Page 57 of Poison Vows

My chest is heaving faster and faster, while my fists are clenched at my sides as if I’m about to deck this girl and break her nose, but I hold steady.

“Y-you c-can’t do t-that,” Melissa stutters, her eyes now wide with fear and anger, but I don’t care.

“Do you know where I was just now?” I whisper like we’re gossiping. “I was at the emergency room and had my blood drawn and tested. This will also be evidence used to show that I was drugged. Seeing as that drug was not the usual, date rape drug and was likely custom-made, I bet its only available to your bougie little friends! I’m sure it won’t be long until the police also find the link between you and Jackson and how you know each other.”

As soon as I say that Melissa starts backing away, her chin trembling, eyes wide with potent, unmasked fear, and that only makes my suspicion grow even bigger.

Gotcha!

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she shouts unconvincingly. I can’t help but laugh.

“Tell me, Melissa, since you grew up in the spotlight, in a world where reputation and rumors can make or break a person, not forgetting, of course, your daddy’s plan of running for president, what would happen if the world suddenly finds out that you, the so-called first daughter wannabe and model to all girls in the land, are nothing but a druggie and co-conspirator for rape? Hey, words like human trafficker would also appear!”

A loud gasp escapes her lips, and echoes in the foyer.

“No, no…” she stutters, backing away.

The terror in her eyes is spectacular, but I can’t enjoy it. The palpable fear of what happened to me last night is still clinging to me.

“Do your loving parents know that you’re about to cause their downfall?”

I pretend to mull it over, as if I’m really concerned, but I can already guess.

Beverly thinks she has the perfect life.

Perfect husband. Perfect daughter. Perfect reputation.

But it was all bought in blood and the screams of an abandoned newborn baby.

She discarded everything that didn’t fit in her plan, to build a life she wanted.

Public servants and socialites by day. Underhanded, evil, and malicious greed behind closed doors, selling daughters to monsters and reaping the benefits by night.

No wonder Melissa did this.

Her own parents have no reservations or morals. Why should she have any when she hasn’t seen an example?

Either way, that isn’t an excuse. She’s old enough to know better.

She simply doesn’t care and those are the worst kinds of people, manipulating other people to get what they want.

“Y-you!” Melissa cries, pointing at my face. “You’re obviously making things up just to slander me!”

“Oh sweetheart, we can’t have anyone falsely accuse you of such illicit behavior,” I soothe mockingly. “That’s why I said the police, likely the Special Victims Unit, will do a thorough investigation. I trust that the senator’s ‘good’ work over the last few years of upholding justice in the state of New York will not fail us.”

Even if I really did go to the police here, I’m sure Senator Hughes would find a way to bury everything, but if push really comes to shove, I’ll pull some strings.

I don’t have friends in extremely high places for nothing…

But of course Melisa hasn’t thought that far, judging by the way she starts quivering with fear.

“Well, before you can do that, I’ll have your face plastered all over the internet!” she threatens weakly, making me laugh.

“Go right ahead.”

“What?” Melissa pauses and looks at me as if she’s dumbfounded.

“I said, go ahead.” I walk away and plop my ass on the suede chaise lounge below the stairs, watching my sister. “Have at it. We look almost identical to people who don’t know any better, so guess who they’ll immediately think it is?”

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