The next day


    Catherine was standing on the balcony of her house. ''Who killed Mary and Cheng...? Ralph one mistake of yours is leading to many more conflicts,'' she thought. Suddenly she got a notification on her phone saying she was added to a new group chat. "What is this new group chat shit, I already had enough!" All of her other friends were added to the group chat. Just like the first group chat they were all added by an unknown number. ''Why did this person add all of us? Who even is it?''


    ???: Hello guys, I''m the killer.


    ''Of course,'' she thought.


    ???: I want to meet a certain person at the location I want tomorrow. I''m sure the person I''m referring to knows that it''s them that I want to see.


    If you don''t get anything I''m saying, that means you aren''t the person I want to meet. So, you can relax.


    ''This "killer" is talking about me. They know that I''m the real killer, they want to meet me,'' Catherine thought.


    The night of the Murder


    Satoshi walked away from Catherine. "Satoshi," she called out to him. Satoshi looked back and she pulled the trigger, the bullet pierced through Satoshi''s head. "I''m sorry, Satoshi, but I had to do it." She felt someone''s presence and looked back, she saw Vishnu standing there scared.


    "Why... did you..."


    Catherine sighed. "Now that you have seen this, I have to get rid of you too."


    Present


    ''This killer wants to talk to me about something. To be honest, I want to ask them a lot of questions too. It could be a trap but I will run straight towards their trap even if it is.''


    The next day


    Catherine got ready to meet this second killer herself, as they both are the worst scum ever who killed the people who they have made bonds with. "I''m excited to see this worst scum in this world," she got out of her house and started walking to the said location.


    Trevor is standing in front of the house they were supposed to visit earlier. He looked at the house in slight amusement. "Many secrets will be unveiled today." He got inside and rang the calling bell. A woman in her early thirties instantly opened the door now.


    "So, you have finally come to a decision, huh? Miss Maria."


    "Come in," said Maria.


    Trevor got inside and sat in the living room. "My name is Trevor, I guess you already know the purpose of my visit."


    "Of course, but where is your partner?"


    "Misty? She has other business to do. So, Miss Maria, I want you to answer everything correctly and precisely."


    Catherine is waiting for this person in an old building, then she sees Misty walking towards the building from afar. "Oh Misty, I thought you will disguise yourself but you didn''t a give a fuck about it? Surprising!"


    "Not so surprising to someone like you who literally killed your childhood friend for selfish reasons," Misty smirked. "Where is your disguise, aren''t you scared of getting caught?"


    "I don''t need a disguise when I''m going to off yourself," Catherine laughed.


    "Well, the police will be here anytime soon. Trevor, he shared my location with them. Whatever you are going to do you have to speed up because you are running out of time."


    "You have to come with me, Misty," she gave her a cold stare, "or else the dead will really end up dead."


    "Alright, I will follow you," Misty shrugged.


    "Throw your phone away before coming with me."


    "Alright," she gently put her phone down on the ground.


    Misty and Catherine are now in a different abandoned building where it will be harder than the previous building to find them. "Do you know why I killed Satoshi?"


    "Because he found out what really happened the night your parents died."


    Catherine laughed. "As expected of you, it''s easy for you to deduct anything."


    "We managed to come to that conclusion easily after questioning those old ladies who Satoshi visited before dying."


    The day they were going through Satoshi''s location history


    They reached a certain house, and rang the calling bell, an old lady opened the door. "Hey, we are Satoshi''s friends, you know Satoshi right?"


    "Yes, what do you want?"


    "You have heard the news, right?"


    "Yes, it deeply saddens me."


    "When we checked Satoshi''s location history, we saw that he had visited this house before dying. Why was he here?"


    "He... wanted to dig out the past."


    "Dug out the past?" said Misty.


    "He was asking me questions about a case that was closed six years ago, I don''t know why he would want to open that case now."


    "Which case exactly was he looking into?" said Trevor.


    "Catherine''s parents'' murder, which was already solved back then. It wasn''t even a mystery."


    "Ma''am, you have to answer the next question honestly," said Trevor


    "What is it?"


    "Have you given fake testimony for that case?" said Trevor.


    "I.. I..."


    "You are totally allowed to lie, but remember that lying will prevent Satoshi from getting the justice he deserves," said Misty.


    "I did. There were so many things off about their murders, and we never saw them fight with each other, but for the sake of the children we gave fake testimony.”


    Present


    "We got a similar reaction from everyone, so there is no need to explain shit."


    "Hmm, so you came to that conclusion from just that," she looked at Misty, "do you want to know the full story?"


    "I would love to."


    At Maria''s house


    "Why did Satoshi make multiple visits to you before his death?" said Trevor.


    "Before learning that, you should learn about us and our family."


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Alright go on."


