"You lying, two-faced little tart!" Michelle hissed, not wanting anyone on the other side of the door to hear the venom in her words.
"What are you on about?" Maria demanded, exasperated.
"Oh!" Michelle let out a manic laugh, bringing her hand up to her mouth and cupping her chin, a steely look in her eyes. "Don't you dare play the innocent with me! I know exactly what you've done!"
"Michelle, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Maria insisted, her heartbeat speeding up.
"I know what you've done and I know who you've done it with!" Michelle cried. Maria took a deep breath.
"Chelle-"
"Carla was right about you all along. How the hell didn't I see it all those years ago?" Michelle lamented, turning away from Maria and bringing her hands up to her head. She spun round again, before Maria had a chance to respond.
"I mean, Nick Tilsley? Nick flaming Tilsley?" She shook her head. "How could you? All this time. I trusted you and you lied to me. All this time you've been lying to my face! You spiteful, manipulative cow!"
Maria watched as Michelle began to crumble, tears dragging dregs of eyeliner down her cheek. Her stomach dropped at the sight before her; the reality of what she'd done hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered, tears welling in her own eyes. She quickly blinked them away. "I wanted to tell you, so many times."
"Then why didn't you?" Michelle demanded, taking a step closer.
"Because I didn't want to hurt you! I know how much you love little Liam, and..."
The look of sudden confusion quickly being replaced by horror made Maria trail off.
"Oh my god." Michelle exhaled, backing away until she was pressed against the shelving unit behind her. "Oh my god!"
"Michelle, I-"
"Carla was right! This whole time, she was right!"
"No, Chelle-"
"And you made us all think she was relapsing!" Michelle shook her head manically, trying desperately to clear the fog forming inside her brain. "When all this time, you've been lying to us. When were you going to tell us the truth, Maria? When?"
Maria hardened. This wasn't her fault. If Carla hadn't dragged it out of her; if Michelle hadn't pushed her to reveal the truth, then they'd all still happily be in the dark.
"Oh, come on, Michelle! You've clearly worked it out quite easily tonight! You could have done it years ago, if you weren't so wrapped up in yourself!"
Michelle stopped crying, her gaze latching onto Maria. She narrowed her eyes.
"I didn't work anything out..."
"Oh for gods sake, Chelle! I know what you've done, and I know who you've done it with!" Maria mimicked Michelle, mocking her. Michelle took a deep breath.
"I was talking about Ali..." She breathed. Maria's confidence faltered.
"What?" She whispered.
"I was talking about Ali! You and Nick in the barbers!"
"Oh my god, you're obsessed!" Maria stated, her exterior hardening once more. "It's not healthy, this. The interest you take in your sons' relationships is quite frankly disturbing."
"Don't you dare turn this around on me!" Michelle hissed. "I'm looking out for my son! Which is more than can be said for you! Your poor kid believes his dad's been dead for ten years, Maria!"
"You're hilarious, Michelle. You wanted nothing to do with Ali a few years ago! It was like he didn't exist to you!"
"That's not how it was and you know it!"
"It's what everyone thought. It's just funny really, how he didn't even cross your mind until-"
"Shut up, Maria..." Michelle warned, heat rising up through her neck.
"Until after Ruairi-"
"I am warning you…"
"It's like you lost one son and suddenly remembered you had another!"
The sting of Michelle's palm against Maria's cheek sent heat across her face. Before she had chance to recover, Michelle's hand snaked around her ex-sister-in-law's neck, pinning her against the wall. Behind the tears in her eyes, Maria could see the clear fire of rage.
"You're an evil, evil cow..." Michelle hissed. "My nephew deserves so much better than you!"
Maria smirked, choking to catch her breath.
"Only he's not your nephew, is he?" She mocked, struggling to get the words out against the force of the fingers wrapped around her throat, which only tightened in frustration.
"Who's the real daddy then, Maria? Your bit on the side?" Michelle spat through gritted teeth. "You cheated on one Connor with him, so it's not difficult to imagine you'd have done it before."
Maria caught Michelle off guard, shoving her away. Michelle lost her grip, stumbling backwards as Maria heaved in a deep breath.
"Come on, Maria!" Michelle yelled, knowing she wouldn't be overheard judging by the sound of the rowdy crowd on the other side of the door. "It's him, isn't it? Nick Tilsley is Liam's dad!"
But Maria simply laughed, further infuriating her former sister-in-law.
"Fine. I'll just ask him myself then, shall I?"
She quickly realised the error she had made by turning her back on the hairdresser when she was violently pulled from the door. Letting out a yelp of pain, she reached up on instinct to where Maria's hand clutched a clump of hair in her fist, trying in vain to pry it free, only to be flung against the wall that she had Maria pinned up against minutes prior. Her eyes narrowed in surprise at the fury emanating off the woman who was now blocking her exit to the dining hall.
"If you think I'm going to let you walk out of here just so you can ruin my life more than you have done," Maria sneered, "you have another thing coming."
Author: bananabreakdowns