Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
How was I to know that he’d find the strength to fight his own damn demons and slip my well-placed noose? And why the hell is my mind so sharply vivid at a time like this? Beneath the pain of withdrawal, my life kept replaying itself like an old black-and-white movie.
As I laid curled into the fetal position on the bed, my body wracked with pain, and my mind flitted from one memory to the next until I wanted to scream, but I didn’t have the energy left to do even that. After the call from Mom, which is when I learned about the stipulation of her banishment from the house, I crawled my way up the stairs.
That Jessica person had made herself scarce, probably well aware that I was itching for a fight, and she couldn’t even give me that. It’s not lost on me that I’d sunk as low as a person could go. I was now at the mercy of someone I had always seen as beneath me. No doubt MengeLiNi had planned this all out with that very intent.
For someone I’m convinced is no older than twelve, she’s very vicious. I can believe that she’s as young as that because I was once that age. In fact, it was about that time that my obsession with Ryder began. Though as time went by I realized that my obsession didn’t end there. There was just something about the love those two shared that I wanted.
That’s why watching Elena suffer, helping drag her name through the mud from behind the scenes, and keeping a running campaign of hate and agony going against her had given me such warmth and comfort in the early days of my marriage.
I loved knowing that I had taken the thing she loved most, and there was nothing she could do about it. It’s not my fault that the public believed the well-placed stories I’d planted and ran with them. Neither was it my fault that her man had believed my lies. If he really loved her, he wouldn’t have now, would he?
So what had changed? Why had he suddenly seen beneath my mask? I was sure that it never slipped; at least I wasn’t that stupid. But something had to have happened that set him on the trail to recovery. And why, as soon as he recovered, did he run back to her?
I’m sure those are the very questions the public will start asking themselves, especially now after that press conference where he shared everything and then some. I never expected him to do that. If there’s one thing I know about the industry, it is that no one ever tells the real story.
No one ever takes the blame with anything more than a shoddy apology but no real substance. But today Ryder had bared his soul and thrown me to the wolves. Now that I think about it, staying behind closed doors might be the best thing for me all around. Now that everyone knew the truth about their breakup and my part in it, it wouldn’t be long before they were everyone’s favorite couple once again, and I, of course, would become the villain in everyone’s eyes.
“Are you in pain?”
‘What is it to you?” I glared at her as she stood in the doorway.
“Well, you’re screaming loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. Unless you want someone calling the cops, you should probably keep it down. You wouldn’t want the press knowing where you’re hiding out, do you?”
“Screaming?” I wasn’t screaming; was I screaming? “Why is the bed so wet? Did you do this?” Why is she just standing there shaking her head at me? I sat up and fell back immediately as the room spun. The bed was soaked, and I realized almost absently that it was me; I was sweating profusely, and my body felt heavy, then light, then heavy again.
“What’s happening? What’s going on?” Instead of an answer, she huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’ll get you some soup.”
“I don’t want anything from you. I don’t trust you.” I felt something warm on my fingers and realized I’d scratched myself until I tore the flesh.
“It’s all part of the service.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? Part of my reason for being here is to keep an eye on you while you detox from whatever the hell you’re on.”
“Why would you do that?” That doesn’t make sense. Why would she, of all people, help me? It must be some sick joke thought up by that twisted little bitch.
“Because I’m not you. I don’t like to see people suffer, not even my worst enemy.” She closed the door and left before I could answer her. It doesn’t matter; I wouldn’t eat anything she made if it was served on a gold plate. Besides, I wasn’t hungry anyway.