Page 103 of Bittersweet Revenge

“Hello, Esmeralda,” said a voice behind me.

“Miss White?” I asked in shock. No, it wasn’t possible; this had to be a mistake. She’d been so nice to me, so welcoming and supportive. Why would she want me dead?

She slipped behind me, wrapping her free arm around my neck. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Esme, but you are too stubborn for your own good.”

I tried to move within her grasp, but she tightened her arm around my neck. She was much stronger than she seemed. “But you were my friend. I liked you!” I was hoping that I could talk her down. It didn’t have to come to this. "Whatever it is, I’m sure we can fix it.”

Jacklyn was staring at us, her back against the wall by the door, her hands clasped against her heart. I wouldn't blame her if she bolted. Hell, I would even approve.

Anne White pressed the gun a bit more firmly against my temple. “I told you to stop looking. I told you nothing good would come from it, but you didn’t listen.” Her voice was quivering, with anger or fear I wasn’t sure, but it didn't fit the ‘stone-cold killer’ persona she was trying to invoke.

“I did listen. I stopped!” And I'd done it only because I'd believed her. Why had I been that stupid?

“Don’t lie to me. Everybody lies. I can’t take it anymore,” she growled.

“I’m not lying. We started the whole investigation when you tried to kill me with the wine. That is what made us speed up.”

“The wine was not for you; it was for her!” She jerked her head toward Jacklyn, who took an involuntary step toward us. “Don’t move or I swear you’ll have to scrape her brains from your wall,” Anne barked at Jacklyn before turning back to me. “James always told me how high she was on her meds. An overdose wouldn’t have been suspicious. It would have been kind really.”

The gun shook against my head, making it all even more terrifying. She was unstable enough to just pull the trigger by accident at this point.

“You were supposed to be back! I heard them talk in the corridor. Your son said you would be back and I knew what a train wreck you are. You can’t resist Gewurst! You were supposed to drink the wine and die. Why didn’t you die?!” she cried out. “If you did, James would have been free and he would have married me like he promised.”

Jacklyn threw me a worried look, bringing her hands up in surrender. “James made me the train wreck I am, just as he made you the woman holding a gun at an innocent child's head. With or without me, James wouldn’t have picked you. He would not leave me for anyone. Killing Esmeralda won’t help you with that.”

“Esmeralda brought this on herself,” she spat.

I prayed Caleb would realize I was missing. I hoped Taylor would call someone, anyone. I’d been gone longer than planned.

My heart was in my throat. I didn't want to die. Why was life so determined to kill me? I started to sweat. I had so much more to do, so much more to say. I couldn’t go now. Caleb needed to know how I felt.

“Please, Miss White, I swear I don't know anything. Just let us go.”

She laughed. “I’m not stupid. I would not make it as far as the property boundary before being gunned down like a dog. You should never have sent someone to Oklahoma. This was none of your business.”

“Is that why you cut the brakes on my car? Because you thought I sent someone to investigate you?”

“No, I cut the brakes of your car because of the yearbook, because you kept looking into me when I told you to stop. I thought you would die and when that stupid bitch Aleksandra died in your stead, I thought you would be scared and smart enough to let it go. I liked you enough to give you another chance to reconsider and make the right choice, but you had to keep on going! Because of you, he doesn’t want me anymore! He said I'd gone too far and then told me to leave and never come back. He said we were through for good just because of precious little Esmeralda Forbes.” She sneered. “Perfect. Little. Esmeralda. Forbes.” She tapped the barrel against my temple with each word.

“No, we didn't send anyone there. We didn't want to waste resources on someone we didn't think was relevant. I didn't send anyone to Oklahoma, I swear.”

“You did,” she insisted. “Your little boyfriend from Missouri, he talked to the wrong people, Esmeralda.”

“No, she didn’t send him. I did,” Caleb announced, sidling into the room followed by his father, who was looking at White with murder in his eyes.

I felt both strangely at peace and terrified to have him in the room with me and the unstable woman with a gun.

“Anna, what do you think you’re doing?” James asked coldly, his eyes on the weapon.

Ah, he knew who she really was. I glanced at Caleb. He was looking around the room trying to assess the situation, but his eyes always came back to the gun against my head.

“Anna, come on. I’ll take you home.”

“This is all on you! You will not mess with my head again. I don’t believe you anymore. You played me for twenty years! No more!” She spat at James, some of her spittle covering my cheek.

“Just put the gun down, Anna, and let’s talk,” James tried again, bringing a hand forward in a pacifying gesture.

She shook her head. “I hate you! I finally hate you…” she sobbed, the gun shaking against my head again.

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