Second time lucky

59

Unknown....

It had been months since Courtney had visited and I had no use for her anymore. She continued to text me up until a few days ago when I guess she finally got the message that I didn't want to speak to her.

She had ruined everything and pushed them together rather than wedge them apart and I would never forgive her for that.

If you want something doing you do it yourself I guess.

Maybe that's why I got a job. The world knows I don't need one. My inheritance is more than enough for three lifetimes and working is just so dull and middle class.

Still, her little friend Ava wasn't being much help. She stayed stuck to her boyfriend and even when she was wasted she didn't have a bad word to say about her prized best friend.

I guess that's why I came to this stupid boutique in the first place. I had overheard Ava telling her boyfriend that Britt was planning to apply here and I knew that I could find out what I needed too if we worked together.

I could pretend to be her friend. I was great at pretending, I'd done it with Courtney for years and she was none the wiser. Well until I started ghosting her. It wasn't that I didn't like her, I just had no use for her anymore. Dad always said that when people no longer have a purpose in your life, to get rid of them to make room for those that do. Courtney had expired in her purpose.

Clearly things had been going well in my plan. Britt was none the wiser at work and she opened up some. It was mostly minuscule things, like what her kids were doing, or what they ate for breakfast. Sometimes though she would get into better stuff. Like dates they would go on, or what his favorite color was.

I think the best part was that she was oblivious. He would come and visit her for lunch or to pick her up. Of course he pretended not to notice me, even though I knew that he remembered that one time I accidentally spilled beer on their counter in college.

I knew he couldn't show me how much he cared with her there, but he would say hello on his way to the break room. Honestly the hardest part of this whole plan was pretending to know just how much they loved each other when the other girls would bring it up.

It cut like a rusty knife straight into my chest because I knew,  he didn't want her, he wanted me and the life that was stolen from him. The life that didn't revolve around crying kids and a needy girlfriend.

I had planned to break them up slowly, to put little bouts of doubt in her mind until she didn't trust him. It would be easier for him that way - if she ended it. That way he couldn't be blamed.

What I didn't expect was to get the text message from the girls at that mundane excuse of a boutique expressing how excited they were to hear about the happy couples engagement.

I saw red.

My plan was about to change. I didn't have months to drag them apart. If she sank her claws into him anymore the damage would be irreversible.

I got onto her profile and looked at the post of them with the ring. I recognized the place, it was a upscale place in Tennessee that my father had taken us too during one of his business trips.

I sent a response congratulating them as I tried not to let the acid rise in my throat and quickly packed a bag. I didn't need her getting suspicious before I carried out plan B. I was going to Tennessee and I was going to put an end to this madness once and for all.

One way or another I would find her and eliminate her from the equation.

Riley WOULD be mine!