Chapter 6 - The Confession in the Dirt
"You're a monster," Clara whispered, her hands caked in dark soil and smeared with her own blood.
"I am a survivor," Martha corrected, stepping slowly into the alcove. The moonlight finally broke through the clouds, casting a pale, unforgiving glow over her blonde hair and the stained light blue dress. "You think your mother was an innocent victim? She came into this house with a smile and a pocketful of poison. She tried to tear this family apart before you were even born."
"That doesn't give you the right to murder her!" Clara shouted, scrambling to her feet, her chest heaving.
"I didn't murder her," Martha said calmly, stopping just out of arm's reach. "Her heart simply gave out when she realized she had lost everything. The stress of betrayal is a heavy burden, Clara. Ask Evelyn. She was standing right beside us when it happened."
Clara spun around, looking toward the hedge opening where Evelyn had just stumbled into view, breathing heavily, clutching her side.
"Tell her the truth, Evelyn!" Clara pleaded, tears finally spilling over her lashes. "You were there! You saw it!"
Evelyn leaned against the boxwood hedge, her face pale and drawn. She avoided Clara’s desperate gaze, staring instead at the disturbed earth at Clara's feet. "It’s true, Clara," Evelyn murmured, her voice breaking. "Your mother... she didn't die of natural causes. Martha poisoned her tea that evening, using the same herbal tincture we used to cull the garden pests."
Martha’s calm demeanor vanished in a flash of pure fury. She whipped her head toward Evelyn, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "You stupid, weak-willed coward," Martha hissed. "You just signed your own death warrant."
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Before Evelyn could react, Martha swung the heavy iron shovel with terrifying speed, catching Evelyn squarely across the shoulder and sending her crashing violently into the thorny rose bushes.
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