The Contracted Stripper

Mrs. Rose paced anxiously around the hospital room, her heels clicking against the cold tile floor. She glanced at her watch for the hundredth time, her impatience growing by the second.

Where were Ivy and Ryan? What were they up to? Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open. She turned swiftly, only to see Ryan step into the room, followed closely by Ivy. Relief washed over her for a split second, but it quickly faded as she saw the grim looks on their faces.

Something was wrong.”Where have you two been?” Mrs. Rose demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Ryan didn’t respond immediately. His face was hard, his jaw clenched. Ivy, too, seemed distant, her eyes fixed on the floor as if she couldn’t bear to meet her mother’s gaze.

Before Mrs. Rose could demand answers, a weak cough sounded from the hospital bed. Her husband, Mr. Kendrick, had woken up.

Slowly, he turned his head toward her, his eyes filled with anger and betrayal. Mrs. Rose moved to take his hand, but the moment their fingers touched, Mr. Kendrick recoiled, yanking his hand away from hers as if her very touch burned him.

“You… evil woman,” Mr. Kendrick rasped, his voice hoarse but filled with venom. “What are you doing here?”Mrs. Rose flinched at the harshness of his words, her heart pounding. “Darling, what are you talking about?” she asked, her voice trembling. “I’m your wife. I’ve been by your side-”

“Get out,” Mr. Kendrick spat, his voice growing louder, angrier. “Get out now. I don’t want to see you.”His outburst sent a chill through the room. Mrs. Rose took a step back, her hands trembling. This wasn’t the weak, sick man she had been tending to for weeks.

This was a man filled with rage.”I-I don’t understand,” Mrs. Rose stammered, her voice cracking.”You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Mr. Kendrick growled, his eyes narrowing as tears welled up.

“You tried to kill me. You’ve been poisoning me, haven’t you? You wanted me out of the way so you could continue your filthy affair with my best friend.

“Mrs. Rose’s blood turned to ice. “What? That’s absurd! How could you even think that?”Ryan and Ivy stood still, neither surprised nor shocked. They both had been waiting for this moment. The truth was finally coming out.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Shut your mouth, Rose!” Mr. Kendrick snapped, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his breathing. “I’ve done everything for you. I gave you everything you ever wanted, and this… this is how you repay me? By betraying me with Parker?”Mrs. Rose’s mind raced. How did he know? She had been so careful, so meticulous.

There was no way he could have found out. “You don’t know what you’re saying,” she whispered, trying to regain control of the situation. “Your health… it’s affecting your mind.”Mr. Kendrick laughed bitterly, his tears flowing freely now.

“You think I’m that far gone, don’t you? Do you think I don’t see it? All those years… all the lies… and Parker… Parker of all people.”

Mrs. Rose opened her mouth to deny it, to say anything that would deflect the accusation, but before she could form a coherent response, the door to the room opened again.

Her eyes widened in shock as Iris and Mrs. Jessica entered the room, both standing tall with a resolute expression.

Iris’s gaze flickered toward her mother briefly, but then she turned her attention to Mr. Kendrick. “Dad,” she said softly, stepping closer to the bed, her voice filled with compassion.

Mrs. Rose’s heart nearly stopped. Dad? Did she just call him Dad? What was going on? She looked at Jessica, the woman she hadn’t seen in years, standing next to her daughter, her posture strong despite her frailty.

“You…” Mrs. Rose muttered, taking a step backward, her face pale. “You shouldn’t be here. You were supposed to be dead.”Jessica smiled grimly. “You didn’t kill me as easily as you thought, Rose.”Mr. Kendrick’s eyes widened as he looked between the two women, understanding dawning on him.

His eyes locked onto Jessica’s face. “Jessica?” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Is it you?”Jessica nodded, her eyes softening.

“Yes, it’s me. I’m alive. And there’s something you need to know about Iris.”Mrs. Rose’s mouth went dry as her worst fears started to unfold. She had no control anymore.

