A heavy thud echoed through the apartment, sharp and jarring. I rushed out from where I stood, heart pounding.
In the middle of the living room, Mia lay motionless on the floor, her tiny body sprawled in an unnatural angle. A fruit knife was embedded in her chest, its hilt glistening under the harsh light. Crimson blood pooled beneath her, its metallic tang filling the air.
My breath hitched in my throat. I froze, as if hadn't fully registered the sight before me.
Rosa stood nearby, rooted in place, her face pale as death. Her eyes widened in horror, hands clutching her mouth as if to stifle a scream. She didn't move, didn't even blink. Josh, standing over the body, panted heavily, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Slowly, his ragged breathing steadied and the wild look in his eyes faded into terror, as though he had already processed what had happened.
A strangled cry escaped Rosa's lips. She clutched her head, hair falling wildly over her face, before collapsing beside Mia's lifeless form. Her fingers trembled as she reached out, but she dared not touch the knife lodged in the little girl's chest.
"No... no, no, no!" Rosa's voice cracked, shattering into hysterical sobs. She wrapped her arms around Mia's limp body, rocking back and forth, her tears falling freely onto the child's blood-streaked face.
I stumbled back, gripping the doorframe for support. My mind was blank, an odd numbness settling over me. Slowly, I fumbled for my phone, fingers clumsy as I dialed the emergency number. My voice, eerily steady, gave the necessary details: an accident, a child's death, a request for immediate police and medical assistance.
The rest blurred into a surreal haze. The police arrived. Officers in dark uniforms moved with mechanical efficiency, taking Josh away in handcuffs. I watched impassively as they led him out the door, his expression unreadable. The paramedics confirmed what we already knew—Mia was gone.
***
The funeral was a solemn affair. The gray sky above seemed fitting, heavy clouds casting a cold, muted light over the gathering. Rows of black-clad figures stood in silence, the wind tugging at their coats and scarves. I stood apart from the crowd, hands folded neatly in front of me, my face devoid of tears.
Rosa, on the other hand, was a mess. Her shoulders shook with uncontrollable sobs as she clung to the coffin, her grief raw and unrelenting. Those who didn't know would find it strange that she mourned more deeply than I, Mia's own mother.
Whispers rippled through the crowd, the low murmur of judgmental voices blending with the wind.
"What were you thinking? Everyone knows Josh is dangerous. Why did you let him back into your life?" my uncle spat, his voice thick with disgust.
"You brought this on yourself," another added coldly.
"Stop it," a woman whispered sharply. "Don't you think she's suffering enough already? It's her daughter and her husband—she's lost both."
But the accusations continued.
"She deserved it, being so blind to the truth," my aunt muttered, loud enough for me to hear.
I said nothing. The numbness persisted, an invisible barrier shielding me from their words. But Rosa's breakdown reached a fever pitch.
Suddenly, she staggered toward me, her eyes wild and brimming with fury. Before I could react, she grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently. "Give me back my daughter! Give her back!" she screamed, her voice shrilled with anguish.
I wrenched myself free, shoving her back. My voice was cold, controlled. "What nonsense are you spouting? She was my daughter!"
Rosa's sobs intensified, her entire frame trembling. "You let her call me mommy... and now she's dead! If I had known..." She broke into hysterical wails, her words barely coherent through her sobbing. "She was my daughter! I'm her real mother!"
Her outburst stunned the crowd into silence. All eyes turned toward her, disbelief mingling with confusion.
I stared at her, my expression icy. "I think you're losing your mind too. You should see a doctor." My voice was devoid of emotion, as if speaking to a stranger.
Several relatives rushed forward to restrain Rosa, pulling her back before she could lunge at me again. "That's enough! You should rest," one of them snapped.
But Rosa shoved them away, her breath ragged as she glared at me. "I'm telling the truth! Mia's my daughter!"
A cold silence descended over the group. Her words hung in the air, heavy and impossible to ignore.
"When you gave birth, I was in the same hospital, delivering a child," she continued, her voice breaking. "You gave birth to a son, but he stayed in the womb too long and suffocated. He was stillborn. The child you brought home was mine!"
The revelation hit others like a thunderclap though it was something I already knew. I staggered back, feigning shock, my legs giving way as I collapsed onto the cold ground. My hands trembled as I clutched my chest, forcing tears to well up in my eyes. "Why... why would you do that?" I whispered hoarsely.
Rosa's face contorted with hatred. "Because you would've been devastated without a child! Josh told me to give mine to you."
I stifled a frown. The damned bitch was still trying to paint herself as the innocent. But before I could speak, a loud voice cut through the tension.
"That's bullshit!"
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. A man strode in, his expression dark with anger—Rosa's ex-husband.
"She cheated on me during our marriage and got pregnant! She was afraid I'd find out, so Josh took the baby and gave it to you to raise." His voice was steady, each word laced with bitterness.
Rosa's face turned deathly pale, her lips parting in shock, but no words came out.
Her ex-husband's voice grew sharper. "I was away on business most of the time. When I returned, I began to notice things. Rosa had an affair with Josh. When she got pregnant, I realized the dates didn't match. The child wasn't mine and that was why I divorced her."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "On the day you gave birth, Rosa also had a C-section. Your son was stillborn and Josh swapped him with Rosa's baby, pretending it was yours."
Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the crowd. Rosa swayed on her feet, unable to respond, her lie unraveling before everyone's eyes.
The truth was out. To complete my act, I buried my face in my hands, letting out soft sobs. My aunt, furious, stepped forward and slapped Rosa hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the cold air.
"You damned woman!" my aunt spat. "Seducing another woman's husband and letting her raise your child for free? You're absolutely vile!"
