Confrontation

‘So you heard about that.’

‘Obviously. And I know all about how you and Tate planned it.’

‘Who told you that?’

‘We worked it out, with the information Edward gave us.’

‘He’s back on the scene, then.’



‘Yep. We know about Tate blackmailing him for everything he owned just after he’d been tortured. But I want to hear it from you. From the beginning.’

‘Okay, fine.’



‘When I married John, your grandfather, he already had a son from a previous marriage.’



‘Miles. He was an awful person even then. He hated me for taking his mother’s place, and Sheri for being born. When Sheri was around eighteen and Miles twenty-three… I had John killed.’



‘…You just say that so casually…’

‘You said you wanted the truth, didn’t you? Well, it’s true. I hired Tate for the job.’

‘How did you know he’d do it?’



‘I knew he’d already become an assassin by that point. We were already family friends with Sterling and Isla, so I’d known him a long time prior to that, but I heard along the grapevine that he’d got into that line of work. So I got him to kill John.’

‘What did Sheri think?’

‘She didn’t know about it, of course. She loved her father. So we weren’t going to tell her about it.’



‘She married the man who killed her dad…’

‘Not only that, but we arranged it, Tate and I. It was the agreement we came to for finishing the job.’

‘Hang on… You gave her away as payment for killing him?! Is that what you’re telling me?’



‘Tate was under pressure from his parents to marry. Sheri was ideal to do it. It made sense.’

‘Jesus, that’s so fucked up… Regardless of what Sheri was, having her father killed and marrying her off to the man who did it is fucking abominable!’

‘It’s not like she knew. She didn’t have to live with the knowledge.’

‘I feel like that’s even worse!’

‘She was oblivious. That’s far better than knowing a horrible truth, is it not?’



‘Not really! Especially since we were born out of it! And now I know how their whole marriage even came about…’

‘Did you really think they married for love? Get real, child. They couldn’t stand each other by the end. People from our family don’t marry for love. But you know that, don’t you?’

‘No shit! Of course I knew it was an arranged marriage. But this? This is way beyond that.’



‘Are you quite finished? Because if you are, I can tell the rest of the story.’

‘Fine.’

‘After John’s death, we knew we had to deal with Miles. Sheri would be fine, financially, but Miles would not have seen me take any of it. We had him involuntarily detained at the Milbourne facility. It was a mental hospital. And it wasn’t exactly implausible that he was insane, from his behaviour. Sheri didn’t care that he’d gone, because the two of them despised each other.’



‘Why would you go to all that trouble instead of killing him as well?’

‘…We deemed it risky, and too suspicious. Unfortunately, as you know, it would have been the better option.’

‘Because he got out.’

‘Correct. It was closed down in the mid-nineties. Before we were able to collect him, he’d already gone and disappeared.’

‘And first, he went after Edward. I know that part.’



‘That’s right. And then you obviously know that he went after Tate next, given that you walked in.’

‘Yeah, and after that, you both gave into his demands for money.’

‘Yes… unfortunately.’



‘But what I want to know is… How did he manage to convince you? I know, he’d just tortured Tate and Edward, but you’re a vampire. You could’ve outrun him and overpowered him any day. So I don’t get why you agreed. How could he force you?’

‘Because somehow, he managed to get power on his side that far outranked my own…’

‘Like what?’



‘Demons.’



‘…What? Are you fucking with me?’

‘Do I look like I’m joking? I’m deadly serious. Miles allied himself with demons, and I could do nothing about it.’




‘You’re making a huge mistake, Miles.’



‘Oh, really? Fight back against me, then. I’m no bastion of physical strength right now.’

‘I could easily rip your throat out.’

‘Exactly, and my commitment to living isn’t the highest it’s ever been, I’ll admit. But then I suppose you don’t want to get roasted into a crisp, do you?’



‘…I have no idea how you managed to get him on your side.’

‘It’s money, Olivia. That you owe me.’

‘So that’s what it was about all along? You’re no better than we are.’



‘Oh, no no no. Don’t you dare say that! I’m not the woman who had her husband murdered for an inheritance!’

‘Yet you’re the one back here, claiming it back.’

‘I’m calling it reparations for what you put me through. It’s what I was entitled to all along, and I’m not wrong for wanting it back.’



‘But you are wrong for torturing an innocent man to try to get what you want.’

‘Like you care about Edward.’

‘You’re right, I don’t. But it means you have no moral high ground.’



‘Listen to me, you waste of air. You drove me to this. You and Tate. You betrayed someone who loved you. Someone who meant so much to so many people! Someone who'd never hurt anyone! You killed him, and not content to leave it there, locked me away in a mental hospital to seal the deal! You’ve stolen my twenties and thirties! You ruined my life!’



‘I don’t know how you have the nerve to blame me for coming back to take that money that never even belonged to you. And you know what? It’s not just the money. That’s only part of it. I want to see you and Tate suffer. It's what you deserve. To be completely destitute, to be left with nothing.’



‘So you're content to let your nieces and nephew suffer, too?’

‘My issue isn’t with them. If Tate didn’t want collateral damage, then he shouldn’t have committed atrocities and gone and produced easy targets. And again, do you expect me to believe you give a damn about your grandchildren? You barely tolerate your own daughter.’

‘You will be making innocent children homeless.’



‘You won’t convince me to reconsider. You and Tate need to face the full consequences of what you did, and if that includes innocents getting hurt, then so be it. I was an innocent. That didn’t stop either of you from ruining my life. You don’t get any leeway or courtesy from me!’



‘…Alright, fine. I’ll go along with your demands.’

‘Damn right you will, Olivia. Don’t even think about pulling a fast one, or you’ll live to regret it.’



‘Not for very long, though.’





‘He wanted nothing less than to see all of us ruined, otherwise they would have killed us. And considering what happened to Tate and Edward, it would not have been a pleasant death.’

‘And that’s how we all ended up in Sunset Valley.’

‘Yes. That’s about it.’



‘…Why did Tate and Sheri even have us? If it was just some sham marriage?’

‘Because that was the done thing. Do you think any of us ever really wanted children? No, it’s just what we had to do.’

‘But by doing that, you’re forcing a crappy life on someone else! None of us ever deserved to get the fallout of the fucked up things you and Tate did!’



‘Would you prefer to have not existed at all?’

‘…’

‘Because admittedly, we would have preferred that too. You were born because you had to be, not because any of us truly desired a child or grandchild. Nobody ever wanted you, Aria. They still don’t.’



‘Shut up!’

‘It’s true. I thought Sheri was bad, but she had nothing on you. To be honest, I don’t think it was possible for them to have done any worse.’

‘And whose fault is that?!’



‘It’s yours, Aria. Don’t get me wrong, Saraya and Ellis are both a waste of space as well, but they’re not like you. You’re uniquely terrible. You’re a disgrace.’

‘Fuck off, Olivia! You caused this! You’re to blame! You, and Tate!’

‘Aww, poor you. The truth hurts, doesn't it? I don't know why you even bothered coming over if you were just going to throw a hysterical tantrum about it.’

‘STOP TURNING THIS BACK ON ME! I DID NOTHING WRONG!’



‘Your entire being is wrong and always has been! This is what you're now realising! Nobody loves you, Aria! Nobody even likes you!’



*shove*


*CRACK*