Family Matters

Unpleasant Revenge

Another week passed for the remaining Montgomery. Gerald fell into drinking again as he saw his family crumbling right in front of his eyes. He dropped to his knees on the day when Arthur Rey came to his door, telling that Stephan was found shot in the middle of the road with no trace of suspects. For safety, he offered to remain within the property so he can keep an eye for any trouble. Gerald agreed.

Daniel and Meredith were not talking anymore. Both enclosed themselves inside their rooms for the whole week not daring to speak to their father anymore.

Daniel looked into the mirror, observing his appearance. During the time that he resided inside the Mansion, he turned much older. He felt guilt for accidentally killing his sister, but at the same time, he was pleased. He never liked her, and suddenly, he felt the happiness coming back to him. Two of his siblings were dead, which meant he was more likely to inherit everything that his father owned. Daniel went around in circles inside the room with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He looked into the mirror again before throwing it, breaking everything into a thousand pieces. -He must DIE- He thought. His chest moved into a rhythmical dance following his deep breaths. Daniel realised how insane he turned. He found it difficult to recognise what was right from what was wrong anymore, starting to enjoy the wrong ideas that floated inside his head.

Meredith was inside her room as well. She had enough of remaining silent. The need to speak up and to get the revenge that she deserved intoxicated her mind. She mourned for her brother and sister for the whole week, but suddenly remembered why she came in the Mansion for a purpose.

Meredith took a deep breath before starting to drop in tears. She wanted revenge, but something inside her stopped her. She went to her wardrobe and picked the small black metal box and opened it. She picked up the gun and looked at it for a few minutes. She headed downstairs looking into all the rooms of the Mansion. Alison was no near to be seen. It was the right moment to act. A firelight came from the semi-closed door of the library; her father was resting his mind from the recent events. Meredith entered the room slowly hiding the gun at the back of her jeans. She saw Gerald in his armchair reading a book by the light of the fire. Gerald saw her coming as well and placed his reading glasses away.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" He asked softly. His health got worse within the last weeks, and he barely could speak.

"I was looking for Alison, father. Is she home?" Meredith asked. She felt her sweat dripping down from the stress.

"She left half an hour ago to do some chores for me. She will be back in a while." He replied. He got up from the chair and walked towards the shelves of the library.

Meredith closed the door. Gerald turned around from the shelves and saw his daughter with the gun pointed at his head. His mouth opened and closed fastly while the heart pounded with fear.
"Sweetheart, put the gun down please." He said with a trembled voice.

"I am putting an end to this father. You ruined my life for long enough." Meredith replied. Tears fell on her face.

"Meredith! Please, put the gun down." Gerald got closer to her. A gunshot echoed inside the room. Gerald fell on the ground in pain and started to scream. Meredith shot him in the leg, making him lose the balance.

"Do not dare; come near me. I have endured you for two weeks, and I had enough." Meredith screamed. Gerald continued to scream in pain on the ground.

"Do you know how much I suffered because of you, father? Have you ever questioned yourself about the pain that you managed to do with your actions?" Meredith asked.

"Mer, please don't do this," Gerald replied in agony. His breath was much heavier as he tried to keep the pressure on the wound while blood dripped on the wood floor.

"Answer me!" Meredith shouted while the gun went off a second time, this time hitting the floor next to Gerald's hand.

"I made a lot of mistakes Mer, to you and your mother; and I am deeply sorry," Gerald said, forcing himself to take deep breaths.

"Mistakes?" She asked angrily. "Mistakes? You cheated on a woman that loved you from all her heart. You screwed with your secretary while she was taking care of your children." Meredith walked around the room silently then continued to talk. "After your divorce, mum took me to Russia. When she heard that you married the woman you cheated with, she went crazy."

Meredith pulled down the gun as she looked at Gerald. She kneeled next to his face and looked straight into his eyes.

"I was eight, and I had to take care of her. I was eight, making sure that mum was not found dead on the streets from the drug abuse. I stayed up, every night until she came home, no matter how long she took. She was not a mother anymore; I've become the mother of an unreasonable addict; when I was eight." Meredith sobbed in tears and screamed.

"She died when I was sixteen. She killed herself. Cut her veins in the bathtub. But she left me a letter." Meredith grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket and started to read in tears.

"My sweet Meredith, I know how awful I was as a mother. I ruined your childhood a long time ago, at the moment when I decided to take you to this place. Everything I did was for saving you from the man that you called father. He did not deserve to see you anymore. He did not deserve to come near you. But, with my action, I failed you, Meredith. So, therefore when you will read this letter, I will be dead. I hope that without me, you will find the peace that you deserve. Take care of yourself, be the woman you always wanted to be. Make the things right for yourself and your family. I love you, and I will always protect you.

With Love, Mum"

Meredith broke into a scream and ripped the letter apart before throwing it into the fire.

"I kept this so that you can hear it at least once Gerald. You ruined her, and you ruined me." Meredith pointed the gun back to his head.

"Meredith, I am truly sorry. I love you, and I've always loved you. I hate myself for what I did to your mother and you. Please, let's leave the things to the past and look to the future. Please don't do this, I beg you."

"I live in the past Gerald" Meredith screamed. "My past is what made me. And I waited so long for this. I joined the army for a reason. So, I can teach myself to be a better woman, a disciplined one. So, I made a promise. That one day, when I will come to see you again, I will shoot your right in your heart and watch you die. I kill you; I revenge my mother, I help them."

Meredith pointed the gun. "Goodbye, Father. See you in hell."

Gerald closed his eyes and waited for his end. Another gunshot echoed in the room. He trembled and screamed when he heard his daughter's body hitting the floor with a hole in her head. Gerald looked around the room, only to see Daniel with another gun in his hand and a bottle into the other.

"Hello, Father. Time to have a chat."