— Hello, Little Mouse! — I heard my father’s voice on the phone, and my heart instantly warmed. — I’ve got great news! Can you come home for the weekend? I’d love for you to meet someone!
— Dad, don’t tell me you’ve finally found a special woman? — I said, delighted.
My father had been living alone for quite a while. My mother passed away when I was only twelve, and since then, he hadn’t shown interest in anyone but me or anything but his business: he owned a small meat processing plant and a restaurant. After high school, I moved to Chicago to study, leaving him all alone in a big, empty house.
I’d often urged him to find a good woman, but he’d just laugh and say all the good ones were taken, that there’d never be another like my mom. That’s why his call today caught me by surprise.
— Her name’s Marina, she’s a widow, — he said with enthusiasm. — We met when she applied to be the restaurant’s administrator…
— I see! So, you’ve got shared interests, — I noted. — Is she beautiful? Sorry, that’s a silly question… If she weren’t, you wouldn’t have noticed her, right?
— I hope she’ll teach you some good taste… — he chuckled. — Anyway, see you soon!
Of course, I couldn’t wait for the weekend. I was curious about the woman who’d won my stoic father’s heart. Maybe she was like my mom…
On Saturday morning, I arrived at my father’s house and called out cheerfully:
— Hello! Dad, I’m home! But instead of my father, a blonde bombshell, about five years older than me, glided out of the living room.
— Excuse me, what are you doing here? — I asked, taken aback.
— Are you Mary? — She unabashedly sized me up.
— I’m Mary, but who are you, and what are you doing here? — I repeated my question.
— I’m Marina. Didn’t your father tell you about me? — she smirked.
— He mentioned something, — I sighed heavily and headed to my room. — By the way, where is he?
— He went shopping. — She casually filed her nails.
“What a nightmare!” I thought. “Dad’s either lost his mind or gone blind! Who has he brought into our home?” My father’s new love instantly rubbed me the wrong way. “Oh, we’re going to have trouble with her…”
After unpacking, I went to the kitchen, where Marina was meticulously painting her nails blood-red.
“She’s already made herself at home!” I fumed silently.
I brewed some coffee and decided to make conversation.
— I heard you’re a widow. What happened to your husband? — I didn’t bother with pleasantries.
Marina studied her nails for a moment, blew on them, inspected them again, and finally answered:
— He died of a heart attack.
— That’s awful when such a young man dies of a heart attack, isn’t it? — I said, skipping condolences.
— He was fifty-five, — she clarified.
— Oh? Seems you have a thing for older men…
— You could say that. I’m simply not interested in naive young guys who know nothing about life, — she smirked with an air of superiority.
— Plus, they usually don’t have money… — I added snidely.
— You said that, not me, — she feigned innocence.
— Sounds like you’re trying to set yourself up nicely, — I pressed.
— What are you talking about? — she batted her painted eyelashes, pretending to be offended.
— Nothing. Just trying to learn more about you. I need to know who my father’s trusted. He’s all I’ve got, and I have to look out for him!
— Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him now! — In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to yank her by the hair. It was impossible to believe my dad could fall for this predator!
Just then, the front door opened, and Marina and I raced to the hallway. That vixen, of course, got there first… She draped herself around my father, kissed his cheek, and purred:
— Darling! We have a guest…
— A guest?! — I scoffed. — I didn’t know I was a guest in your house, Dad!
— Little Mouse, what nonsense is this? — my father frowned. — This house is yours too, and it always will be! Marina meant something else… Come on, give me a hug!
Pushing that pest aside (much to her displeasure), he opened his arms to me.
— I’ve missed you terribly!
— I missed you too, Dad…
— Steven, take the bags to the kitchen, — Marina ordered, barely hiding her irritation. — I’ll start on lunch…
“I wonder what she’ll serve,” I thought sarcastically. “Probably reheated soup and cutlets from the restaurant.”
— Need help? — I asked aloud, though I had no desire to be stuck in the kitchen with her.
— Little Mouse, you should rest, — my father interjected, clearly noticing the lack of harmony between me and his sweetheart.
I was wrong about lunch—it was quite decent. But at the table, Marina fawned over my father like a cat, kissing and stroking him, driving me to grind my teeth. I could tell there wasn’t an ounce of sincerity in it, but how could I tell my clearly smitten father?
— Little Mouse, I need to tell you something, — my father said, smiling shyly. — Marina and I are getting married. The wedding’s in a month…
“He’s lost his mind!” The news stunned me.
— A month? Why the rush? — I glanced suspiciously at Marina.
— No, I’m not pregnant, — she answered my unspoken question. — Not yet… — she added meaningfully.
— Well, congratulations.
Barely holding back angry tears, I left the table and trudged to my room.
— May I? — Three minutes later, my father knocked, came in, and sat beside me. — Little Mouse, Marina’s wonderful, gentle, and wise…
— And only interested in your money, — I interrupted.
