Page 84 of Payback
“Wouldn’t it be wiser to move forward? As you’ve said, we can’t erase the past, so why remain trapped within it?”
“Because I won’t allow you an easy way out!” he shouted. “You don’t deserve an easy way, Alison. You deserve the most wretched suffering I can inflict upon you. If I must endure being trapped here, then so must you.”
“Ever heard of therapy?” I retorted.
He offered a mocking smile. “Therapy?”
“It’s what people seek when they struggle with problems that they need to resolve within themselves.”
“No therapist would have brought me solace. Observing you so shattered and lost will.”
“Or perhaps it won’t,” I countered, crossing one leg over the other. “Have you ever considered that people might be accurate when they claim that revenge won’t lead to happiness?”
“I’m not striving for happiness.”
“Then what do you want?” I asked.
“To even the score, Alison,” he snarled. “It’s all about retribution, nothing more.”
“That sounds somewhat obsessive.”
“And you sound fearful,” he shot back, prompting me to avert my gaze. “Now, stay quiet and watch the rest of the presentation.”
I was reluctant, but my options were limited. It was akin to witnessing a massive explosion in front of you, helpless to intervene. How had I not noticed how close he had gotten? Had I truly been so self-absorbed that I failed to detect the blatant signs of being stalked? That realization was unnerving, doing nothing to soothe my racing heart as I continued to watch the disturbing display that he had meticulously crafted.
When the presentation finally concluded, I released a sigh of relief, grateful that the torment had concluded. While I understood my silence, I was puzzled by Jared’s lack of continued boasts about his achievements. I had expected him to have something to say, yet he remained quiet. I studied him, and he returned the look, while the screen behind him remained blank.
“Is it finished? Or do you carry mementos from your hunts?” I whispered fearfully.
“It’s finished. You’re what remains.”
“Lucky me...” I mumbled, casting my gaze downward.
“Does it upset you?” he asked, his tone laced with bitterness.
“Why wouldn’t it? They were my friends.”
“Friends?” he chuckled, causing me to look at him once more. “And when was the last time you communicated with these alleged friends? I took care of some of these people years ago, yet you remained oblivious.”
“These matters are kept hushed in my world. Conversations about people being incarcerated for sex trafficking don’t take place,” I informed him.
“You’re correct, but you aren’t naive, Alison. I’m sure rumors still circulate,” he reminded me.
“Yes, but I’ve been... occupied.”
“With your own picture-perfect life,” he sneered.
“Yes...”
I lacked the energy to engage in a shouting match with him or to attempt any form of correction. The presentation had drained what little remained of my stamina for the day, and I slumped back against the couch, emitting a deep sigh.
“Well, as long as it’s over. What is my next assignment?” I asked.
“That’s all?” he questioned.
“I can’t change what you’ve done. I must endure whatever you have in store for me now,” I reminded him.
He smiled slightly. “Always so clever.”
