by Sienna Grant
“I’d like you to meet Margie Mae Campbell, your assistant.”
“Fuck off! Is that really the same person?”
“Unfortunately, yeah.”
Jumping up from the couch, I pace the floor, hands on my hips, trying to think. With every step I take, a sick feeling settles into the pit of my stomach. I don’t have a good feeling about this.
“It’s definitely her?”
“Absolutely. Reagan, she’s psycho. Do you remember what she did when she found out you and Luis were together?”
“She went crazy. Tore his dorm apart and everything.” My eyes are wide when I look to Ruby.”
“Yes. She ripped up all his textbooks. She spread rumors about him and—”
“Oh fuck. She has to be the one who broke into our dorm room. We never could prove who did it.”
“She disappeared not long after.”
“But…but why? I don’t understand. Why come back now? And do you think she remembers me?”
“She must. Why else would all of these bad things start happening to you as soon as she appears in your life?”
Running into the bedroom, I change out of my shorts and tank top and into the nearest pair of jeans I can find, a new shirt, and my Converse. I grab my keys from the breakfast counter and my cell from next to Ruby, and head to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to see Hayden. I have to make him see she’s not who he thinks she is.
I don’t hang around. I don’t have the time. Grabbing my keys from the kitchen counter, I run out into the hallway and open the front door. Ruby joins me after pulling the door closed behind her and we head for the elevators to take us down to the parking lot.
Once we’re in my car and belted in, I tear out onto the road and head for mom’s.
Sixty-Four
Reagan
My brakes screech as I come to a sudden halt outside Mom’s house.
Jumping out of the car, I run to the front door finding the key on my ring with my car keys. The car door slams behind me and Ruby joins me. I don’t have much patience tonight, so I bang on the door again.
The door opens and my brother is standing there with a scowl on his face. “Reagan? What the hell?”
“Hayden, thank the lord. I need to speak to you.” Pushing past him, I go into the house, Ruby hot on my heels.
“What’s this about?”
Nodding in Ruby’s direction, I ask her to show Hayden what she showed me earlier.
“All I want to say is I’m sorry.” Stepping up to him, I stand in front of my brother and tip my head back to look up at him. I’ve always admired him, and I still do. I’m glad I have the change to step in to help him see he’s making a mistake. “I don’t want to do this, but you have to listen to me. It’s about Margie…”
“Fucking figures. Not this again, Reag. What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?”
“Hayden, I’m trying to protect you. Just look at the pictures. Please?”
Ruby pulls up the photos and holds her cell phone out to Hayden.
With a heavy sigh, he takes the device and starts flicking through the photos. Ruby and I exchange a nervous look, and I turn my gaze back to my brother. I can only watch his reactions and wait. My brother is way too laid back, and too many people take advantage of his good nature. And, unfortunately, he’s not one to notice that he’s being used. First Penny, and now Margie, who is just using him to get to me. If only I could get him to see that.
“I’m not even sure what I’m looking at. So, she’s changed her appearance. I think she looks good.”
“Hayden, she looks like me, did you not happen to notice that? She went to college with us. She said she had no family. Up until a year ago, her family were very much alive. She hid who she is and changed her name and appearance and now she’s done it again.” Taking hold of his arms, I attempt to get him to listen to me. “Hayden, you have to believe me. There’s something wrong with her.”
“That’s fucking enough, Reagan. You’re just jealous of her. She told me about everything at work…and she’s worried about you, we all are. Maybe you should see someone.”
Stepping back from him, my mouth drops open in shock. “What? See who?”
“A shrink. You’re under a lot of stress. You know I love you and I always will. I just want you to get help.”
“Me? It’s not me who needs the fucking help, it’s that crazy bitch. She implemented everything. She’s trying to get me fired, trying to break Everett and me up. And now I find out she falsified her work history and grades. Hayden, she’s a fucking college dropout.”
“You have proof of that?”
“Well… no. You have to believe me…”
“…Stop!” Hayden cuts me off. “Maybe she got them somewhere else. There are community colleges, you know. Stop being such a snob. Not everyone can afford to go to a major college. And not everyone can get a scholarship either.”
“Hayden?”
“Margie has told me how shitty you are to her at work. I’m not having it, Reagan. She’s told me how you bully her. How she had to ring your superior and tell him about it. She cried. I think it’s you that needs to take a good look at herself. You’re not all that, Reagan.”
“Me? Hayden. How could you say that? You’re my brother.”
“Margie and I are together and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Mom’s happy for us. Why can’t you be?”
“Because she can’t fucking fool me. Not anymore.”
The door opens behind us and we all look at the same time. Mom and Margie walk in together, laughing.
“Oh, Reagan. Hey, sweetheart.”
“Mom.” I nod, swallowing past the dryness of my throat.
“Hey, Reagan.” Margie lifts her hand up in a wave. “Hey, Ruby.” Her light and breezy voice annoys me to no end, I want to rip her fucking head off. I’m so sick of this sweet and innocent act when I know so much better.
