anything and with the money I had, I made a fake passport copy of you and had your name issued with the purchase of the gun. Getting your finger print was quite easy. While you were asleep, I sneaked in and had your prints over the gun. Because we knew the vendor would be questioned about the gun, Garrett had him killed by bursting his car tire. All we had were some fake records for the cops to read through after the murder.”

Craig swallowed. ” While you spoke with my dad in your house, Garrett was outside, waiting to shoot. The Lamborghini was a fast car and it got me home on time. While the murder was taking place, I was safe at home. This gave me a strong alibi. The rest is history. My dad got shot and you got framed for murder. We got rid of Quinn cause Quinn knew too much already. Garrett’s friend attacked him while he waited for my dad. He drove the Rolls Royce to the seaport and had him drowned.”

Scarlett was Soo pale, Craig feared he might have thrown a scare into her.

” Our plan was successful. We had you framed for the murder. The next step was to save you from going to the electric chair. Trust me, Scarlett. If it weren’t for me, you’d been dead by now. The charges were all against you. I secretly paid a heavy amount to a good lawyer to fight your case and defend you against the charges. The least you could have gotten was six years. That was my goal. I also got rid of Henri. He took part in my mom’s death so I had him shot and buried under the house. Because of the murder case, Garrett travelled out of the country. I was sure I wouldn’t see him again. So I placed more energy into saving you from the electric chair. I hated myself for getting you into this mess. I wanted revenge for my mom. No one would have believed me if I ran to the cops and placed charges at my dad for killing his wife years ago. This was something I did on my own. I wasn’t happy you went to jail for a crime you didn’t commit. That was why I ensured I create a home for you once you’re done serving your sentence.”

There was a prolonged silence after that. Craig stared at Scarlett for a long time but Scarlett made no reaction.

Her eyes were shaking as she regarded Craig. He could get no reaction from her face. She was in-between the lines of the living and the dead. Her mind was as blank as her face. All she could do was stare unblinkingly at Craig.

Craig fell on his knees before her. ” Scarlett… I really am sorry for putting you through soo much. Believe me, I still love you b-but….”

He didn’t get the chance to finish. Scarlett rose to her feet and walked passed him. She didn’t hurry. She took her time, walking calmly up the stairs to her bedroom.

Craig remained on his knees. His heart was Soo heavy ladened he went on his hands and knees and sobbed.

Twenty minutes later, Scarlett was descending down the stairs with two luggages. Craig looked up to see her already dressed.

” S-Scarlett? Where are you going?”

She didn’t say a word to him. She opened the door and stepped out. Craig ran after her and grabbed her arm.

” Scarlett, please sto-”

He didn’t see the slap coming. Scarlett swung around and smacked him hard in the face with her hand. It landed solidly against his face, causing him to step back away from her.

He looked at her, surprised to see her eyes clouded with tears.

” Don’t ever touch me for as long as you live else I’d fúcking kill you,” Scarlett said admist tears.

Craig watched her stood outside the gates. She didn’t take the Bugatti. She had called a taxi while she packed upstairs twenty minutes ago.

The taxi pulled up outside the gate and she dumped her luggages in. She didn’t even take one last look at Craig as she sat on the back seat and shut the door.

Craig couldn’t go after her. He stood staring after the taxi as it raced off down the road and out of sight.

The rain started, falling heavily from the dark sodden sky. Craig stepped out of the house and stood in the middle of the road.

The rain wetted his skin and clothes but he didn’t move from the road. His eyes were focused down the road which Scarlett’s taxi had vanished to.

Falling on his knees, Craig cried.

He felt hurt and guilty. He had been guilty since Scarlett went to jail. The guilt hadn’t left till now. That was why he wanted to die. It was way too much to bear alone.

He had been scared of losing her. But now he’d lost her. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be alive to see her again.

The rain kept falling down on Craig, down to the taxi which Scarlett’s had boarded.

To be Continued….