Page 87 of Payback
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. I struggled to comprehend their meaning. I hadn’t ordered anyone to follow him.
“I didn’t instruct anyone to go after you! I went to my class!” I shouted.
Jared crossed his arms, exhaling audibly.
“Are you implying... you didn’t lie?” I whispered, my heart racing uncontrollably.
“Why would I fabricate something like that?” he countered. “No one believed my words anyway. Whether it was true or not, your parents made it all vanish.”
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and I reached out in desperation, clutching his pants.
“Jared, I swear, I never instructed anyone to go back!” I exclaimed. “I promise you! It was meant to be a frightening prank, but no one was supposed to actually harm you!”
Jared’s skepticism was evident, and that look in his eyes shattered me. Surprisingly, I found myself consumed by guilt and desperation. Despite the deliberate and calculated actions that I had taken against him, I had never intended for something like this. I wanted to intimidate him, to evoke fear, but I had never meant for that line to be crossed.
“I truly mean it! I could never do that!” I shouted.
“And you expect me to believe you. They all followed your lead,” he reminded me.
I opened my mouth, attempting to defend myself, but it was clear that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t make a difference. What he had endured, and what had transpired right before, implied I was the mastermind behind it all. And I couldn’t blame him for suspecting my involvement. I lowered myself, settling onto my knees, and released my grip on him. There was no point in trying to plead my innocence. All the evidence pointed toward me, and I understood why he saw me as the villain. Gazing at the ground, a sharp pang of pain resonated within my heart. I had never intended for this outcome, yet was I responsible for setting it in motion? His eyes were on me, waiting for an explanation, but I was at a loss for words. I didn’t desire this outcome. I never told anyone to go back, but how could I convince Jared of that? As silence hung between us, he simply walked away, leaving me behind, and the tears began to flow.
Chapter 44
-Jared-
I didn’t believe that Alison had orchestrated the return of that guy. The idea crossed my mind, but Alison always oversaw her schemes. She was never absent during such incidents. Moreover, why would she instruct all the players to back off and then send just one person back? Besides, she was one to boast, yet she hadn’t even mentioned this incident. She had even confronted me a few days after it all happened, accusing me of deception. The whole situation felt off from the beginning, so I was certain that Alison wasn’t directly involved. But I wanted her to feel that way. I aimed for her to believe I thought she was the mastermind behind it all. I wanted her to be burdened by guilt to the point where it overwhelmed her. However, I knew she hadn’t ordered it. Perhaps she had set something in motion, or maybe it was an opportunity that fell into that guy’s lap. Nevertheless, Alison didn’t need to know to these details. She didn’t need the whole truth. Only the parts that would elicit a reaction, if someone as cold-hearted as her could truly feel anything. She seemed surprisingly desperate to convince me she wouldn’t do such a thing, but I remained uncertain if I could believe her. It was hard for me to fathom that someone like her could even experience the slightest twinge of remorse. On the bright side, I had another task to accomplish today, which meant I could distance myself from her and leave her tied to the wall for a few hours.
Before leaving the house, I made sure to collect some weapons and tools and chose the car this time. I drove to Vince’s residence and, as expected, found him in his office. I wasn’t sure if any other rooms in the house were even in use. It always seemed that his office was the place to locate him, no matter what.
“Ah, he arrives at last,” he commented, extending his trembling hands in front of him.
“Perhaps moving around the house might be beneficial for you,” I suggested.
He chuckled softly, adjusting his posture slightly.
“How’s the first week of retribution treating you?” he asked.
“Quite satisfying,” I responded.
“Is that so? Is everything proceeding as planned?”
“I’m slowly breaking her,” I confirmed.
“If only she knew that you’re saving the most impactful blow for the grand finale, shattering everything she holds dear,” he chimed in gleefully, savoring the prospect of my dismantling of Alison. It was after the incident at school, when nobody believed me yet again or took any action, that I truly wished to bring it all to an end. That’s when my life took a turn as I crossed paths with Vince.
“Whose turn is it next?” I asked, casting a glance at the numerous papers sprawled before him.
He scanned the scattered documents, hunting for the right one, and then an “aha!” escaped him as he located it. He lifted the paper and extended it toward me. Stepping closer, I accepted it. As I perused the details, I could discern it was about a young man residing in a dangerous neighborhood within the city. I couldn’t immediately discern what made him a desirable target. I turned to Vince, who wore a smile of satisfaction.
“Did he cross you in some way?” I asked.
“He stole from me,” Vince disclosed.
“You?” I raised an eyebrow.
“He was entrusted with delivering something for me, yet he was bribed by someone else. Consequently, my shipment ended up in the wrong place,” Vince elaborated.
“Drugs or weaponry?” I asked.
