Page 31 of Corruption
“No, because she wouldn’t feel the same anger, resentment, and desperation that I felt throughout those years. Honestly, this month is barely enough to put her through everything I want,” I growled, downing my glass and slamming it down on the table. However, when I focused on Vince again, I knew right away that confessing this to him was a mistake. His look turned scolding, and I sighed. “I’m not obsessed!”
“No? You thought about her for years.”
“I was planning!” I insisted. “I thought about her friends too for years!”
“Yes, but you didn’t ask them to sell themselves. Besides, we all know why you waited with Alison until the end. She is the core of it all. She means something else to you.”
“She means absolutely nothing! She’s just the icing on top,” I swore.
“So once the month is up, you will have no problem sending her back to where she comes from?” Vince questioned, and I looked at him incredulously.
“Of course not! I want to send her back!”
“You just said the month wasn’t enough.”
“Yes, to get through all the things I want to get through to shatter her entire being. That’s different. But I will happily send her back and end it all by releasing all of those secrets,” I assured him.
Vince leaned back, folding his shaking hands, and the look he continued to give me was the same I gave Alison. There was a reason I had perfected it so much. Vince trained me, after all.
“I am not obsessed! I swear!” I told him.
“Do you think people know when they are obsessed?” he challenged.
“Why are we even having this conversation?” I sighed, running my hand through my short hair.
“Because I don’t want you to lose sight of what is important.”
“I thought my revenge was important.”
Vince shook his head, and I looked confused at him. “Jared, you’re forgetting what gives us true power. Falling into obsession renders us weak and uncontrolled. Our desires, our need for revenge, suddenly have the power instead of our bullies and the monsters lurking in the shadows. That is not what gives us the control back, by losing ourselves to these all-consuming ideas and plans. It’s letting go that proves we have truly risen above it all and continue with our lives.”
“And I will let it go,” I promised him.
“Your words don’t match your actions, son,” he told me. “I see it in your eyes, something flickering. It wasn’t as strong before, but now that you have had your time to taunt your pet, it’s becoming stronger, and it worries me.”
“It’s fine. It’s not like I will want to keep her as mine. That’s not the point!”
“But why not? She used you as her toy for years. Wouldn’t it feel incredibly satisfying to have her around all the time, doing as you command?” he challenged.
I looked down at my empty plate, suddenly feeling a bit unsure about the whole plan. Vince had always been able to bring me back from the edge, to make me see more clearly and not lose focus. What the hell was I going to do when he was no longer around to do that?
“I can’t deny it’s satisfying,” I admitted, turning to him, and a pleased smile spread on his lips.
“Well, the first step in getting better is admitting you have a problem,” he teased me, making me chuckle and lightening the mood.
“So I should just let her go now? After less than two weeks?” I asked.
Vince shook his head. “No, I think now that you see you are getting slightly too attached to having her around, you can focus on not allowing it to take over. You simply need to focus on more important things.”
“And those are?”
“Tomorrow they are coming here.”
“What?”
“The wolves are visiting us,” he confessed.
“So, you were finally able to get them to talk?”
