by Edina Davis
Melissa Thompson now also preferred to remain silent. She knew it would lead nowhere to discuss the topic further. Debbie was just blind where it concerned her daughter Carina, blind and deaf!
Melissa thought about what her daughter had told her after Carina Harris had flown to the USA. If Debbie would have even the slightest idea how her little darling really was … she would drop dead immediately.
Pamela knew some hair-raising things to say about Carina Harris, for example that the “little sunshine” had made it her hobby to torture animals. Not only that. She had already gotten involved with various boys at the age of thirteen. Out of sheer malice, she stole away the boyfriends of almost all girls at her school, to then ditch them after a few days. If she didn’t immediately succeed in snatching away some girl’s boyfriend, she used mean tricks, told the girl lies about her boyfriend and destroyed the relationship in that way. She would stop at nothing to reach her goals, not slander and violence, not even blackmail.
In the beginning, Pamela and Samantha had helped her with her shoddy schemes, because they admired Carina and wanted to please her. Later, they hadn’t wanted to participate due to their bad conscience, and then Carina blackmailed them. She had threatened the two friends that she would tell their parents everything, in such a way that Pam and Sam would have been the real culprits. The two girls had suffered for years, and nobody had had the slightest idea.
When Melissa Thompson had finally learned the whole truth, her first impulse had been to run to Deborah and Philipp immediately and hurl the truth in their faces. Her husband Jason however had kept her from doing it and commented that it would lead to nothing because they wouldn’t believe a single word. Besides, there was no danger for the next years as Carina wasn’t there to cause trouble.
Therefore, the couple had decided to keep quiet about the matter for the time being to prevent the inevitable conflict between neighbours, at least for now. Should that beast, however, return home one day and once more try to involve Pamela in her shabby schemes, Melissa and Jason wouldn’t hesitate to tell Deborah and Philipp the whole truth about their fine daughter, which would of course lead to the unavoidable break between the families.
The knowledge of Carina’s true character had already led to the friendship between the families cooling off. The regular meetings had not taken place for a long time because the Thompsons had withdrawn themselves more and more. Melissa had just not yet found the heart to distance herself from Debbie completely, as they had attended school together. If her husband Jason knew that she still went over to Debbie for coffee, he would be furious.
Melissa sighed because today had shown her in all clearness that the decision she and Jason had made back then, had been right. Debbie Harris would never believe what kind of a person her daughter Carina really was. Today’s conversation with Debbie had also shown her that the time had come to completely break off her contact with Debbie for good.
Poor Carolyn! One really had to feel sorry for the girl.
While Melissa was lost in her thoughts, Carolyn crept slowly upstairs, lowering her head. She had heard enough!
CHAPTER 45
Carina Harris sat in her apartment with a gloomy expression and thought about what she had recently learned of her mother. She had phoned her and excitedly told her something, Carina could hardly believe. Her sister had made quite a catch with an extremely attractive rich man, and the wedding would already take place in May. That could only be a joke!
Certainly, since her arrival in the USA she had also met some really smashing boys and had had plenty of fun with them. But even though she was popular with men, none of them so far, had been willing to marry her straight away. The more she thought about it, the more envy ate through her heart. She had never seriously fallen in love with a man and the thought of marriage so far had never occurred to her at all. Still, she couldn’t bear the fact that her sister, who in her eyes was so plain, had received a marriage proposal from a man like Alexander Carpenter while she, who was adored by everyone, had not yet found anyone who had wanted to marry her.
It really was a shame that she didn’t get an immediate opportunity to intervene. She was in the middle of her training and couldn’t just leave. But even if there had been a possibility … There was this unfortunate compromise she had been forced to agree to, because Lynn otherwise would have immediately told their parents of her little interlude with Ben. Due to her own stupidity Lynn had power over her.
How could she have been so silly back then to claim that Lynn had wanted to poison her? She should never have voiced this suspicion in her parents’ presence, even if, under the circumstances at that time, she would have trusted her sister to do so. After all, Lynn was not nearly as harmless as it always seemed, and Carina had ample reason to believe that her sister had been after her blood back then.
Well, if anyone had dared to pull something like that on her, she would of course not have hesitated for even a second to take the necessary steps! Just like with that fool Ben … Carina’s mouth formed a cruel line.
Oh, to hell with Ben. This time she had a much bigger fish on the hook. In her inimitable haughtiness Carina was of course absolutely convinced that all she needed to do was to snap her finger and the all-admired Alexander Carpenter would lie to her feet. If it just wasn’t for that damned compromise!
Oh well, to hell with it! It had happened four years ago! Would their parents even believe Lynn if she came out with it after such a long time? Her face lightened up immediately. Of course not! Carina smiled maliciously. It was still quite a while until May, and she would fly home over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. There would surely be an occasion to meet this Alex then. She would feign a believable positive change of character to her sister and not give her the slightest reason to doubt her loyalty. After all, she wasn’t the first person to return home mature and sensible after a long stay abroad. She would play her part so well that even Lynn would be convinced of her good intentions.
