-What do you want?

-Is that a way to speak to your mother in law?

And there she is, your sweet son of a bitch mother who can't give us a break. What is she?  A creepy stalker that follows me to the supermarket?

-Oh, so now you call yourself that way.-He scoffed at Barbara's annoying silhouette at the market's aisle.-Didn't you have a flight to catch?

Barbara chuckled in a velvet tone, crossing her toned arms and looking into his eyes as if she gas found a proper challenger.

-Now that's more like it.-She smirked.-I knew that good boy play pretend waw clearly a disguise. It is possible to see who you are through your eyes.

-I don't know what you're talking about-He started to walk away, trying not to look for trouble.

She's really trying me, Erica.

But I kniw that as much as you hate her, you wouldn't want me to kill her...

...well, you wouldn't know if I did anyway.

Barabara watched him pass by, but her words stopped him:

-Do you really think you know Erica?-She said suddenly. Joe looked at her.- You never know who is truly sleeping by your side. Trust me, I only saw that with my husband when it was too late.

It's getting really hard not to kill her now.

-I know who Erica is.-He replied fiercely.-Maybe even better than you do.

This time, Barbara's laugh reverbered through the hallway, echoeing as she looked at him.

-Oh, you naive boy...-She shaked her head.-No...No you don't know my daughter. If you did, we wouldn't be in this situation.

She is putting us in this situation. If she only behaved like a good mother for the amazing daughter she is, we wouldn't be in this damn situation.

-I don't have time for this.-He tried to walk away again.

-Tell me, what do you know about Erica's engagement last year?

The thought made him stop at his tracks. Why that sudden topic?

She set the bait.

-Let me think...-Barbara mocked.- She told you a sad story that he cheated on her, that he didn't love her trutly. And now she keep wedding rings reminding her of a sad past. Is that it?

Joe walked torwards Barbara, his eyes showing clear angry, speaking through his teeth just in front of her.

-What is your point?-He growled in a menacing tone.

I'm starting to lose my patience here, but I must say, I'm intrigued by what she has to lie about.

-My daughter is a very clever girl, Mr.Goldberg. She has an outstanding mind, that is why I never expected less from her.-She said fearless.- And that is why her smartness serves for motives beyond your knowledge.

-If you try to offend, Erica again...

-Or what?-She dared.

-It's just a warning. I won't let you upset ot hurt her again.

-Oh, please.-She rolled her eyes.-Yes, she lived through her parents sad marriage, yes, but I never mistreated her.- Barbara responded offended.-She did this to herseld. Grew up immersed into fairy tales,  love stories, and turned herself into this hopeless romantic that only brings misery to others.

That is a way to anakyze the situation, but they don't see the real you, Erica.

They don't see the beautiful girl you are that despise how everything rottes around you, you still perissted into believibg in your dreams, you were determined into keeping your hopes alive.

And thanks to that hope we could meet.

We could love each other.

And your nothing your crazy mom says will never change that.

-That's enough.-He gripped onto her arm, Barbara didn't even flinch.- What do you want?

-I want you out of her life.-She responded. -It is a simple thing. Leave her.

She can't be serious.

I'm never doing that.

-And what if I don't?

-Well, then deal with the consequences.

She should deal with the consequences, I'm already starting to imagine how much her body weights.

-Is that a threat?

-Oh, no, dear.-She shaked her head.-Threats are done from those who actually mean harm. I couldn't care less about what happens to you.-She sniffed.- I'm saying this to keep my daughter's life at sake. To keep her in line.

I think I can carry her until the car, there's a lake I can dump her nearby. Sounds like a good plan.

-What is so wrong about Erica and me? Why are you so against your own daughter's happiness?

-That is not happiness!-She shouted done with it.-  You think it is, you will believe it is, that is what she wants you to believe, your idiot.

That's it, I'm killing her.

-And why would she do that?-He spoke, clearly not believing in her words.

-Because that's what my daughter does.-She hissed as a snake.- She makes you as her pawn in her game. She toys with your emotions, shapes you into what she wants, create this narrative she controls. -She shaked her head.- and you will be fool enough not to see she is manipulating you.

The only manipulater I see it's her.

-Erica would never do this to me.

-Oh, she would, and she is doing. I see it in her eyes.-She nodded.-There is no doubt about her love for you, no doubt about her necessity to make you stay. It is even worse than before.

-What do you mean by before?

-You're not the first, Mr.Goldberg...-She chuckled.- Before you there were Mario, Lucas, Brian....and Thomas.-She said calmly.- poor Thomas...you see, Thomas is the son of a very rich bussinessman, when Erica mentioned she was interested in him, I was actually happy for her.-Barbara continued to tell her story.-But she never mentioned to me that he had no interest in her.

Joe furrowed his eyebrows confused. The ice cream in his shopping cart had already melted, and no client in that supermarket dared interruot that tense atmosphere that surrounded them.

-How could he not be interested if they got engaged?-He asked.-Stop lying, it's clearly not working.

