Page 12 of Twisted Empire

I immediately stiffened.

“Please, just listen to me,” she said hurriedly, cowering away from me.

“I am listening. Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.”

She took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. “I know you hated me from the start because you thought I killed him, and I know I told you I did. But I only said that back then because I thought it was what you wanted to hear. And if I’m being honest, there were a few weeks there where I went a little crazy and started to believe I really did. But I didn’t. I promise.” She looked up at me, her gaze hard and resolute. “Do you believe me, Elias?”

I swallowed hard and took her hand. “Yes. I believe you.”

She took a deep breath. “Your father knew all along that I wasn’t guilty. He was the secret witness from the beach.”

I stared at her, aghast. “What the fuck?”

“He told me he wanted you to be just like him. Everything he did was an attempt to mold you in that way, and when the whole thing with Ben happened, he saw an opportunity in me—a girl he could make you hate beyond belief. He thought if he bought me for you as a slave, you’d pour all that hate into me. I guess you were supposed to realize from that how much you loved hurting me, and eventually you’d turn out just like him. The kind of guy who hates women. The kind of guy who loves to rape, torture, and murder them for fun.”

Blood rushed to my head. I knew Tatum was telling the truth. She wouldn’t lie, and besides, what she was claiming sounded exactly like my father. Not just the manipulation, either. It was the way she said he wanted me to be exactly like him. He’d always said that. It was drummed into me from an early age that I was his legacy. He’d do anything to ensure I turned out the way he wanted.

“He’s the reason my name was cleared,” Tatum went on. “He was down on the beach that night. He saw what happened, and he was the one who called the police. The courts had to believe his statements, because he had no reason to lie on my behalf. Not when he was practically Ben’s uncle.”

It felt like I’d just been doused with a bucket of ice water. “What about the video?” I said in a low voice.

“He faked it with some sort of Hollywood movie magic team, because he knew you wouldn’t completely believe in my guilt without solid evidence.”

My head whirled. I rubbed my temples and slumped down next to her on the bed, guilt roiling in my guts. “Oh, fuck. All this time….”

There was a heavy feeling in my stomach, a coldness at my core. I hurt Tatum because I thought she was guilty. I tortured her. I tried to destroy her. All for nothing. She was innocent all along, and apart from when she stabbed my father, she’d never done anything to harm another human being. Unlike me.

I really was a fucking monster.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Why are you sorry?” I asked, turning my agonized gaze back to her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Because of Ben. He was your friend. I know it must be hard to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t the guy you thought he was.”

I sighed and massaged the spot between my eyebrows. “Tell me,” I muttered. “Tell me everything that happened that night. The real story.”

“It’s just like I said all those months ago. Ben slipped something in my drink and tried to assault me when we went for a walk together. I was so naïve that I didn’t even realize what he was doing at first. I thought he wanted to go for a walk because it was romantic. Because he actually liked me. I didn’t realize he was just trying to get me alone in the dark.” She shrugged and then sighed, her shoulders slumping back down. “I was so stupid.”

“You were seventeen,” I muttered. “Not stupid.”

“I guess. But anyway, after he attacked me, I managed to wriggle my way free. Then I ran away, and he chased me. When he caught up, I pushed him away, but he wasn’t near the edge of the cliff then. After that, he ended up stumbling back a few yards, right over to the edge. That’s when he slipped and fell. I always felt guilty for it, because I suppose he wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for me, but I wasn’t lying when I said that’s how it happened. I didn’t push him off the cliff. I wouldn’t.”

I was silent for a moment as I gathered my thoughts. Finally, I looked back over at her.

“It wasn’t your fault he was there. He was there because he wanted to rape you. That’s on him.” I let out a heavy sigh and shook my head before continuing. “I swear, I had no idea what he was really like. But I believe you now. One hundred percent.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, her eyes wide and anxious.

I nodded. “Even the people closest to you can hide all sorts of shit from you. Like my father with me. It’s almost impossible to tell if you truly know someone these days.”

“Yeah. Like my parents too,” she said bitterly. “I would’ve never thought in a million years that they’d sell me, but here I am. Sold and enslaved.”

“Fuck.” I put my head in my hands. “Tatum, the things I did to you….. I’ll never forgive myself.”

It was her turn to be silent for a moment.

“You shouldn’t feel bad about that,” she finally said in a low voice. “I guess I understand it all after today. Why you hated me so much, and why you never believed me when I said I was innocent. You thought you had actual proof that I was lying. I would’ve hated me too.”

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