Chapter 3

Loretta's POV

"Marigold! You shameless old bitch, get out here!"

Marnie kicked open the manor doors and stormed into the living room.

On the sofa, my fiancé Killian had his hand slipped inside my mother’s silk robe.

"Get your filthy hands off her!" Marnie rushed forward, pointing right at Killian's nose. "You disgusting, cheating scumbag! Loretta was blind to ever trust a rat like you!"

Killian stood up slowly, stepping casually in front of Marigold. He glared at me with sheer disgust. "Shut your mouth, Marnie. Take this crazy woman and get out of our house. Don't dirty the carpets."

"Your house?" Marnie laughed furiously. She pulled a thick stack of manila folders from her bag and slammed them onto the coffee table. "This is full of hard evidence of this old witch mentally abusing Loretta and spreading rumors that she's suicidal! I'm sick of you two sickos—today, I'm making all of you pay!"

Faced with the accusations, Marigold didn't even shift her posture. Holding her bourbon, she swirled the glass, her eyes full of contempt. "Are you done? The door is behind you. Or perhaps you'd like to call the police right now?"

"Don't need your reminder," Marnie sneered, crossing her arms and raising her chin high. "I already called the cops before I kicked your door down! None of you are escaping today!"

That sentence finally let me breathe a sigh of relief—until I caught the sharp curve of Marigold's smile.

It was a chilling smirk. Like a predator watching prey walk right into a trap.

"Well, since the police won't be here for a few minutes," Marigold stood up, pointing elegantly toward the second floor, "before that, dear Marnie, why don't you check my bathroom first? Who knows, maybe you'll find 'more evidence' in there."

"No!" I shivered violently, lunging to grab Marnie's arm like a madwoman. "Don't go in there! Everyone who goes in gets possessed! I'm begging you, Marnie!"

My exes, Uncle Arthur, Aunt Elara... they all turned into demons after crossing that threshold.

But Marnie just wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, her eyes filled with determination and pity. "Don't be scared, Loretta. These cheap psychological tricks won't work on me. You wait out here; I’m exposing this old witch today!"

"Marnie, please—no!"

She broke free from my grip and marched up the stairs.

The door to the second-floor bathroom clicked shut behind her.

I slumped to the floor, staring dead at that door, listening to my heart hammering against my ribs. I clung to one last, desperate hope: that Marnie's willpower was strong enough to resist whatever evil lurked inside.

Ten minutes later.

Piercing police sirens wailed outside the manor. Almost simultaneously, the bathroom door creaked open.

Marnie walked out.

The moment I saw her face, my entire world collapsed.

Her eyes were like two poison-tipped ice daggers, pinning me to the floor. The righteous anger and sympathy she had just shown me were eradicated completely. Replacing them was a look of raw, unadulterated disgust—like she was looking at human waste.

"Marnie?" I reached out for her hand, my voice breaking. "You're not possessed, right...?"

Heavy footsteps flooded into the living room. Officer Riggs hurried in with two deputies. "Who called the police? What violence occurred here?"

I opened my mouth to beg for help, but Marnie shoved me hard to the ground as if I were a disease.

She quickly walked up to the cops, her face instantly morphing into an apologetic, pandering smile. "I am so sorry, Officer Riggs. I completely misunderstood Mrs. Marigold. I filed a false report."