    22 years ago


    Maria and Catherine''s mother, Cera, is walking to the school to pick her children up. The children ran to their mother the moment they saw her. Cera was visibly angry at her kids. "WHAT WAS THAT KIDS?! I TOLD YOU MULTIPLE TIMES NOT TO ACT LIKE THAT," Cera sighed and smiled forcefully. "You are Cera''s children, you should always be modest."


    "Okay mama," little Catherine pouted.


    Cera picked her younger daughter in her arms. "Mama is saying this for your own good. I want my little angels to grow up to be amazing ladies."


    "So having fun will prevent us from becoming amazing ladies?"


    "You aren''t having fun, you are being loud, there''s a difference."


    When Cera came to pick her children the next day, she saw that they had both played in the mud and it was all over them. She scolded them all through the school to home. When they got back home she lectured them. "Is what you guys did today good?"


    "No," both the children said in unison.


    "Will you do that ever again?"


    "No."


    "Good, but since you have already done that I will punish you for that, no dinner tonight."


    One Sunday the kids started to make a fuss about going to the park. "Mama, let''s go to the park!"


    "You aren''t supposed to act that way, remember? Ask the right way."


    "Mother, will you please take us to the park?" said Maria.


    "Alright." That day she took her kids to the park.


    "Mama, can I play on the slide?" said Catherine.


    "No, you definitely can''t, it''s not an elegant thing to do."


    "No mama, I wanna play!" she started crying.


    "DON''T... make a fuss! The other mothers are looking at me, they will think I''m raising a kid without manners."


    She got back home and gave Catherine a good beating. "It took a few more beating for your sister to follow me, I hope you will be better."


    "I just wanted to play slide..." Catherine cried.


    Maria hugged Catherine. "Don''t worry, the pain will shoo away after a while. Follow mother''s orders from now on."


    Catherine grew up and became a first grader. It was time for her to choose the extra curricular activity. "I want to join an arts club, I want to be an artist, can I join?" said Catherine.


    "Artist? There''s no such thing as that, nobody ever became anything like that," said Cera.


    "Then what club should I join?"


    "I don''t want you to join any clubs, joining clubs will disrupt your studies, I don''t want that to happen."


    "But-"


    "No buts, it''s fixed." Catherine went to her room teary eyed.


    As time passed by, Catherine became a 5th grader. She was standing with her best friend and her mother showed up in school. "Oh dear, is that your friend? I''m surprised my child even has a friend," Cera looked at her child''s friend, "I hope she isn''t too bothersome to you."


    "No ma''am, she''s the best friend anyone could ever get. Only monsters feel bothered by a girl like this. I''m surprised she has a mother like you."


    That night, Cera talked with her daughter Catherine. "Did you say mean stuff about me to your friend?"


    "I never did, I always felt you were a horrible mother but I never told that to anyone, maybe try getting better at hiding your true face."


    "You are talking too much," Cera gave her a strict look.


    "No, I will talk more! You were so mean to me even my nice friend could tell how evil you are!"


    Cera looked at her husband Stalin. He stood up from his seat and walked to Catherine with his belt in his hand. He beat her with the belt until she said sorry to her ten times. "Never ever disrespect your mother like that," Stalin went back to what he was doing.


    "I think you have learned your lesson here. Now do as I say, break the friendship with her," said Cera.


    "No, she''s the first friend I made," Catherine sobbed.


    "You want to keep a friend who disrespected your mother?"


    "She had her reasons to do that."


    "Say it loud enough so that your father could hear it."


    "Alright, I will break my friendship with her."


    "That''s my girl!"


    She never talked to that girl ever again. More and more time went by and she became a 15 year old. She was walking from school with one of her friends. "I really liked that movie," said Catherine.


    "Yes, it''s my all time favourite."


    "Oh my, I totally forgot about my part time job, bye." She ran to the supermarket which she worked at, she put on the Apron and stood in her assigned position. ''I have been working here without my mother noticing since last year. If it continues like this, I can take arts as my major with my own money. Then, I no longer have to do my artwork hiding in my room.'' She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn''t see the customer in front of her. She snapped back to reality, "uhm what are you looking for-" her whole world collapsed once she saw the person standing in front of her, it was her mother, Cera.


    "I was looking for..." Cera pointed her hands at her, "...you."


    "Mother, please listen to me. I beg you, please don''t intervene in this too."


    "No, you are coming with me," Cera pulled her hands.


    Catherine pushed her hands off. "No! I''m done listening to you! I want to be dependent on myself." Cera left the store humiliated.


    She continued to work, but she was anxious about what was coming next. Like she feared, her mother came back with her father. He walked to her. "What are you doing here? Let''s go Home?"


    "No..."


    "Oh, you are starting to talk back to me?"


    "Think whatever you want..." she said hesitantly.


    "You have no reason to work here, our family earns enough money."