The secrets she had buried deep for so long were beginning to unravel, and she could feel the ground slipping beneath her feet. Iris stepped forward, her expression torn between anger and sadness.

“Dad… you need to know that I’m not just some random girl who worked her way into your family. I’m your daughter. I’m Ivy’s twin sister.”Mr. Kendrick’s face paled. His eyes darted from Iris to Ivy and then back to Jessica.

“What…? How? How is this possible?”Mrs. Jessica’s eyes filled with tears as she began to explain.

“Years ago, when the twins were born, Rose stole Ivy from me. She took her and raised her as her own. And I was left with nothing… I had to go into hiding because of what Rose did.

“Mrs. Rose’s chest tightened as she watched Mr. Kendrick’s face contort with disbelief. She had been found out. The carefully woven lies were crumbling, and she couldn’t stop it.”You… you took one of my daughters?” Mr. Kendrick croaked, his voice shaking with emotion. “Why? Why would you do something like that?”

“Because I had to!” Mrs. Rose finally snapped, the frustration and panic boiling over. “You don’t understand what it was like! I had nothing! No power, no control. I did what I had to do to survive. I was protecting us!”

“Protecting us?” Ivy scoffed, finally speaking up, her voice filled with disbelief. “Mom, this whole time, you’ve been lying to all of us. To me, to Dad, to Ryan. Do you even care about anyone but yourself?”Mrs. Rose turned to her daughter, her face twisted with desperation.

“Ivy, I did it for you. Everything I did, I did it so that we could have a better life so that we wouldn’t be thrown out and left with nothing!”

“You mean everything you did was for yourself,” Ryan interjected coldly. “You’ve been manipulating and lying to everyone. And now it’s over.”

Mrs. Rose looked at Ryan, her son, the only person she thought might still stand by her. But his eyes were hard, filled with disdain. There was no sympathy left for her. She was alone.

Tears welled up in Mrs. Rose’s eyes as she turned back to her husband. “Please, Kendrick, you have to believe me. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I didn’t want to hurt you. I-

“Mr. Kendrick shook his head slowly, his face awash with pain and anger. “It’s too late for that, Rose. It’s too late for everything.”Mrs. Rose took a step forward, but Jessica quickly interjected her voice firm.

“It’s over, Rose. You’ve caused enough damage. You’ve torn apart enough lives. Now it’s time to face the consequences.”Mrs. Rose trembled, her carefully constructed world crumbling at her feet. She opened her mouth to speak, to try and salvage what little remained, but the door burst open again, this time with the arrival of two police officers.

“Mrs. Rose Kendrick,” one of the officers said, stepping forward. “You are under arrest for attempted murder, conspiracy, and fraud. You have the right to remain silent-” Mrs. Rose’s heart raced as the officer pulled out handcuffs. “No! You can’t do this! You can’t arrest me!”

“I think you’ll find we can,” Jessica said calmly, her eyes locked onto Rose’s. “It’s time you answered for everything you’ve done.”The officers moved in, quickly handcuffing Mrs. Rose despite her protests. She struggled, turning to Ryan, to Ivy, to anyone who might help her, but all she saw were cold, unsympathetic faces.

As the officers began to lead her out of the room, Mrs. Rose turned one last time to Mr. Kendrick, tears streaming down her face. “Please… Kendrick… you have to believe me. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”Mr. Kendrick looked away, his heart shattered.

“You’ve destroyed everything, Rose. I don’t want to see you again.”And with that, Mrs. Rose was taken out of the room, her sobs echoing down the hallway.

Silence fell over the room, the weight of the revelations sinking in. Iris, Ivy, and Ryan stood together, processing everything that had just happened. Mr. Kendrick lay back against his pillows, tears still glistening in his eyes.

Jessica stepped closer to him, gently placing her hand on his arm. “It’s over now,” she whispered. “You can heal. We all can.”But as the family began to take in the reality of their new situation, a sudden knock on the door interrupted their brief moment of peace.

A nurse entered the room, her face pale.” Mr. Kendrick,” she said, her voice trembling. “