-Stop being blind instead and pay attention.-She snapped back.- Thomas never dated Erica. He barely talked to her. She had...what do you people say...? A crush, yes she had a crush on him.-She nodded.- And it developed, developed itself into a deep sick passion that she felt the urge to confess to him...until she did.-Barbara suddenly sighed, as if that was not a good memory- I got to know that by what her classmates said to me after the incident...Erica was...-She sighed.-... Obssessed with him.

...what the fuck-

-She was in love with a man she has never spoken with.-Barbara shaked her- They weren't even friends, only from the same university when Erica started to become obssessed with him...and when she confessed, well, it was clear that he would reject her. But it was unclear that Erica would give up.-She crossed her arms.- She created a narrative in her mind where she was his fiancé and he was starting to push her away. Until the moment she spot him with his own girlfriend.... Oh, she panicked, because back then it was a menace to her fantasy.

-You are lying.

-She had bought those rings by herself, Mr.Goldberg. he didn't even know about their existence. There was no engagement. -Barbara increased her voice tone to assure him of the concernity on the matter.- I had many talks with her, and she reused the same old narrative while the whole damn world said otherwise. Of course I wanted to believe in my daughter, but she was speaking nonsense.

She is wrong.

I won't believe in her lies, I don't need to believe in any lies.

All I need is your love, Erica.

All I need is to believe in you, you are enough proof.

Our love is real, and that's what matters.

-She made a scandal in front of her university, in front of Thomas and his gilfriend. She cried hytherically, accused him of cheating, of lying...So I had to do something.-Barbara took in a deep breath.-I sent her to visit the United States, to maybe take a break from everything...and she seemed fine, she seemed recovered when she came back.-Barbara sighed.-But I should've knowmn something was fishy when she decided to study abroad. Something had caught her eye....-She pointed to Joe's face.- ...and it was you.

Joe shaked her head, letting the woman's arm go.

-You are a monster.-He spoke through his teeth.- Her own mother saying this about her...you disgust me.

-I'm only telling the truth.

-The fuck you are.-He groaned.- If you say she's so insane, so mad as you claim her to be, then why not treat her? Why not send her to a mental hospital?

-Yes, you are right, it is the minimum I should have done as a mother.-She nodded.- But you see, that is what she complains about...instead of choosing her, I chose my job...what kind of psychiatrist would have a mad daughter?-She informed.- No...I did what was best to keep my family's honor, to keep my name's honor...you may hate me as much as you want, but I did what I had to.-She spoke fiercely. -I paid every freaking newspaper to take down their texts and news about the matter, I covered everything and sent her on that trip. I supported her decision to study abroad. But I guess it didn't work at all.

She is lucky we are at a public space, because if we weren't, she would already have that throat slashed.

-I believe you are a smart man, Mr.Goldberg, you must be, since my daughter was so captivated by you.-Barbara commented.- So listen to what I say and stay away from her. It is for her own sake and...perphaps, yours.

Her words made him wide his eyes for a moment, the heartbeat stop.

My sake?

You would never mean harm, Erica.

You would never hurt me.

I know you wouldn't.

I know who you are, I know you better than anyone.

No one knows you as I do, and no one ever will.

This woman is wrong, wrong about us, wrong about you.

-Scared?-She smirked.- You should be...I'm sure you wouldn't want the same fate as Thomas.

-...what happened to Thomas?

His phone suddenly started to ring, it took him a moment to pay attention to the sound, and when he lookes at the screen, he found himself nervous to pick it up.

Fuck.

-Looks like someone needs her ice cream.-Barabra recognized immediatly the caller.- You should answer that, Mr.Goldberg.-Joe glanced back at her, swallowing dry. -Good luck...with whatever your choice turns out to be.

Joe's fingers shivered into the screen, sliding to take the call as he heard Barbara's heels echo across the floor, completely disappearing from his sight.

One thing was certain: she made a very remarkable first impression

...

I

ce cream, laughs and cuddles. That's what we did the whole afternoon since your mother left.

You seemed happy, genuily happy to be with me. And whenever I looked into those shiny dark eyes I always saw the girl I fell for, that sweet angel I love.

No, Barbara can't be right about you. Why would you lie anyway? No, you are honest with me. And besides, I've searches about your whole life, I've never saw any signs of what she says. There are no traces of this so called Thomas or any other men who she spoke of.

No, that is just a lie.

She wants to separate us. She wants to make you miserable, Erica, but I won't allow that, I won't let her hurt you.

I'll be your shield, your warrior. No one will step on our way.

And if she tries to interfere again...well she better attempt to lie to the devil in hell instead.

I want to forget what she said. I want to just stay like this, lied by your side, completely sure that you love me, that you trust me, that you care for me.

I want to sleep in peace and believe that we are in peace, in our own private oasis, in our dream that we won't ever wake up.

His back was turned to her on the bed, his eyes wide open as he felt her breath on his nape, the lights completely dark, the door locked, as her arms embraced tighly arouns him, as claws that kept him still to the same position. The skin shivering unable to spot the moon outside by the closed window, almost stuck in a cell called bedroom.

While a bloody sparkle of her opaque dead eyes watched him sleep.

I want to believe in you.