“Margie,” my brother and I say at the same time.
“Ask her,” I tell my brother in a low voice.
With narrowed eyes and tight lips, he turns to Margie. “I have to ask you something… Where’s your family?”
Right on cue, it’s like someone’s turned on a tap and the waterworks start. Her eyes turn glassy and she drops her head to look at the floor as she whimpers. “I’ve told you, Hayden, they’re dead. I hate talking about it.”
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” He goes to her, wrapping her in his arms and cradling her head.
“When did they die, Margie?” I ask not giving a fuck. She’s not even crying. She can turn it on and off like a switch.
“Reagan,” Hayden snaps.
“A while ago, but it still really hurts. I just can’t bear to talk about it.”
“Where did you get your qualifications, Margie?”
“I’m putting a stop to this right now,” Mom butts in. “Reagan, you’re my daughter and I love you very much, but this has to stop, right now. I won’t have you come to my house and accuse this poor girl of things that are out of her control. The poor girl has nobody but us.”
“She’s crazy.” I close my eyes and an impatient sigh leaves my lips. “Can you not grasp that? She’s trying to turn you against me because of something innocent that I did at college.”
Mom’s eyebrows pull together as she looks between us, her eyes narrowing slightly. College? What’s this got to with college?
Twisting my lips up to the side, I look at mom then Margie. Now she has to listen to me. “College is where it all started. Obviously, we didn’t know that until today.”
“Oh Reagan, college has been a while ago now. You’ve always had an overactive mind.”
“She wants my job. You both know my job is my life and you’d see me with nothing?”
“No, we want you to see a doctor. We’ll stand by you. You have a stressful job. You just need a break sweethea
rt.” “Yeah, so Hayden has already said.” I burst into laughter and I shake my head in disbelief. “Thing is, I’m not the one who needs help.”
Mom steps up to me and takes me firmly by the shoulders, “go home and get a good night’s sleep, everything will look better in the morning,”
“You have to believe her.” Ruby stands forward. “It’s me who found all this out, not Reagan. Margie has twisted everything. I was there when everything went down at college. I know what she did.”
With another shake of my head, I look at Ruby. “It’s okay, let’s go.”
“No, Reagan. It’s not fair. I won’t let her make them believe you’re crazy.”
Putting my hand on Ruby’s shoulder to soothe her a little. “It’s alright, honestly. I have you and Everett.” I emphasize Everett’s name and look at Margie, smirking.
Try harder, bitch.
“You know Dad would be turning in his grave to see you treating me like this. He’d believe me,” I spit out at my family. “You make me sick.”
I don’t give my mom or Hayden a chance to say anything else. I turn my back to them and go to the door. Once it’s open, I glance back over my shoulder and see Ruby still standing in front of them, looking between them all. Margie looks around Hayden’s body and our eyes meet. I can see the vindictiveness in those green eyes, and they narrow at me before a sneer plays on her lips. Bitch, I think to myself, and, luckily, I don’t voice it out loud.
When Ruby has finally begun to move towards me, I storm out. I unlock the Corvette, get in, and start the engine. I’m absolutely furious. I tap my fingers on the steering wheel, silently telling Ruby to hurry up. I need to get away from here. Once Ruby is in the car and fastens her seatbelt, I pull away, speeding off back to my apartment.
I park in my spot and see Everett’s car. We head up to my place, and find Everett sitting on the floor outside my door, dressed in sweatpants and a shirt, his legs stretched out in front of him. When he turns his head our way, he smiles. “Where have you been?”
“I’ll tell you inside.”
Standing to his full height, he wraps his arms around my waist from behind and we make our way inside without an inch between us. I love that we’re back together, I’ve missed him so fucking much.
Ruby follows us inside and locks the door behind her.
“You know, if you got me a key, I wouldn’t have to sit outside,” Everett tells me.
I turn my head to the side and smile, but I don’t answer.
Everett grabs us some sodas from the fridge, then the three of us gather at the breakfast bar.
“We have so much to tell you.”
“I better order pizza.” Everett says pulling his cell from his pocket.
Sixty-Five
Margie
Things are getting too damn messy.
Her best friend, Ruby fucking Spencer, just had to play internet detective and figure out who I am. She always has thought she was better than everyone else, but then again, so has Reagan. But she’s going to get her comeuppance.
After they left, it was all Hayden and his mother could talk about. I wanted to tell them to shut up. Her constant whining and going on and on about how upset she was, and all her crying… I’m so sick of this sickly sweet, family. They’re so fucking gullible. Give someone a sob story and they’ll eat out of your hands. I can’t count the number of times I rolled my eyes when they weren’t looking.
I don’t see my family because I don’t fucking want to. They would have locked me up in a mental institution if I’d stuck around.
I had to get out of there and get home, so I had Hayden drop me off. He doesn’t know where I live though; I always ask him to drop me off at the store, making some feeble excuse that I need something from there. When we first started seeing each other, he offered to wait for me and take me home with my groceries. Why did he have to be so goddamn noble? A small part of me actually likes him. He’s a good kisser and knows exactly which button to press to have me screaming his name. But all good things must come to an end.