Her mother wouldn’t be a problem anyway. She fell for everything Carina led her to believe and would support her all the way, she was hundred percent certain of that. Of course, it might take a while to put her plan into action, but this time she had to be patient to ensure her success. To begin with, this boy wonder should only see what he would miss if he married her quiet, boring twin sister.
Carina knew exactly how to emphasize her assets without appearing obtrusive. She would just use every opportunity to inconspicuously flutter her eyelashes at him. However, she would do this so skilfully that not even he would notice her intention to win his attention. Yes, and very soon she would know whether he was susceptible to her charms or not. Oh yes, she knew men and their longing glances all too well.
Her thoughts wandered and a complacent smile played on her lips while she watched her reflection in the mirror. She had played this game so often and it still gave her an almost intoxicating pleasure. It was as if she was on drugs … yes, she was all but addicted to it. And it didn’t even matter if she really considered a man attractive or not. It was all about the game in which she held all the strings in her hands. The people in the game were like puppets she could move into any direction that pleased her. It gave her unbridled fun to turn a man’s head and then to coldly rebuff him once he had fallen under her spell. The thrill was even bigger when this man was in a relationship with another girl.
However, the greatest pleasure was to seduce a man whom she herself passionately desired and who had left his girlfriend for her. Then she had the upper hand over the humiliated girl and at the same time could satisfy her own strong desire. She needed this indescribably uplifting sense of power like she needed air to breathe. But unfortunately, even this supreme satisfaction of body and senses never lasted longer than three to four weeks. Her desire died down and she coldly dumped the man. By then, she usually had her next victim in her sights.
Carina knew of course that she wa
s a real hussy in the eyes of an average person, but she didn’t care. She passionately believed that exceptional people like her were entitled to their pleasure, even if it was at the expense of others. She felt neither guilty nor did she have any sympathy for her victims. On the contrary, she enjoyed the pain of the abandoned girls and took pleasure in humiliating the men in front of their ex-girlfriends and ordering them around.
Of course, she had also experienced some defeats because there were indeed men who were not the least bit interested in Carina or saw through her right from the start. If all her efforts and deceitful tricks showed no effect, it could make her so furious that she had to use all her self-control not to attack the young people with her fists. This feeling of total frustration and aggression could last for days, sometimes even weeks, depending on how much she had desired the man. She hated him for daring to spurn her instead of considering himself lucky to be chosen by her. And she hated the girl because she was superior to her, took possession of the object of her desire, withheld it from her.
Her thoughts went back to Ben and the unrestrained hatred that had almost devoured her inside. She had managed to sleep with him and thereby drive a wedge between him and Lynn, but she had only succeeded by employing a trick. After all, it would have provided her special excitement to steal her detested twin sister’s first great love away from her. But the fool hadn’t even appreciated that she had been interested in him, that he had had the unique opportunity of adorning himself with her for at least a month. Instead, the idiot had made a fool of himself with her boring sister Lynn, had run after her and had behaved like a lapdog.
She would have loved to have killed him there and then when he had shouted at her. He had called her a devious beast after she had given him so much, had spoiled him like nobody before. This bloody bastard! He had dared to say to her face that all of that had meant nothing to him, that he was in love with Carolyn and would ask her for forgiveness. She still heard his last words.
‘I hate myself for what happened! Yes, I do … and I never want to see you again, do you hear? Never again!’ he had shouted. Then he had stormed out the door like a madman.
And she had already imagined everything so wonderfully, a devastated Lynn, and a Ben who would fulfil every wish for herself. She would even have endured the relationship with Ben for more than a month if it had given her the pleasure of seeing her sister Lynn suffer, which was asking a lot of her!
Carina’s face contorted into a cruel mask when she thought of the humiliation at the time. Her hands formed fists and her eyes gleamed with hatred. But she had taken her revenge, had shown this fool what it meant to humiliate someone like Carina Harris. Her face relaxed when she thought of the paralysed shock in his eyes, back then on the cliffs, when he realized what was happening to him.
Carina smiled and now once more happily thought about her perfidious plan. She didn’t want to waste another thought on the past but rather look to the future with great confidence. Now she had a new chance to break her despised sister’s heart.
So, where was she? Yes … she would cause Alexander some sleepless nights. At first, she would chat with him in a very relaxed and cheerful way, spreading her charm in an innocuous manner. Then the occasional profound glance, a playfully embarrassed smile, a guilty lowing of her head and a playful, seemingly unconscious, circling of her tongue over her full lips. She had practised all of that in front of the mirror a hundred times and so far, it had had the desired effect on almost all male objects.
It would be the same with Lynn’s new love, Carina was absolutely sure of that. After all, she was the perfect version of the twins, devastatingly beautiful, elegant, humorous, and lively. Lynn, on the other hand, was nothing more than a cheap copy, boring and plain.
