Page 27 of Kept in the Dark

“I don’t know,” Sara said slowly. “Do you think she’d actually tell us anything?”

Hailey shrugged. “There's only one way to find out.”

Sara didn’t answer Hailey immediately. When Hailey had come blazing in on her white horse, Sara was furious. It was yet another reminder that Sara was the failure while Hailey was the savior. Sara always got herself into trouble and Hailey would bail her out.

At first, it had been comforting and had even brought them closer. Then, as time went on, Sara began to resent Hailey for it, even though Sara refused to stop asking for help. Hailey would get doted on by their parents for doing the right thing while Sara would get scolded.

As an adult, Sara knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault but her own, just like every other situation she found herself in. But that knowledge didn’t make her hate her twin any less.

She probably shouldn’t be so hard on Hailey. After all, she had always been there for Sara because she loved her, not because she wanted their parents' approval.

If anyone had ever been loyal to her, it was Hailey.

Until she wasn’t. And that made Sara question everything.

Yet here her sister was: telling Sara what seemed to be her darkest secret.

It had taken Sara by surprise. And, if she was being honest with herself, it made Sara hate her sister a lot less. Hailey running away made sense now. Not that Sara was excusing it, but she understood it.

Though Sara didn’t completely trust Hailey, Hailey’s willingness to share that part of her meant more to Sara than Hailey would ever know. But Sara still wasn’t sold on re-opening her case, though she was considering it. Albeit for her own selfish reasons.

If they could figure out who killed Morgan, she could finally get her revenge. Right now, David was at the very top of her list, but once she uncovered this faceless killer, he’d be next.

And if she cleared her name while doing it, well, that was just icing on the cake.

Besides, it’s what she always wanted: for people to know the truth. She may be an addict, liar, and manipulator, but she wasn't a murderer. She had been framed, and no one cared enough to question it.

Innocence always felt like a far-off dream. One that tickled the edges of your mind, but you could never quite grasp once you woke from your slumber. After a while, she stopped dreaming altogether.

Sara hadn't even realized she zoned out. Hailey’s quiet voice pulled her from her thoughts. “What happened that night?”

She had shut the door on that chapter of her life and had no intentions of reopening it. But if she wanted to clear her name, she needed to prove her innocence, yell it from the rooftops. She just wasn’t sure she had the resilience to do it anymore. Now, it was Sara’s turn to be vulnerable, despite her instincts screaming at her not to be.

Sara walked to the window and looked outside, studying the moon. She took in a deep breath as she said, “That week, Chase and I got into a huge fight, and we broke up. So, I had been out drinking almost every night.

“I was at a party earlier, I think. With Thomas, Donna, and Jake. By the time I got home, I was so drunk and high I couldn't even walk. Thomas had to drop me in the yard.” She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember. When she couldn’t, she shook her head. “It’s all a blur but I remember waking up to see Mom next to me. I didn’t even know she was dead. Then I woke up the next morning to cops pounding on our front door, dragging me out of bed, and arresting me.” She put a hand up. “That’s the short of it.”

Sara didn’t want to get into every single detail, didn't want to relive that trauma, but Hailey needed to know the basics. And she truthfully didn’t remember most of it.

“So why did you plead guilty? You’re the most stubborn person I know, you fought for anything you wanted. Why didn't you fight it?”

Sara shrugged. “I couldn’t. If I did, Dad was going to seek a longer sentence. He had already helped the prosecutors paint an ugly picture of me by bringing up my minor arrests and my addiction. Not to mention he’s pretty prestigious and a master manipulator. The jury was eating it up and I didn’t want to risk it. There’s no way they would have believed me over Dad.”

Hailey nodded slowly. “Well, now’s your chance to prove him wrong, to prove everyone wrong.”

Sara nearly laughed. No one believed in her then and she doubted much would change. She came back to Auburndale wanting revenge, but could she also prove her innocence? Could God be so good as to give her both?

She turned around and looked at Hailey. Sara had become a good judge of character, something you learned quickly in prison, or you ended up dead. Trust no one and learn how to read people…and exploit them if the situation called for it.

Manipulation was a tool. And it was something she learned from her father. Funny how he was the one who put her behind bars and yet he would be what helped her survive. Likely to his dismay, if she had to guess.

She studied her twin and saw that Hailey was genuine. As much as Sara wanted to continue hating her, it was becoming difficult. Her sister truly wanted to make amends and wanted to help her. Sara supposed it was better late than never.

And Sara figured getting revenge was enough reason for her to find whoever was responsible for turning her life upside down, along with everyone who watched her slowly fade into the darkness. She sighed. “What’s your plan anyway? You have the tape but that doesn’t equal exoneration.”

Hailey ran her hand through her hair. “I haven't gotten that far yet, honestly. I called Trey but he hasn’t returned my call.”

“Seriously?” Sara said dryly. “So, you want me to proclaim my innocence with a video tape from thirteen years ago with no plan of how to do it and hope everyone believes me? No thank you. That sounds like the worst idea ever. Plus, I don't know who to trust anyway. We both know Dad has blackmailed plenty of people.”

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