Her loud outburst reverberated all over the room, her breath ragged as her anger crawled to the surface. “You had no idea how your kind ruined my life,” she said through gritted teeth, her voice cracking. “My mother had to go through all of that because of people like you who think their beauty is a free pass.”
“Erin… I…” I started, my voice hesitant.
Erin’s gaze snapped to mine, her eyes blazing. “Don’t. You. Dare. Sympathize. With. Me. Don’t justify your fake love,” she spat, shortening the distance between us.
“Erin, I understand your pain, but don’t you think you are taking this too far?” I raised my voice with a hint of exasperation. Then I let out a sigh and added softly, “I have nothing to do with your past, and you can’t lump me in with them. I’m not-”
“Save it!” Erin spat, her hands shaking. “You’re just like them using your looks to manipulate, to control.”
I swallowed hard; her words pricked me like a thorn trapped in my skin. But I saw beyond her anger; her hurt and desperation were palpable.
She was redirecting her anger towards me just because I and her father’s mistress had one thing in common: falling for an older man. That’s it, the reason she hates me. But I recalled our last confrontation-what she said was different at that time.
“But you said you wanted to be me; you were envious of me, isn’t that….” She abruptly cut me off, her face turned sour. “Yuck… that was a lie. I never really envied you, Sarah. I just made that up…” She confessed, her words rolling out of her mouth with no breaks as she spoke with raw emotion.
My gaze fell to the ground as I teetered on how to get out of the conversation. I feared what it might turn into if I stayed longer than a minute; her eyes blazing, her voice trembling, and every fiber of her body screamed resentment, rage, and bitterness explicitly radiating from her.
Reasoning with her wouldn’t stop the storm brewing inside her, and I feared her vendetta ran deeper than I imagined, all directed toward me.
Erin stepped back and smiled mischievously; her anger dissipated, replaced by her usual annoying expression. “So you know now…” she said, her voice low and steady as if she hadn’t blown up moments ago.
“Now I know why. But it still doesn’t change anything. I know you don’t plan on letting me go. Do you?” I asked, keeping a straight face. “You want to punish me for someone else’s mistake; you even tried….” I hesitated intentionally, preparing to say my next words. “Poisoning me…”
Her lips parted in amusement; a chuckle escaped her lips. “Oh, you still think that chicken was poisoned,” she said, containing her laughter that threatened to tear from her throat. “But Miss Ross ate it she isn’t dead yet…”
She then leaned in closer, our faces merely apart. “You should know that I was just mentally tormenting you, as you told Mr. Clinton…” she whispered, her tone dripping with malice.
With that said, she turned around and left the study, leaving me wondering why the hell I was placed in such a situation.
I let out a sharp sigh in frustration, knowing fully well that my confrontation with her had just flared her hatred even more. It seemed I had dug up her old wounds by seeking resolution.
I stood there, remaining reeling from Erin’s venomous words, the past trauma she spilled out, and the incoming threats that would follow. One thing was clear: she wouldn’t stop until she made me give up on loving Mr. Clinton. And it was obvious she was ready to do anything to achieve that, even going so far as to use chilling pranks and stupid games to manipulate me and everyone.
Gods know what she is planning next, and I don’t have the profound IQ to figure it out.
But before her schemes could escalate further, I knew I had to break free from her grasp. Erin’s grip on me was suffocating, and I couldn’t let her manipulate me anymore.
Seeking refuge, I stayed up in my room, letting the hours tick by until the clock struck midnight. I’d noticed Mr. Clinton usually stayed awake at midnight, busy with his laptop-probably working or keeping in touch with my father. I needed this opportunity to explain everything to him, hoping Erin wouldn’t eavesdrop.
I was certain she would be asleep, so I cautiously descended the stairs and made my way to Mr. Clinton’s room.
I gently knocked on his door, looking over my shoulders, afraid that Erin might pop out of nowhere.
It seemed the heavens were on my side tonight; there was no sight of Erin.
I hoped.
“Is that Sarah?” I heard Mr. Clinton call out from inside, his voice low and even, which meant he was wide awake, maybe not even prepared to go to sleep yet.
Perfect timing.
“Yes, can I come in?” I asked, and he responded fairly quickly.
“Yes…”
I entered his room and closed the door gently behind me.
I took a seat beside him and got straight to my point. “I’m sorry to barge in like this, but it’s urgent and important. Give me your utmost attention… don’t interrupt me.”
He paused in what he was doing and glanced at me suspiciously. “That seems more like a command than a request,” he said, putting his device away, his gaze fixed on me intently. “Go switch on the light; I don’t feel comfortable talking to you under dim light.”
“Ouch, that’s a direct statement,” I said, rolling my eyes.
I did what he asked and returned beside him.
Mr. Clinton’s gaze never wandered from me, his eyes intently focused on me. “So what’s so urgent?”
I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “It’s about…” I hesitated, my doubt resurfacing. Would he even believe the situation to be serious? Erin had already made him believe that it was all a prank, a sick joke.
I pushed aside the nagging thought and shrugged off my feeling of helplessness. “It’s about…”
“Erin…” he interrupted me, his expression unreadable. “Go on, I’m listening.”
A warm sense of relief washed over me, followed by a spark of hope. His willingness to listen was like a balm to my frazzled nerves.
“I’m glad you are willing to listen, and I hope you also hear me out,” I said, my voice filled with gratitude.
Mr. Clinton’s expression softened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I am all ears, Sarah.”
His gentle tone wrapped around me like a hug. For the first time in these past few days of Erin’s torment, I finally felt like I wasn’t alone.
I took a deep breath, but my words kept tumbling out in a rush. “Erin, she’s… crazy. She is angry, resentful, and she is taking it out on me; she’s lashing out at me…”
“Shush… slow down,” he placed his finger on my lips, his gaze soft and gentle as he leaned in closer and whispered.
“I know; I heard everything she said.”