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Chapter Twenty-eight

author's note: hey everyone, please forgive me for this chapter if you feel it could have been written better. i had published it the first time, but then i realized that the half the chapter wasn't visible and instead of unpublishing it, i had accidentally deleted the chapter. so yes, i am writing this chapter from scratch. nonetheless, i will do my best to make it better than the original whilst its still fresh in my head. 

all eyes were on me as i sat in the dimly lit interrogation room. for three hours straight, i'd been asked the same questions over and over again. did you see Mr Muller harm his wife in any way? was there any point in time where Mrs Muller was in an attacking position rather than defending? why had you left her to fend for herself? i figured they asked me repeatedly to see if i'd slip up or find a fault in my story that didn't make sense. which i soon realized was the reason i was denied water and a bathroom break. i was hungry and tired but most of all, i was pressed. i wasn't sure how long i could last in this room when suddenly i was told i was free to go, they had brought in Madam Sonja for questioning and my Alibi checked out.

at the brink of my uterus bursting i desperately ran to the 'non- whites' bathroom. coming out of the cubicle, i felt much lighter. as i washed my hands, i looked at my reflection in the mirror. i looked pale probably due to the lack of food and dehydration; i took a few sips of water from the tap. although my alibi was secured, i still worried about Margaret. she was placed in a holding cell after her interrogation until someone would bail her out. being the only witness to her crime meant i wasn't off the hook, that it would be a case of proving her crime was an act of self-defense and unintentional. 

feeling much calmer, i walked out of the bathroom when a voice startled me from behind. "Just the person i want to see." and to my despair, Conrad appeared as he approached me with a smug look on his face. 

"Conrad," i greeted sternly, "brought in for questioning too?" 

"No. i came here to see Henri once i received the news from my dad." the smirk on his face told me he wasn't really here to comfort his friend, when he said "and then i watched you enter the interrogation room and thought, 'i knew there was something fishy about her'". the tone in which he spoke was unnerving and all my defenses evaporated when he stood right in front of me and whispered, "Somehow, i always find you in places you shouldn't be, maid."

the moment he called me 'maid' something triggered in me to speak up. "I don't appreciate you making such assumptions about me, Conrad. especially when your strong dislike towards me is an unsolved mystery-"

But he interjected, "That's 'master' to you, ma-'"

"I don't work for you, last i checked. so-"

"-Is there a problem here?" i recognized Henri's voice behind me, signaling his approach and i mentally sighed in relief at his rescue because the deadly glare from Conrad could send me six-feet under.

Conrad chuckled, "No, no problem...not yet." he said, his eyes never leaving mine. "I think i should check if Sonja is hungry." he suggested, but Henri thought otherwise.

"No need, I got it." he said sternly. the silence that stretched between them was intense and it was clear Henri didn't want Conrad around at all. i could sense Henri moving closer to me, showing no fear in taking my side and it didn't go unnoticed by Conrad. he looked between the two of us in distaste, still upset that Henri chose to be with me and it pained me to know that i was the reason their friendship deteriorated. the look of dejection on Conrad's face was visible and without a word he left the police station. 

i sighed, relieved that the tension had ended and knowing Henri stood by me made me feel calm and safe again. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, tilting my head up to look up at him and i gladly did so. there wasn't anyone around since the bathrooms were at the back of the station, so we weren't compromised being seen together. 

i nodded, "Yes, i'm alright." but Conrad's words still left an aching feeling in my chest and the frown on my face only increased Henri's concerns. "I should go, it's been a long day."

he held me by my arms, "Hey, don't let him get to you. he has no right to think you had anything to do with this, alright? you're innocent in all of this because you're a good person, you understand?" the conviction and sincerity in his eyes only worsened the feeling in my chest. it pained me to keep all these secrets from him. about his father's death, about his mother and about me, it was slowly all becoming too much to bare and i feared what more i had to keep from him from here on in. 

i simply nodded, only because i didn't know how to respond and because i was too exhausted to think straight. "You should go and get some rest." he said, "Ouma and i will see you later, okay?" i simply nodded and exited the station. 

*

later that day, Madam Sonja had decided to stay for dinner. i figured nobody wanted to be left alone after the emotional day we all had. as i served them dinner, Henri and his grandmother discussed what needed to be handled following the questioning, which involved bailing his mother out in time for her to attend his father's funeral, which was another topic that needed to be attended to; but the discussion wasn't going anywhere.

"The priority here is the funeral." Madam Sonja stated, "we can't afford any delays and that includes your mother's bail." 

But Henri thought otherwise, "I understand, Ouma, i do but...Ma has to be there. she would want to be there, you can't just deny her right-"

"-What will people say if she attends the funeral?" She interjected prefusely, "all that tension in the air and suspicion? that's not the kind of energy you father needs at his funeral!" Madam Sonja's temper was peaking, and i worried the discussion was turning into an argument instead. 

"Let's all calm down for a moment, okay? please, this isn't helping either of you-" but neither of them heard me as they continued to go at it.

"You say that like she's a criminal!" Henri shouted, his anger simmering. 

"She's been charged with murder, Henri! it doesn't matter if she's innocent or guilty, people will always see her as a murderer and that won't change!" the silence that stretched was gut wrenching. Henri froze in shock, appalled by the words that came from her mouth and his reaction made Madam Sonja realize the magnitude of her words as she sighed in defeat, regretting what she said. "Henri..." she tried to speak, but the words failed her. 

"Henri, listen to me" i said, inching towards him, "she didn't mean what she said..." but even i couldn't find the words to reason with him and the glare he shot my way was enough to make me back away form him. 

"Is that what you think as well?" he asked me, shaking his head in disbelief. 

"-no, no that's not what any of us are saying-"

"Then what, huh?" he shouted, "because it sounds to me like you think she meant to kill him!"

Madam Sonja spoke calmly, "Henri, sweetheart...what i meant to say was that whether she's innocent or not, that won't change how people view her..."

But Henri wasn't convinced at her choice of phrase, "No, Ouma..." he said, shaking his head, "you just don't want her at the funeral because she was never good enough for you. you never approved of her, did you?" 

He's hurting, was all i could think and i wanted to calm him down. "Henri-"

"Don't speak for her!" he shouted, the glare in his eyes could punch a hole in my chest. "What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" he asked, but neither one of us could utter a response and with that he walked to his bedroom and the only sound that echoed were his footsteps and his door closed shut. 

author's note: hey everyone, i tried to keep this chapter as close as possible to the first draft, but nonetheless  hope you enjoyed it. i look forward to your comments and if you liked this chapter, please vote for it! xoxo, Tenele.