Carina knew very well that there were only minor differences in the sisters’ appearance, but she was very skilled in emphasizing these small differences with make-up, hairstyle, and clothing. Her confident behaviour, her seductive charm, not to mention her erotic voice, added to that and convinced Carina that she had everything Lynn didn’t have.
She smiled at the mirror complacently. Why should a man like Alexander Carpenter content himself with a humourless plain Jane like Lynn, if he could have the charismatic sister?
Once she had the fish on the hook, everything would be so easy! She would first play the role of the loving sister who would never have the heart to take away the man her sister loved. But then, however, her “resistance” would collapse, and she couldn’t help but to give in to the urging of the man she loved dearly. Then, of course she would have to imploringly beg her sister’s forgiveness on her knees, which would at least convince her parents that she was completely innocent of this unfortunate development of circumstances.
Of course, she couldn’t drop Alexander after a month, but, depending on the circumstances, she might even have to agree to marry him in order to remain believable. But she saw no problem in that either, after all this man was wealthy and respected and could offer her a lot. She wouldn’t have to do without her little amorous adventures on account of him. She could continue to have fun behind his back, which might increase her enjoyment even more. Life was marvellous, you just had to seize it!
In her imagination Carina immersed in her role so intensely that everything she had planned for the future already became reality for her. Her face beamed. She had never before looked forward to Christmas so much!
CHAPTER 46
Alex stood at the edge of Beachy Head, hand in hand with Carina, and whispered something in her ear. She laughed softly, Alex looked amorously into her eyes and kissed her with passion.
Carolyn approached them slowly, when Carina suddenly turned her head into her direction and mockingly said: “I’m so very sorry, but you can’t have him because he’s mine.”
“That’s not true,” Carolyn shouted. “You’re lying! He doesn’t love you; he loves me!”
“You’re mistaken, sis,” Carina purred. “He always wanted only me. Ask him yourself.”
“Alex,” Carolyn screamed out in desperation, “please tell her that you belong to me! Oh please, Alex …”
Alexander however didn’t even seem to notice her, he had only eyes for Carina.
“You see, silly,” Carina laughed with glee. “He’s crazy about me. He doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.”
“You mean beast,” Carolyn shouted, “you’ve bewitched him! Yes, that’s it … you have bewitched him!”
The witch laughed, provocatively pressed her body against his, while her lips caressed his neck.
“Alex, please, wake up,” Carolyn implored him with a quivering voice. “She’s bewitched you. Please, believe me. She’s only playing with us; you mean nothing to her. I’m the one who loves you. Please, wake up! Wake up, Alex!”
Alex however didn’t hear her, and Carolyn turned around sadly and left.
Suddenly, she heard a blood-curdling scream. It was Alex who screamed in such desperation. She turned around and saw him stretching out his arms in her direction, shouting her name before he disappeared. Then she also started screaming loudly and was not able to stop. She screamed and screamed …
She woke up screaming. Her whole body shivered, and her face was wet with tears. She abruptly sat up in bed. This dream, this horrible nightmare! It was nearly the same dream she had had back then before Ben had deceived her with Carina. And this time it had been even scarier. She still trembled like a leaf and a strange feeling of utter helplessness and desperation took possession of her. Whatever was the matter with her?
Since she had been with Alex, she hadn’t had any more nightmares. With Alex she felt completely safe and secure. He loved her sincerely and they would get married. He would never hurt her like Ben had done. Alex embodied everything she had ever wished for. She loved him more than anything and trusted him blindly. So why this dream? It didn’t make sense. Or did she doubt
him after all? Did she maybe slightly fear that he … once he …
Nonsense, how could she think that of him? He was different from the others, different from Ben.
She called herself a fool, turned around and soon went back to sleep. And dreamed again …
She woke up sobbing loudly.
Oh my God, that had been horrible … so authentic, so real! And suddenly she knew. The dream could only mean that …
Her heart beat hard and irregularly, and dazzling flashes flickered before her eyes. A flood of thoughts was spinning in her head. Her breath came in short pants, she was close to hyperventilating. Now, that hammering headache also set in. She struggled to calm down and tried to organize her chaotic thoughts. After she had somewhat succeeded, she made a decision.
***
Alex and Carolyn were sitting together at the Beach Comber. Carolyn was unusually lively today, but her laughter sounded somewhat nervous. From time to time, Alex cast a scrutinizing glimpse at his girlfriend. Whatever was the matter with her? Alex had never seen her like that before.
“I have a smashing idea, Alex,” she suddenly said, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Before he could reply she continued: “What do you think if we break out of our normal routine and go away over Christmas?”
Alex looked at her with surprise and some confusion. Had he heard right? How many times had Carolyn told him that her parents were very religious and put great emphasis on tradition? And now she wanted to get away from home over Christmas, alone with him? What on earth was suddenly going on in her mind?
Carolyn took advantage of his temporary speechlessness to continue talking. “Actually, I always wanted to do something absolutely crazy, you know,” she started babbling merrily. “Picture it, Alex. Just you and me. We could fly to the States, to Las Vegas. We could get married there!”