    "Still somehow not enough to make me happy! You guys took away my happiness, you guys took away my life... That is why, I don''t want that money which can''t buy happiness for me."


    He pulled her by the hair. "Enough talking!" He dragged her outside by pulling her by hair, she tried to break free but it was futile. That night, she was abused horribly by her parents. She went to her room.


    Maria opened the door and sat next to her. "Why would you do this?"


    "I''m freaking 15! Those assholes who we call Father and mother respectively are doing this to me," she pointed at her bruises in the arm with frustration and anger. "I was just so tired, I want to break free of them, I don''t want them to control my life anymore. Let''s just say it somehow becomes justifiable to control us when they are providing for us, but that''s not the case here. I was trying to be independent, don''t they want that?" Catherine took a deep sigh.


    "They don''t," said Maria.


    "What?"


    "They want us to be their slaves forever," Maria paused, "I am not sure about that but that''s the vibe I get from them."


    "Aren''t you finally 18? Why are you still living with these monsters?"


    "I tried moving out but they always found some ways to disrupt that. I have been fired from so many jobs because of them, the only good thing they are doing for me is that they are the ones paying for my college."


    "But they are also the ones who are preventing you from paying yourself. I would rather rot in the streets than to live here..."


    "That''s true," Maria stood up, "I hope you will do better than me, Catherine."


    Their parents showed some significant changes over the next few years, they were finally being good parents. Catherine finally graduated high school and turned 18. She decided to talk everything out with her parents and leave.


    Catherine is sitting in the living room facing her parents. "So, Mother and Father, I have decided that I''m moving out."


    Cera stiffened her eyes. "What about your studies?


    "What do you mean by studies? I have already graduated school, now there''s nothing left for me to study."


    "No, you have to leave for college!"


    "What do you mean mother? There''s no way I''m doing that," Catherine stood up, "and I''m not going to fall for your tricks anymore, neither am I scared of you anymore."


    Catherine walked forward. "I''m sorry... I didn''t know anything about parenting, that''s why my actions hurt you," said Cera, Catherine stopped. "I just wanted you to live a better life than me."


    "Making me suffer will help me have a better life, that''s a new fact."


    "I just recently realised my ways weren''t right and I made you two suffer instead. That''s why I decided to change and be a better mother, even though it was too late."


    "Yes, I have noticed that, that''s why there''s a tint of guilt in my heart, even though I''m not supposed to have it."


    "As proof that we are not trying to control you anymore, we are allowing you to commute, but please study further. I don''t want you to end up like me, please listen to me one last time."


    "I need time to think."


    Cera smiled. "I know you will make the right choice."


    Catherine was thinking about it sitting in her room. "Mother is in fact right, I would have a hard time finding a job without a degree..."


    Catherine went to see her mother the next day. "Alright mother, I have decided to continue studying, but don''t forget your promise."


    College wasn''t easy for her as that wasn''t what she wanted. She still went through hardships and finally graduated college. She would visit her home frequently and spend time with her family. It seemed that their family was finally acting like a real family. She wanted to look for a job, so she asked her mom about it. "Mother, I would like to start working somewhere. Like some stores, restaurants and stuff, so that I can look after my expenses."


    Cera smiled. "That''s not needed, dear. I want to fix my mistakes, that''s why I want to take over all your expenses. You can work at a good company once you have finished your studies, right now, just focus on your studies."


    She finally finished her studies and is back home now. When she was walking back home after coming back, everyone was staring at her. It was hard to make out what their expression meant because it looked like it was a mixture of two emotions but it mostly felt like pity. ''What''s up with everyone?'' she thought. Just then as she was walking, she saw her neighbour who she''s very close to. "Hey, Mrs. Cooper, how ya doing?"


    "Good," she wore the same expression everyone else had.


    "What''s up with y''all giving me this expression, did something happen?"


    "You don''t know yet?"


    "What am I supposed to know?" she gave her a serious look.


    "Your sister is admitted to the mental hospital."


    Catherine was shocked. "What? Why? She was completely fine the last time I saw her. I mean, I am hundred percent sure that she is still fine. Those are just rumours!"


    "I wish it was, but my eyes can''t lie, you know?"


    "It must be some mistake," she looked left and right not knowing what to do.


    "It isn''t a mistake but rather a trap."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The trap created by your parents..."


    "It could be possible," said Catherine in a low voice.


    "I talked with her when I went to visit, she said that her parents created this scenario to make her look crazy."


    "Do you trust her?"


    "The way you kids were treated is enough for me to trust her, I need no oth-"


    Catherine gave her a hug. "Thank you! You are the first one who''s understanding us," she let go of Mrs. Cooper. "Mrs. Cooper," her face was filled with anger and determination, "I will talk to her today, do you know which hospital she''s at?"


    "She''s back home, they only send her to the hospital when she becomes "violent" which of course doesn''t happen, but they can turn any lie into a truth.”