— There it is! — he said, offended. — Are you saying I’m nothing on my own, and someone could only love me for my money? Thanks!
— Dad, that’s not what I meant. I’m just worried… Besides, she’s young enough to be your daughter! — I tried appealing to his reason. — How long has she been widowed?
— Six months…
— See? She didn’t mourn her husband for long!
— You’re wrong! — he protested. — Marina took his death hard. She needed a strong shoulder. She’s so fragile… Don’t worry, Little Mouse, she’s a great girl! And wanting to build a life is normal…
He sighed heavily, and I suddenly felt ashamed. Maybe I was just jealous?
— Sorry, — I said guiltily. — Maybe I’m being unfair. I just love you so much, Dad.
— And I love you…
A month later, Marina became my stepmother. My feelings toward her didn’t change, though. To avoid upsetting my father with our conflicts, I started coming home less often. She, unsurprisingly, didn’t miss me either.
So, when I heard her voice on the phone one morning, I grew alarmed.
— Is something wrong with Dad? — I asked, forcing myself to greet her.
— Mary, your father just had a heart attack. He’s gone, — Marina sobbed.
— What?! But he was perfectly healthy! — I couldn’t believe it.
— He passed this morning at breakfast. The ambulance arrived too late, — she cried, and for a fleeting moment, I almost felt sorry for her.
— I’m coming right away, — I said as gently as I could.
Nothing had changed in my father’s house, except that he was no longer there…
— He’d been complaining about his health lately, about his blood pressure spiking, but he refused to see a doctor. He kept saying it’d pass, — Marina told me. — This morning, he was still with me, eating breakfast, and then he suddenly felt ill… — She dabbed her dry eyes with a tissue. — This is the second time! It’s like I’m cursed!
“How convenient,” I thought angrily, but aloud I asked:
— Your first husband? How long were you married?
Instantly dropping her act of grief, she gave me a cold stare:
— What are you implying?
— Nothing, — I shrugged. — Is it a secret?
— No secret, — she replied. — He died three months after our wedding…
— A curse? Or maybe you killed him? And my father too? For money! — I couldn’t pretend anymore.
— How dare you! — Marina started sobbing again, but her acting fell flat this time; her eyes were wary and unkind. — I loved him!
“Liar!” I thought with disgust.
— You think I’ll believe your fairy tales? — I sneered. — Did Dad leave a will? How much did you get?
— He didn’t leave you out, — she countered. — The business will go to me, of course; I’ve been in the industry for years and know it inside out. You’ll get a share of the profits… The house is left to both of us. I’m always happy to see you here…
— I doubt you’ll see me here, — I wanted to tear her apart.
— No need to fight, — she said with fake friendliness I didn’t buy for a second. I was certain she was responsible for my father’s death. — Who are you trying to prove anything to? — she smirked condescendingly. — It’s been ruled a heart attack!
Locking myself in my room, I collapsed on the bed and finally let my tears flow, grappling with the irreversible loss: I had no one left in this world…
The funeral was two days later. My stepmother convincingly played the grieving widow, while I kept my distance, afraid I’d snap and cause a scene. The memorial was held at my father’s restaurant.
— Steven was a wonderful man, and I’ll always cherish the time we spent together. Those few months changed my life. I was happy and loved. My husband will forever live in my heart! — Marina dramatically pressed a lace handkerchief to her eyes, pausing her eulogy. Unable to stomach the cheap performance, I bolted from the table and hid in the bathroom.
I didn’t want anyone to see my breakdown. After calming down and washing my face, I was about to return to the hall when I overheard Marina’s voice. She was smoking just outside the bathroom window with some overdressed woman.
— I’m amazed at you! Acting like a complete fool… — My stepmother was apparently giving life advice. — Why are you wasting time on a client and getting nothing out of it? Your husband’s sitting on a fortune, and he gives you pennies! Get rid of that idiot!
— How exactly? — the woman scoffed. — Yours died of a heart attack, but mine’s healthy as an ox!
— Mine was perfectly healthy too, — Marina lowered her voice, and I held my breath to catch every word.
— I know how to speed things up… — After that, she switched to a whisper, and I couldn’t hear anymore.
— I don’t want to go to prison! — the woman gasped at one point.
— Shut up, you idiot! — Marina hissed. — It’ll go smoothly, like it did for me! Let me know if you change your mind…
My heart pounded wildly. From the restaurant, I went straight to the police and reported the conversation I’d overheard, along with my suspicions.
Events unfolded quickly after that. Marina was arrested on suspicion of murder. I demanded an exhumation of my father’s body for a toxicology report, and I was right! Tests revealed a lethal dose of a substance commonly used in meat processing. The same substance was found in the body of Marina’s first husband…
The first hearing is coming up soon. I hope the court shows her as much mercy as she showed my father.
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