Chapter forty eight


    Isabe


    I watched in disbelief as I peered through the crack in the door. Vivian slowly crept under the table


    and reached out for something, her fingers brushing against the floor. My heart was pounding so


    fast that I thought it would burst from my chest. When she produced the photo from her hiding spot,


    I let out an audible gasp. I couldn''t believe what I was seeing. Vivian had taken the photo, and now I


    knew I was going to be in big trouble with Laura.


    Actually, a few minutes ago, before they came, I wanted to clean up the room to make Laura feel


    happy and think that I was hardworking.


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    I noticed a bag on top of the cab covered in a thickyer of dust, and I could tell that it hadn''t


    been touched in years. As I began to empty the contents of the bag, I came across a tattered old


    photograph. I held it up to the light, curious to see what it depicted. As I looked at the faded image, I


    recognized a much younger version of Laura, looking happier and carefree. I thought she was really


    pretty, but I was even more intrigued by the two women standing on either side of her.


    "She must have been close to them," I thought aloud, admiring the youthful smiles on their faces.


    But then, I noticed a handwritten note glued to the bag''s body. With a trembling hand, I wiped the


    note and read the message. "Don''t open this bag."


    I was so startled by the note''s warning that I shoved everything back into the bag and zipped it up,


    trembling all the while. As I was about to leave the room, I heard footsteps approaching. I quickly


    kicked the photograph underneath the table, praying that it would go unnoticed.


    The door creaked open, and I saw Laura enter the room, her face unreadable. Then, to my shock


    and dismay, I saw Vivian enter right behind her.


    As I remembered the old photograph I saw, something struck me as odd. The woman standing


    between Laura and the other woman looked uncannily like Vivian. I quickly pushed the thought out


    of my mind and forced a smile at them.


    Now here I was, standing frozen outside the door, struggling with conflicting desires. On the one


    hand, I wanted to burst into the room and take the photograph from Vivian''s hand. But on the other


    hand, I didn''t want to disobey Laura''s request for privacy. I felt powerless, knowing that Vivian had


    the upper hand. And with each second that passed, my panic and anxiety grew.


    When Laura stood up and approached Vivian, I could feel my heart beating wildly. What would


    happen when Laura saw the picture I had carelessly left behind? Would she confront Vivian, or


    would she try to y it cool? I held my breath as the two women stood face to face.


    "What''s that in your hand?" Laura asked, her voice wavering slightly.


    Vivian gulped and blinked her teary eyes. "I should be the one asking you that. How did you get


    this?" she asked, shoving the picture in her face.


    Laura scoffed and tried to hide the anxiety she felt building in her chest. "What is that supposed to


    mean?" she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. "This is my picture! Can''t you see that


    it''s me, even if I''m a bit older now?" Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she willed


    herself to stay calm.


    She was about to snatch the photograph away from Vivian''s hand, but she quickly took it to her


    back.


    "How dare you!" Laura growled. "What do you think you are doing?"


    Vivian took a few steps back and looked at the picture. "Is this you?" she questioned, pointing at


    Laura''s younger self.


    "Do I really need to answer that?" she asked and scoffed. "If you want to know, that is me. Now,


    hand it over."


    "You must know this woman," Vivian whispered, pointing her index finger at the picture. I narrowed


    my eyes to get a better view, and that was when I noticed who she was pointing at.


    It wasn''t thedy that looked like her, but the otherdy. Why didn''t Vivian ask about the woman


    who somehow looked like her? I wondered.


    "Give that to me," Laura said angrily.


    "This woman is my mother," Vivian said shakily.


    Laura swallowed hard and nodded. "Wow. What a coincidence. Now, hand it over," she said,


    sarcasm all over her face.


    "I won''t!" Vivian snapped. "Tell me how you know my mother!"


    "Your mother and I used to be friends before we separated. I haven''t seen her since then," she


    quickly exined, feeling exhausted and frustrated.


    "She is dead," Vivian whispered as tears rolled out from her eyes. "She died when I was just nine."


    Laura sighed. "I heard…"


    "How did I not know about you? Weren''t you a close friend of my mother?" she asked.


    "I would prefer not to speak about the past," she said.


    Vivian looked at the photograph and widened her eyes. She seemed to be flustered, and for a


    while, she didn''t utter a thing.


    "What is that?" Laura asked and quickly pulled the picture from her hand.


    "Who is that other woman?" Vivian whispered.


    Laura gulped heavily and faced her. Suddenly, her eyes darted, and we both locked gazes. I


    gasped and shook in fear, taking my eyes away immediately.


    "I saw you, Isabe," I heard Laura say. "Come in here."


    I inhaled and exhaled deeply before slowly pushing the door open, then I entered the room.


    "For how long have you been there? Were you listening?" she asked.


    "I''m sorry," I whispered, taking my head low.


    "You should abolish that character, Isabe. I really hate it," she said.


    "I''m deeply sorry. It won''t repeat itself again," I said, still whispering.


    "Answer me!" Vivian''s loud voice made us flinch. "Who is that other woman? And why does she


    look like me?"