Reagan Quinn’s time is coming, and if I have to take down every single member of her family, I will. I already have Hayden and their mother right where I want them: wrapped around my little finger. It was all too easy. I’m almost disappointed they didn’t give me more of a challenge. I do love a good game.
My whole existence right now is a game.
It’s all Reagan’s fault. If it hadn’t been for her, I would have graduated from college. I would be married to the love of my life right now, not shacked up in some little shithole wishing things could have been different.
I’m sick of seeing her smug face. I feel like every time she looks at me, she’s laughing at me.
I have to put an end to it all.
That bitch will not make me look like an idiot again. I’ll win this time.
Reagan Quinn will find out that I’m not to be fucked with.
Sixty-Six
Reagan
Everett and I spent all weekend together. It was heaven. He didn’t even make me run. That was a godsend. In fact, come to think of it, neither did he. He stayed in bed with me.
I haven’t heard from my brother or my mom, they obviously still think I’m in the wrong, but I have every intention of finding out the truth. I’ll show them I’m not fucking crazy. Then they’ll be sorry.
I wish my dad was here more than anything. I’m so much like him. We always had the same good intentions, the same thoughts, everything. Mom always said we were carved from the same stone. It made me happy to know that we were so alike.
Brushing down my suit, I look in the mirror and take a deep breath.
“Knock ’em dead, baby.” Everett stands in front of me, kisses my nose, and smiles.
I slide my hands up over his shoulders. “What if Terry believes everything Margie has said? What if I can’t prove that it wasn’t me who did all this? I’m not a bully. If he fires me for that, it’ll follow me around for the rest of my life.”
He frames my face in his hands and looks deeply into my eyes. “Baby, I know you’re not a bully. It’s just a meeting, hold your head high and fight like the Reagan Quinn that I know and love.
“Okay. “Let me drop you off. That way when you’re done, I can come get you.”
“You think he’s going to fire me, don’t you?”
“Terry Hicks isn’t one to play the book, believe me. In fact, I can call Joy and tell her I’ll be in later and to reschedule any meetings I have.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.” A tired sigh leaves my lips. “I’ll be fine.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering.”
I know he won’t back down, but I don’t want him having to come to my rescue. I’ve never had to rely on a man before and I’m not about to start now. “No. This is on me. It’s my fight.”
With his arms threaded around my waist, he pulls me flush against his body. “Whatever happens today, just remember that I love you.”
I press my lips against his, clutching his biceps, before pulling away. “I love you too.”
After finally going our separate ways, I head for the office. There’s a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach and no matter how much I try to will it away, it’s not leaving. But as I step from the elevator and make my way into the office, I follow Everett’s advice and hold my head high. I’ve done nothing wrong.
I look around the large space after Terry’s assistant tells me to take a seat while I wait for him to finish up. My clasped hands twist in my lap as my nerves begin to get the better of me. I take a deep breath in and slowly blow it out just as I hear his voice calling my name.
Getting up from the chair and straightening my clothes I turn the knob and walk in with my head up and my back straight, ready for anything he throws at me.
“Reagan, I’m sorry I’m not seeing you on better terms. But it is what it is.” Steepling his fingers together with his elbows resting on
the desk, he looks up at me. “Take a seat.”
I sit on the chair across from him, cross my legs, and place my hands in my lap.
“As you know, you’ve been brought in today regarding allegations of bullying and tampering with a company contract. I’ve done my own investigation and can only come to one conclusion…” My stomach flips and I think I’m going to be sick. “I’m afraid—”
“Can you at least hear my side before you get to be the judge, jury, and executioner?”
“If you think it’s necessary.”
“I did nothing wrong. The Sphinx account…I wasn’t even in the office. It happened the day I was out sick. And the bullying…” I can’t help but chuckle. “Has any other colleague or employee accused me of bullying besides Margie? Yes, I’m firm, but I’m always fair. I always have been. Isn’t it just a little coincidental that all this has happened since she’s been here?”
“Coincidence, that’s what we’re working with here?”
“I know why she’s here. She’s trying to ruin me. And she’s succeeding. You and my family and everyone else are letting her succeed. I am not a bully!” I want to stamp my foot and throw my hands up in disbelief, thoroughly irritated that no one wants to believe me. “And rather than be fired for something I haven’t done, and have my version of events be dismissed, then, well…I’d rather resign.”
Reaching into my bag, I pull out an envelope that holds my letter of resignation. After Everett had gone to sleep last night, I couldn’t relax, so I went into the living room with my laptop and wrote out my resignation. I may not have my job, I may have been pushed out, but I still have my dignity and that’s something no one will ever take from me.
He swipes the letter opener under the flap of the envelope, takes the paper from it, and shakes it out. He looks up at me before dropping his gaze to my written words.
“Well, I guess that’s it, then. I’m assuming this is effective immediately?”
