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Evil

The thrill of the hunt and the sweet taste of justice—my adrenaline surges just thinking about them. There’s nothing quite like it. All these years I’ve dreamed of doing this, and now that it’s here, a reality of my own making, it’s so much sweeter than I could have ever imagined.

Those women with their smug smiles and their deceitful ways, they thought they could ruin my life and simply move on.

They were so very wrong.

They were dead wrong.

The satisfaction of making them pay, of finally balancing the scales is a balm to the wounds they inflicted upon people—the wounds they inflicted upon me.

Those wounds destroyed my future and they knew it. They knew what they were doing then. They weren’t sorry. It was just as thrilling for them to cut me down as it is for me to end them.

The scene of chasing Robin through her immaculate house comes back to me and elicits a smile like no other. That model home was the very symbol of the life she built on her lies.

Her panic was palpable.

Hearing her scream was exhilarating.

Just witnessing the fear taking hold of her, and seeing the realization in her eyes that her actions had consequences, it was so deeply satisfying. It’s something I’ve needed for so very long and I will treasure those moments forever.

Then to end her life with my own two hands, to extinguish that spark of treachery once and for all—it was poetry in motion. It left me with a satisfaction that resonated down to my very core.

Of course, I have something other than satisfaction.

I hold the small glass vial in front of me with just over an ounce of sanguine liquid in it. But just knowing it came from Robin’s dying body gives me pleasure.

I won’t let a drop of it go to waste. I can’t. I worked too hard to get it.

But with Brittney, oh, with Brittney, the game is far from over.

I’ve been saving her, keeping her close to me, and it’s a pleasure all its own. I’m savoring her terror, enjoying every moment of my day knowing that her day is warped with fear of the unknown and that her future is just out of reach.

And those rats.

A laugh pumps through me.

It was a stroke of genius on my part. What better way to add a little more torment while I’m not there?

But those rats are just the beginning. A mere taste of what’s to come. And judging by the way she screamed on and on, long after I shut the door, lets me know it’s a fitting terror for the woman who has been nothing but a terror to me.

She’s been getting off easy so far, but all that’s about to change. I’ve planned something special, something that will break her spirit the way she broke mine.

This isn’t about revenge.

It’s about taking back my life, piece by shattered piece. Each moment of their fear, of their suffering, is a step in the right direction when it comes to redeeming the past.

Those monsters took everything from me, but now I’m the one in control.

It’s their turn to lose everything, piece by piece until there’s nothing left but the memory of their torment.

Robin’s life is done and destroyed, just the way she destroyed mine.

And as for Brittney, she’ll wish I had ended her life quickly like Robin’s.

We all know that some fates are worse than death, and I’m going to ensure she experiences every agonizing moment of what I’m about to give her.

A dark sense of joy rises in me at the thought.

But for now, there are others that must be dealt with. Another monster that needs her life taken down a notch or two.

Those monsters think I’ve forgotten the way they’ve treated me. But I’ve simply written down their names on the blackboard of my mind.

It’s time to take roll call again.

And the next name on my list is Sophie Clarke.

Don’t worry, Soph. I know exactly where to find you.

You can run, but you can’t hide.