Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 163387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 817(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 817(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
“So, what is it that you plan on doing?”
“I haven’t figured it all out yet; I need some more info and time to think. Find out everything you can about her. Who her friends are, where she likes to hang out, her hobbies, everything.”
“Ooh, this sounds fun! What happened to my little sparrow?” Jess smiled at me like a proud mama bear with her cub.
“I can’t believe she went that far; that’s just…. I have no words.” Alexis went back to her computer. “As to finding out more about her, we already know she’s rich; she makes sure everyone does, especially the way she flaunts that car of hers. And now it looks like she’s out to get you. I mean, why else would she send me that picture knowing I’d show it to you? She was trying to cause trouble. But this, this is in a whole other league of its own.”
“It’s sick, and from everything else we’ve heard about her, I can’t say that I’m surprised. I never could understand why people choose to follow someone like that, but apparently, she’s got lots of friends.” Jess, too went back to her homework.
“Her kind always does, and it’s usually the ones who’re afraid of being turned on.” I’ll have to find out how she made those friends and why they’re sticking around. I didn’t endure bullying by that type all my life not to learn some things. In fact, I could probably blame them for making me into what I now am. I’ve had years of plotting revenge in my head as it was the only way to endure the hell that was my life at school.
This Susie seems to be nothing more than a spoilt brat who doesn’t like not getting her way, with a few deficiencies to hide, the same as with most bullies. With her family background, she’d be even more of a pain, riding on her parents’ coattails and lording it over everyone else. If she has the right screwed-up mentality, she can even get others who are on the same financial level as she to bow down to her will. It’s mostly fear that makes them act like that, but I guess I won’t know for sure until I go digging.
“What kind of car does Susie drive?”
“A red Mercedes Cabriolet; why?” Jess answered.
“No reason; I might be in the market for a car.”
“You don’t drive, remember.”
“But Cody does. I think I might start taking lessons.” I felt like a bit of a mean girl at the thoughts that were going through my head.
I’ve had years to imagine breaking free of the mold that mom had cast me in. Years of make-believe and what-if. Days when I imagined taking action against my tormentors. I’d promised myself since meeting Jess that I would never be that person again because she’d opened my eyes and helped me to see that I could be more than just a victim.
Here is where it was supposed to start, my new beginning away from home and out on my own for the first time. I didn’t foresee this very thing happening, but what the heck. If there’s anything in my life worth fighting for, it’s Cody and me. I’d made that decision when I chose him when my heart did anyway. If I thought for a second that she would stop just because I was in the picture, the way she and her friends had looked at me that day in the dining hall put that hope to rest.
Now that I know what she was willing to do to get what she wanted, there’s no way I’m going to let her off. My manipulative gene kicked in after about an hour of thought and some research on cars. I know both of my parents very well and can almost write the script of the conversation we’re about to have. If I was going up against anyone else, I would’ve gone another route, but sometimes all you need to fight pettiness is more pettiness.
I could care less about fancy cars or anything else that shows off my family’s wealth; that’s more mom’s speed, as can be shown by the trunk of stuff she’d saddled me with to bring here. I hadn’t even unpacked the designer bags and shoes, seeing no need for them on a college campus, but maybe, just maybe, they might come in handy.
Mom always did teach that living well was the best revenge, the best way to overcome your enemies. I didn’t get it and still don’t, to tell the truth. How could wearing pretty clothes and carrying hundred-thousand-dollar bags change anything? But it seems fitting for this situation.
Helplessness is a crippling emotion. If I can show Susie that she has no chance with Cody, that I was the only one who would be by his side, how helpless would she feel that she couldn’t get the one thing she seemed to want so much. And if I do it with style, flaunting my wealth the way she does, but subtly, of course, I’ll chip away at her power little by little.