Page 214 of Seeds of Malice

Only this time, it's not a charade.

Ivy catches her breath and then realization crosses her face. She narrows her eyes at me. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Of course I didn't!"

"Y-you did. You were mad at me, so you decided to destroy my life," she accuses, more tears falling.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I state.

"You... I trusted you!" she cries out, then sobs.

Professor Dyer tugs her back into his arms.

Rage fills me. I push him away, "Get your hands off of her." I slide my hand around her waist.

"Don't touch me!" Ivy orders.

Anger builds within me. "Ivy, I didn't do this."

"Everything we've done! Everything!" she yells.

Dyer maintains his innocence as he explains, "It came up on the screen. I couldn't get it off."

I curse myself. I should have taken all the footage we had and destroyed it or put it in my safe. I mutter, "I'm going to kill you."

Ivy sniffles. "How could you do this to me? You said you would always protect me."

I step toward her, and she backs up. She pushes my chest. "Don't you dare touch me." She rushes down the hall.

I follow her.

She exits the building and rushes down the steps toward the parking lot.

I catch up to her and grab her arm.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieks.

I pull her into me. As always, she feels like she's meant to be in my arms.

We'll work this out.

Even if she fucked Dyer, we'll work it out.

She fucked Avery.

I'll keep my sister away from her from now on.

Ivy sobs for a minute and then pushes me away again, seething, "How could you? Just because you're mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you."

"Stop lying to me. I know you're mad at me, but you made me do all that stuff," she declares.

A new rage fills me. I accuse, "I made you fuck Avery?"

She gapes.

"Yeah, don't worry. I knew about it before today."

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