Page 68 of Into The Rabbit Hole

Richard was Aaron, the psycho. How could thisbe?

“No, it’s not true.” Her voice was so faint she barely recognized it. She didn’t even know she was talking. It seemed to just resonate from her. Maybe from her injuredheart.

“Unfortunately, my dear Taylor, it is.” He smiled that smile again, making her skincrawl.

“How could you be him? We were together for two years. I loved you.” She did. That was the bottom line. He’d hurt her, but during that time they were together she loved him with all that she had in her. How could he be that person whose sole purpose was to destroy herfamily?

His face changed. The manic presence there faded and looked like the Richard sheknew.

“And I loved you. That was the problem. How could I? You were my ticket into the family, my inside view. You gave me exactly what I needed to know to pull off my operation to end youall.”

It couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be. She refused to believe it. Refused to believe itall.

“Why, why would you use me like that? You must have known how I felt about you? What about your wife andchildren?”

“My wife knew my strategy all along. She was a willing participant who understood what needed to be done. She knew it was all an act until it became real. Until my feelings for you became real. When you saw me at the mall, that was just an accident, a careless accident that worked in my favor to end my relationship withyou.”

“You came to the house to see me, you had a ring.” The tears were coming so fast she could barelysee.

“I know you. I knew that after that, after finding out I had a wife and children, you’d never want to be with me. That was just to mess with you and sow the seeds to make you hate me. I knew you’d come to my apartment at some point and that homewrecker scandal was just another tactic you landed yourself in. Why? You’re the beautiful, revered Taylor Vanderville. You don’t come second to anyone, you love being in the limelight, you love yourself, and the most beautiful thing about you is you love others, too. You’re a conceited bitch with a heart. A damn angel. That is your biggest downfall, because when I hurt you, you couldn’t leave well enough alone. You needed to understand why I did what I did to someone like you, who loved me with everything youhad.”

It made her sick. She could literally throw up. He knew her so well, knew her thoughts, knew the motives behind her actions, and used them againsther.

“You are pure evil,” shecried.

“No, that’s Ben. Notme.”

“You tried to kill me. You ran me off theroad.”

He shook his head. “No, that wasn’t me. I could never dothat.”

“That was me,” said a voice from across the room. She turned her head in time to see Zeek coming into the room, which she could see, now, had all sorts of surgical instruments in it. “I ran you off the road. Shame you didn’tdie.”

She looked back to Richard—Aaron—and tried to search hiseyes.

“Meh.” He shrugged and thenguffawed.

“Where’s Chloe?” Enough talk. She didn’t want to hear anymore. This was all socrazy.

“Oh God, I do beg your pardon,” Aaron said, smiling. He moved out of the way and she sawChloe.

Taylor screamed. Chloe was asleep. Attached to her was a bomb vest just like Taylor’s, but next to her was the decomposed body of a headless man, sitting in a chair, with maggots coming out of hisbody.

As Zeek threw what looked like sugar all over his body, Taylor passed out again from the disgustingsight.