Closing Books Read Free

happily-ever-afters.
    And the blackmail she had been receiving was the reinforcement of the different world they belonged in.
    Dan grew up in a complete family. They weren’t perfect, but at least he grew up safe.  
    The horrors she had gone through, the things she had done were beyond the worst nightmares that someone like Dan could ever imagine.
    Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she reached into one of the bags on the table and took out the bag inside. She twirled the new handbag, pretending to be examining it while her thoughts were consumed by the payment due later that night.
    The money was draining out of her bank account faster than before. Just two days ago, she had paid off her blackmailer. Now, she was to prepare another three thousand dollars.
    It had started out with a few hundred dollars. Within two weeks, her blackmailer had quickly upgraded the demands. Besides demanding more money, her blackmailer was increasing the frequency of the demands as well.
    “You don’t like them?”
    Kate’s voice broke her thoughts. Evelyn looked up, rearranging her features into a small, pleasant smile. “You know I love them. I was just thinking about some stuff at work. Speaking of which, I brought some new projects that you might be interested in. They’re in my car; I’ll get them.”
    Before anyone else could say another word, she was up from her chair and out of the kitchen, heading toward the main door.
    Evelyn knew she wasn’t acting like her usual self very well. Before driving up to the mansion, she’d reminded herself to behave as normally as she could. Kate was particularly astute at picking up emotional disturbances in people, and Evelyn knew she had to be careful or Kate would be all over her.  
    She tried; she genuinely did, but it was difficult to keep up her smile with the apprehension of meeting a ghost that had latched onto her.
    Halfway through the living room, she heard the familiar ringtone she had grown to dread.
    Crap. She spun around and sprinted back toward the kitchen.
    Why did she put down her phone to play with her new bag?
    The moment she got back to the kitchen, she saw her phone in Kate’s hand.
    Without thinking, Kate tapped on the screen and answered the call. “Hello?”
    Evelyn’s eyes widened and she snatched the phone from Kate’s hand. “Don’t pick up my calls.”
    She could see the confusion on Kate’s face and felt the stares directed at her. She knew her strong reaction would appear to border along temporary insanity, especially when they all knew how close she was to Kate.  
    “I always answer your phone when you are not around,” Kate stated hesitantly while Evelyn checked who the caller was.
    “Stop doing that,” she hissed, and headed out of the kitchen with the phone in her hand.
    Hastening her steps, she exited the mansion. Once the door was safely closed behind her, she lifted the phone to her ear. “What do you want? I know I’m supposed to hand you the three thousand dollars tonight.”
    “Is that your friend?”
    “What do you want?” Evelyn repeated her words, irate at the situation she was in and at how senseless she was behaving toward the only person who gave a damn about her.
    “I changed my mind. I need five thousand.”
    “Don’t push it,” she said through clenched jaws.
    “No, Evelyn, don’t push me. I’m sure you don’t want the-one-who-always-answers-your-calls-when-you-are-not-around to know what’s going on, right?”
    Evelyn hung up the call and clenched her phone. Boiling, but with nowhere to vent, she got into her car and began to beat up her steering wheel.  
    She slammed her arms against the steering wheel while jolts of pain shot up her arm. Though her hands became the eventual victims, her anger was slightly appeased.  
    Her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose, and she forced herself to take in a few deep breaths while her arms burnt with a dull pain.  
    After a minute, she rearranged her features into a carefully