A New Life: Redemption of souls

Two years later

...

The living room was dimly lit, the only sound the soft hum of the police officer's voice as he spoke to John. Beatrice stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the floor as she struggled to process the news.

Margaret's wails pierced the air, her body shaking with sobs. Lana stood beside her, crying softly as she wrapped her arms around Margaret's shoulders.

"Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry," Lana whispered, her voice trembling. "This is just terrible."

Margaret's face was red and puffy, her eyes swollen from crying. "My baby," she moaned, her voice cracking. "My poor baby."

Beatrice felt a pang of sadness as she watched Margaret's breakdown. She knew how much Margaret loved Shawn, despite their differences.

The police officer's voice cut through the chaos, his words firm but gentle. "I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins. We'll do everything we can to investigate this tragedy."

John nodded, his face grim. "Thank you, officer. We appreciate it."

Lana handed Margaret a glass of water, her movements slow and deliberate. "Here, Aunt Maggie, drink this. You need to stay hydrated."

Margaret took the glass, her hands shaking as she raised it to her lips. Beatrice felt a surge of anger as she watched Lana's performance. She knew Lana was just trying to get attention, to make herself look good in front of the others.

But Beatrice didn't have the energy to call Lana out. She was too busy trying to process the news. Shawn was gone. He'd been taken from her, ripped away in a senseless tragedy.

The thought was too much to bear. Beatrice felt her knees buckle, her body crashing to the floor as the room around her dissolved into chaos.

Lana rushed to her side, her face etched with concern. "Beatrice, oh my god, are you okay?"

Beatrice nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine."

But she wasn't fine. She was shattered, her world broken into a million pieces.

Beatrice sat on the couch, her eyes fixed on the wall as Lana hovered over her, fussing and fretting. "Beatrice, dear, are you sure you're okay? You look so pale," Lana cooed, her voice dripping with insincerity.

Beatrice's annoyance simmered just below the surface. "Lana, I'm fine. Please, just leave me alone."

But Lana wouldn't take no for an answer. She continued to hover, her eyes fixed on Beatrice with an unnerving intensity.

Suddenly, Lana's expression changed. A smirk flitted across her face, and then she flung herself to the ground, wailing and screaming at the top of her lungs.

Beatrice was shocked. "Lana, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice shaking with confusion.

But Lana just kept screaming, her body thrashing about on the floor. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, everything stopped. Lana's body went limp, and she fainted.

Beatrice was stunned. She didn't know what to do. Margaret rushed into the room, her face twisted with anger.

"You terrible girl!" Margaret shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Beatrice. "You've upset Lana! We have to get her to the hospital!"

Beatrice was bewildered. "But I didn't do anything," she protested.

Margaret didn't seem to care. She and John rushed Lana out of the house, leaving Beatrice alone and confused.

What was going on? Why had Lana fainted? And why was Margaret so angry with her?

Beatrice followed Margaret and John to the hospital, her worry growing with each passing minute. What was wrong with Lana? Why had she fainted?

As they arrived at the hospital, Beatrice paced anxiously in the waiting room while Margaret and John went to get an update on Lana's condition.

Finally, the doctor emerged, looking worried. "Mrs. Jenkins, I'm afraid Lana is quite fragile. She can't handle trauma well, and...and she's pregnant."

Beatrice's eyes widened in shock. "Pregnant?" she repeated.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, and she and the baby are in need of a blood transfusion. We need to act quickly."

Margaret frowned, her eyes narrowing at Beatrice. "You're going to have to donate your blood," she said, her voice cold. "It's Shawn's baby, after all."

Beatrice felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Shawn's baby? That couldn't be right. She and Shawn had been trying for years...

"I...I don't understand," Beatrice stammered.

Margaret's expression turned ugly. "Don't play dumb, Beatrice," she spat. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now, are you going to donate your blood or do I have to make you?"

Beatrice felt a surge of fear. What was Margaret talking about? Did... Shawn cheat. She hesitated, unsure of what to do.

John intervened, his voice calm. "Margaret, please. Let's not upset Beatrice. We need to focus on helping Lana and the baby."

Margaret's face twisted in anger, but she seemed to compose herself. "Fine," she said. "But Beatrice, you're going to have to do this. For Shawn's sake, if not for Lana's."

Beatrice felt trapped. What choice did she have? This was her family afterall. She nodded, feeling a sense of resignation wash over her.