I am the Queen

A few days later

Evangeline scratched the dangling diamond earrings on her ears. They were too tacky for her taste. Too big and heavy. But Alvaro said the size was necessary to hide the tracking and recording device.

They could make it smaller. It was already the twentieth century.

"You okay?" Eric asked as they neared Snow Cafe.

Evangeline took in some air and breathed through her mouth. "Yeah."

Eric squeezed her hand. "I'm here for you."

Despite the rage, Evangeline managed a smile. "I know. Now let's go and punish that bi––gold digger."

Eric slipped a smile though he was feeling complicated. Evangeline was so calm about this. When she told him what happened to her mother, he was more surprised that she was indifferent. That meant she already knew even before the evidence came to light.  Maybe time healed all wounds.

As they reached the second floor, sealed from the other customers as he ordered, they were greeted by a kind woman's smile.

"Hello, Evangeline. It's been so long," Cherry Lin beamed, and her eyes fell on Eric. "And this is?"

"Eric. My boyfriend," Evangeline answered simply.

Cherry Lin's eyes rounded. "Oh! Well, he looks . . . nice."

Even forced, Eric couldn't smile, knowing the woman in front of him did horrible things. His eyes shot to Cherry's face, resisting the knots of his brows.

"I get that a lot," he said simply, not even a smile nor handshake. He couldn't help it. If he didn't like a person, it would show on his face regardless of his will.

Once seated, Cherry cleared her throat and asked, "How are you? I'm honestly surprised that you took the initiative to call me."

Evangeline interlocked her fingers on top of the table, face serious. "Let's cut to the chase, Miss Lin. I know that both you and I don't like each other. I'm here to confront you about my mother's death."

". . ." The smile on Cherry's face drop. "What about it?"

Evangeline beamed a sarcastic smile. "I'm surprised that you could act all surprise knowing what you did."

Cherry shook her head a little. "I'm afraid that I'm confused. I don't get what you're––"

"Francis Roches," Evangeline cut in. "Seemed foreign at first, but in truth, he is a descendant of a lost tribe who are experts in pottery in their time. And also . . ." Evangeline looked Cherry in the eyes and enunciated each word, "the father of your daughter . . . Angel Lin."

". . ." If Cherry was white before, now, she was cadaver like.

Evangeline smiled though her voice was breaking. Eric held her hand, squeezing it, giving her the strength she needed.

"You think you covered your tracks well? You think that no one would know?" Evangeline continued, voice shaking, eyes red and moist. "You think I would just forget and move on? No . . ."

Evangeline took in some air, face a bit red and fingers shaking. "I still remember as clear as day when you came into our life. One sunny day, under the clear sky, Mr. Krisnov announced he was in love with you. It would have been kinder if he just killed us then and there."

"Now my mother must be this patient, understanding woman while I was forced to accept you as my second mother. You were the bell of the ball, and my mother was yesterday's news. All the while, she was forced to smile and make small talks while I pretended that nothing was wrong. And you were not just contended in ruining our family. You just have to kill her . . . No . . . The hate does not disappear over time. It multiplies."

". . ."

". . . You're not going to deny it?" Evangeline spat at Chery's silence. "You're not going to deny that you gifted that pot to my mother in the pretense that it came from Mr. Krisnov? You knew she liked tea with milk. You knew what would happen if she drank from that pot every day. My mother's organ failure was no accident. You caused it."

". . ." Cherry's white heaving face gradually regained its color. She closed her eyes and released a big breath. "I won't deny it."

". . . Why?" Evangeline choked.

Cherry's eyes were downcast as well as the slight smile on her lips. "I knew this day would come. No secrets were ever kept secrets."

Cherry then looked Evangeline in the eyes. "If you have a child eating mud for breakfast, lunch, and dinner just to fill her stomach and you work day in and day out with your body just to have a roof under your head . . . you'll know why I did it."

Evangeline's lips trembled, and a tear rolled to her cheeks. "No . . . ruining our life was enough. But killing my mother was too much."

Cherry looked at Evangeline for a moment before she blinked the tears from her eyes and sighed. "No need for the evidence. I will admit to my crimes. But . . . leave Angel and Robert, your stepbrother, out of this. They knew nothing."

Evangeline huffed a scornful laugh. "Tell me. If you hadn't been found out, would you ever turn yourself in?"

Cherry returned Evangeline's gaze. ". . . No. Because Robert still needs me."

Evangeline stood to her feet, chair scraping the floor. "Then this conversation is over. Enjoy your few moments of freedom. Because I'll make sure that you'll rot in jail."

She then left the room but stopped when Chery called her name.

"Evangeline."

Evangeline didn't respond and didn't look at the woman.

Cherry's eyes shook before she looked down and said in a voice that sounded like a whisper. "Robert Krisnov . . . your father . . . he is sick."

"Do you think I care?"

Chery closed her eyes. "Your father . . . despite everything that he did . . . he loves you."

Evangeline's eyes reddened, and tears blurred her vision as her fingers curled against her palms. She blinked it away and went out while Eric looked at Cherry, who was on the verge of breaking down.

He wanted to say something but decided not to. All things said and done, he kind of understood the two women's circumstances.

He left quietly but stopped and snatched a look at Cherry Lin, who weep on the table. Her cries were so loud it was heartbreaking.

Maybe all those years, despite her arrogance and rise to fame, she was consumed with guilt inside.