A Little Tension Underneath

There was silence in the living room except for the sounds coming from the T.V.

Michael took the knife and fork and began eating his dinner.

"Hmm... That's pretty good. It's almost as good as how Mom cooks.", Michael said with his mouth full.

"T-Thank you.", Theresa replied.

"What happened today?" Michael asked while chewing.

Theresa sighed, thinking, 'Thank you, Michael, for changing the conversation.'

She replied, "I... There was a pop quiz about what we studied previously, and I..."

She trailed off and slumped her head while resting her chin on her palm.

"Did you fail?" Michael asked as he raised his eyebrow.

"No, I almost scored full except for that one question, that one stupid question!" She raised her voice while gritting her teeth.

"Um..." He didn't know what to say and took a sip of orange juice.

"I already gave myself a migraine when I tried studying the subject for the quiz, but still, I can't believe I forgot that one question! In the entire paper of 50 questions, I'm the only one who scored this high. But... I could have scored full marks if..." She said while sighing heavily.

"Eww! Chill out!" Theresa heard Michael say, and she saw him looking at her weirdly.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Theresa asked, confused.

Michael shook his head and replied, "Stop acting like a child. One missed question is not a big deal. So what? Everybody has their ups and downs. So what if you got an A instead of an A+. Besides, you might score it on the final test or report card. Be patient, wait a little longer, and put in all your efforts. You will pass. If you don't, there's always the next time, the next, and the next until you do. Don't be hard on yourself. Everyone is different. Have more confidence."

"But you don't understand!" Theresa replied, "This isn't only an important test in my current class, this is also... the test linked to the major exam at the end of this semester and... I wanted to score full marks on this exam and possibly get the highest score."

Michael stayed quiet as she paused before continuing, "I wanted to do so because I might have an extra point to brag about in the interview. Getting into a med school is difficult. There are a lot of students who want to enter med school, and the competition is really cutthroat. You need to do research, work, and grades... grades are essential if you want to get into one."

"Well..." Michael nodded and replied, "I didn't know that. So, all I can say is not to overwork. Don't be too hard on yourself."

"Thanks," She smiled sweetly and said.

"Maybe," Michael gulped another slice of beef and said, "That's why you are acting strange."

"Huh? W-What?" Theresa panicked and stuttered. She saw him move closer to her, and it panicked her more as she thought, 'Don't! Don't come near me, Michael!'

But Michael leaned even closer to her and asked, "Is something wrong? Is that why you were acting weird earlier?"

"N-Nothing is wrong. You're seeing things that are not there." She smiled and tried backing away.

"It doesn't look so. You—" He tried to reply, only to be cut off by her.

"Look!" She pointed at the screen and said, "It's Mom!"

"Hm?" He turned around and saw Florence on the screen, standing outside the police station.

"Let's turn up the volume and hear what is happening?" She quickly grabbed the remote and increased the volume, thinking, 'Phew! Saved! If he had come any closer, I would have blurted out what I heard earlier.'

They heard Florence say with a serious expression, "Damian K. Marrow was an outstanding community member. He had a bright future ahead of him. He was liked by everyone. He was honest, hardworking, and always willing to help in anything. Such a personality is rarely seen in teenagers, and the fact that he was robbed of a bright future will not be forgiven. Even if that person is his father, William G. Marrow. The act his father performed on him can not be considered forgivable. So, I, Florence T. Taylor, as their attorney, will help William G. Marrow's wife, Julie B. Marrow, her children, Lisa T. Marrow, Damian's girlfriend, and everybody associated with him in getting their revenge and justice for them by making William receive the punishment that he deserves."

The reporters asked, "Is the evidence enough to convict him?"

"Evidence?!" Florence chuckled and replied, "His fingerprints were the primary evidence found on Damian's body. The police found his boots, with a blood-stained sole, in his garage. He was also caught in his car driving from where his son's body was found! And, your guess that it is enough? That itself gives you the answer. It's over. As the prosecutor, I'll ensure he gets the worst sentence."

"Mom is a piece of work, isn't she?" Michael chuckled and shook his head.

Theresa sighed and said, "Michael, in this case, she was justified. Killing your son, who you raised from a little baby, just because you thought he wasn't your biological son is too extreme."

"Yeah! I know!" Michael agreed.

----------

If you want to read 20+ chapters ahead with audio version, go to my Patreon :)))