Page 50 of Mercy Lake

The only tether to the present was the shattering words from the devil before me, which I couldn’t seem to block out.

Everly didn’t give a fuck, deciding to use the opportunity to press on with her narrative. “I completed my sentence in prison… Even got out early for good behaviour. Those eight months changed me, made me think about everything that happened. I was lying to myself, trying to justify my actions by thinking I was doing what was best for my baby. In the end, I lost her anyway… What I’m trying to say is I should have never gone there with Owen. And I should have never taken it further when he thought I was you.”

Eight months?That bitch deserved the fucking death sentence. And if my old friend, rage, didn’t stop coating my vision in red, I was afraid that I would deliver that form of justice myself.

Then, her words slowly started to trickle through.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Is my rib cage concaving in on itself? Is that my arteries bursting from the onslaught of heartache?

“What? What did you just say?” I sputtered.

Everly’s eyes softened, and I wanted to rip them out. “Owen was drunk, Alexis. He thought I was you. Did you not believe him when he told you?”

“Why are you doing this to me?” I whined.What the fuck?I could feel my insides crumbling, the cavity in my chest rupturing.

“He called me by your name,” Everly said.“Your name, Lex.”

I didn’t even process moving until I was on my feet with my fist launching straight for her face. Pain cascaded through myhand and up my wrist. Everly collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from her nose.

She whimpered, sprawled over the floor, staring up at me as ifIwas the animal. We were isolated in the corner enough that the rest of the café wasn’t alerted to our altercation.

“You assaulted me,” she said in disbelief.

“That’s fucking rich—”

“Who did?” Alicia cut in. “I didn’t see anything. You see anything, sis?” She was evil-eyeing Everly over the bridge of her sunglasses. I had honestly forgotten she was there.

My top lip curled in disgust. “All I see is a conniving witch who’s finally getting her comeuppance. Now,leave, and never speak to me again.”

Emphasising my order, Alicia leant forward and emptied her full glass of water over a screeching Everly. And with her high-pitched shriek came the attention of a full-blown audience.

“Damn,” Alicia clucked, unperturbed by the spectators. “I thought you would melt. You heard the lady. BE GONE, WITCH!”

Following through with her theatrics, Alicia picked up my glass next, ready to throw that as well.

Fresh tears lined Everly’s eyes as she held up one hand in surrender as the other held onto her injured nose in an attempt to staunch the outpour of blood. She was unsuccessful, much to my delight.

“Okay, okay. I’m going.” Everly shakily raised to her feet, her head hung in repentance. “If it’s any consolation, Owen got his wish… I am forever unhappy. My parents disowned me, and my daughter primarily lives with her father, who married another woman. They’re expecting their first child together.” She hiccupped, trying to stop herself from all-out sobbing. “My daughter loves her life with her dad and her new mum. She wants nothing to do with me. I’m a stranger.”

If only I cared. “It’s no consolation. But I’m glad your daughter found better than you.”

Everly flinched. Then, a young teen working at the café approached. We could tell she was shitting herself and did not want to intervene. “Ah… is everything okay?”

Alicia huffed. “It’s about to be. This lady is a liar, predator and a thief. And since we’ve exposed her for the witch she is, she’s about to do everyone a favour—hop on her broomstick and fly the fuck out of here, never to return again. Aren’t you?” she said, her voice filled with pure venom.

Everly shook out of her stupor, her puppy dog eyes lingering on me. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. Then, she turned and left.

I sagged back into the chair, my emotions haywire and my body quivering. I wasn’t a cruel person, and I didn’t like being intentionally mean or causing others hurt. But when I saw Everly, it was like my survival instincts took over, wanting to protect myself from further harm.

I had so much to unpack from the short exchange, but one deafening thought overrode all others.

He thought it was me.

Chapter 30

OWEN

“I love you, Alexis. So fucking much it hurts.”

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