Page 126 of Tear Me Apart

“Oh yes, he died. I took care of that for us. I paid theprice. I lost a year of my life foryou. You never even knew what I did for you.”

Lauren’s eyes are furious, and Juliet cringes.

“What do you mean?”

“He was molesting you.”

“What? No, he wasn’t. I would remember!”

“I found him in your bedroom, on top of you. I had to stop him. I cut his throat. Mom helped me. She made me swear never to talk to you about him.”

“You’re telling me you murdered our stepfather, and our mother helped?”

Lauren turns off as quickly as a switch flipped. She turns her head to the side, evaluating Juliet. “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.”

“Of course it matters.” A penny drops. “You didn’t go away to school. You went to jail.”

“I went to a fucking mental hospital with a bunch of criminally insane schizophrenics, so you could be safe and warm in mommy’s arms. No one ever worried about me. I was the one who had to deal with him. I was the one who had to deal with the consequences.”

Juliet’s memory feels foggy, but she is having a hard time believing this story. She would remember if she’d been molested. She remembers everything—except the face of the man who was her stepfather.

Her gorge rises, and she chokes it down. “Why would Mom help you cover up a murder? That’s wrong.”

“She figured out he was diddling her kids. When she found out the truth, well, Mom was sorry she didn’t cut his throat herself.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Haven’t you ever wondered why you and Mom weren’t close? She always resented you. I was her favorite, and I had to go to that place, and she was stuck with you. I was the one who suffered all his attention. I was the one who got pregnant. I was the one who sacrificed my life. All because we had to protect sweet, innocent little Juliet.”

“Was there a trial? Were you convicted?” A connection forms. “Wait, you were pregnant?”

“I miscarried.”

Juliet feels uncomfortably warm. Something is wrong. And at this point, she has no idea what to believe, whether this is plausible or not, when another, even more horrid thought hits her.I’ve handled threats to this family before.

And it all comes together for her. The rage, the sadness. Her infertile sister, already off balance, who would do anything to have a child to love.

“You met Vivian Armstrong in the hospital, didn’t you? You stayed friends with her all those years, and when the time came, you murdered her and stole her child for your own. You sicken me.”

Lauren waves her hand like a queen to a crowd. “You are nothing to me.”

“Is that why Detective Gorman came out here, because you killed our stepfather, and he figured it out and tracked you down? He knew you were tied to Vivian. He knew about Mindy. He came to confront you, and you killed him.”

The serene smile doesn’t leave Lauren’s face, though one edge of her lip quirks. There is pride in her face, in her smile. Pride at stopping the threat to her family.

“Oh, my God, Lauren. What have you done? Who are you?”

“Gorman was in the way. It was the most expedient thing to do. I’ve spent my life clearing a path for Mindy to have the world. Now that she’s received the stem cells, she’s going to be healed, and get back on her skis, and she’s going to have an incredible life. Just as she should. And if anyone tries to hurt her, or stop her, I will make sure they are taken care of.”

Juliet sits heavily.

“You’re mad. You’re absolutely insane.”

“I’m the sanest person you’ll ever talk to, little sister. I have my priority, and it’s my daughter. It’s always been Mindy. Everything I’ve done for the past seventeen years has been for her.”

“What do you think Mindy will feel like when she finds out her mother is a murderer?”

“She will never know.”