Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

Dexter didn’t head home; instead, he found himsell wandering down Flare Alley and Tangle

Lane.

I had no clue what he was up to, just aimlessly trailing behind him.

Perhaps, I was too eager to witness the look on his face when he confronted the truth.

Would it be regret, relief, or would he defend Melody at that very moment?

“Dexter, did you ever care for me, even the slightest? When you were tormenting me, what were you thinking? A mix of disgust and your unrestrained demand?” I stood behind Dexter, repeating my questions over and over.

I knew full well he couldn’t hear me, yet I stubbornly sought a resolution, an answer.

“Dexter… we really couldn’t find Phoebe. The cops said it’s a fact that we had Phoebe over on the 13th and 14th, and we all admitted to it. But they’re saying the surveillance footage shows Phoebe showing up again on the 15th, heading down Tangle Lane. I saw the tape myself, Phoebe was definitely there, all by herself.”

Dexter’s buddy had arrived with the investigation updates.

I watched the two of them with a sarcastic smirk. Were they truly clueless, or just putting on a show? Clearly, I heard their laughter and horseplay through the earpiece on the day of the incident.

They had also said over the monitor that Phoebe was the kind of woman even a creep wouldn’t look at twice.

“What was she doing there all alone on the 15th?” Dexter’s face was glum as he surveyed the surroundings. “Did the surveillance catch her leaving?”

“The cops zeroed in on a janitor during the window of Phoebe’s disappearance. There was just this janitor hauling a big trash bin out; no sign of Phoebe…” His friend’s voice trailed off, less and less confident.

Then he whispered, “Dexter… you don’t think something really happened to Phoebe, do you?” Dexter went white as a sheet, probably starting to panic. “Don’t talk nonsense. She’s not dead.” He reassured.

Dexter stepped back and leaned against the wall.

I just stood there watching Dexter. Desolation washed me over.

“Dexter, no offense, but Phoebe was the kind of woman who’d do anything to get her way. She pushed Melody down the stairs, and she’d poison Melody for her own selfish gains. If someone like that is gone, we’re probably better off.”

None of Dexter’s crew liked me; I always knew that. They all adored Melody.

15.02

I was well aware that Melody might have the knack to convince these guys of her innocence, but their disrespect, their jokes, bullying, and even aggression towards me, it all stemmed from Dexter’s own indulgence.

Because Dexter loathed me, so naturally, they all did.

Dexter furrowed his brows, giving Hank a dark, intimidating look.

I remembered Hank. He had tried to assault me once in the Fitzgerald family’s back garden. But he didn’t succeed; I managed to crack his skull and sent him running.

Later, Hank threatened me to keep quiet about that day. He said even if I spoke up, no one would believe me.

To ensure nobody would believe me, he spread rumors and slandered me among Dexter’s circle of friends, all to fear the day I’d reveal the truth.

If I was discredited, his assault would just be another stain on my already tarnished reputation, and even if I spoke out, no one would believe me.

And indeed, that was the case.

Hank was a distant cousin of Dexter. When I first joined the Fitzgerald family at eighteen, he

was there too:

His mother had complained to Dexter’s mom, “Hailey, if you’re really short on kids, our little Hank can be a choice. You want a daughter? I’ve got daughters. Why neglect your own to take in an outsider?” Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

At that time, I was cowering behind Dexter. Freshly orphaned and without a soul to trust, I was so frightened.

“Don’t be scared, just ignore them; they’re all sick,” Dexter said as he took my wrist and led me upstairs to a room. “From now on, this is your home.”

I quietly watched Dexter, and in that moment, my dependence on and affection for him peaked. But everything shattered when he discovered the love letter I had written.

Through the years, I never understood why Dexter’s initial reaction was so strong, so full of revulsion.

It was just a naive crush; why did it disgust him for so long?