Stupid Favours - Favours Series #2

Chapter 29

Once the plan landed, Katrina and I headed to her house. Upon entering the apartment Oliver appeared.

"Camille, what are you doing here?"

It was the first time he'd spoken to me since...since the night of Isaac's death, at the hospital. I could still remember the frantic look in his eyes, the desperation. And the devastation when we'd both been accused of killing Isaac.

Katrina speaks for me, as I continue to stare. "She's staying the night, if you don't mind."

"Considering she's already inside... I assumed Francine would have wanted to see the result of the shoot."

He was himself. The usual cold Oliver, undermining everyone and wanting rid of them all.

"You assumed wrong Oliver. I already sent her some pictures anyway. Want to look at them? There's over a 100, but some of them really cannot be deleted."

"No thank you."

I push away all my repulsion and memories.

"Oh come on. We're gonna look at some. Let me find my cable."

I drop my back bag right on the couch and dig for the right cables. I fish them out and nod to Kat who helps me connect them to the living room TV.

"This is unnecessary."

"You don't want to see pictures of your sister? She could be the next face of Evora mag you know. I can make it happen."

I don't need to see his face to know that convinced him to sit down. I let Kat take our bags upstairs and grab the remote control.

"You're going to love this."

Oliver gives me a neutral look, but I could sense the judgement in his eyes. I was used to it. But he was in for a ride.

The first pictures come up and its Vivian decked in winter clothes from Evora's latest collection.

"Oh and we found this girl and she was such a perfect fit that I included her in the shoot. She's about your age actually, really gorgeous and blond."

Annabelle takes centre stage on the TV screen, dressed in a long sleeved white summer dress and black fur boots. Her blonde hair splays out in mid spin as snow scatters around her.

A sudden silence grips the space. My chatter stopped, and it seems so did his breathing.

"She's beautiful. Too bad her life was ruined. She could have been a wonderful model."

I finally turn to face the man responsible for her current state. Oliver Wallin sat stiff, his face no longer neutral. Now he was housing anger and shame.

His dark eyes narrowed on to the screen and flickered to me for a moment. Anna hadn't changed much in the year abroad. Her hair was a little longer, and her face a little more angular. But recognition wasn't the problem here.

He was in denial.

"What do you think?" I roll the ball to him.

Now his gaze was on me completely. "What do I think? About this girl?"

Fine Oliver. I'll talk.

"What did you think?" My voice turns hostile as my smile drops. "What did you think when she called you, sent you a letter, telling you about the baby?"

A pause. Then a scoff. "Where are you getting this from?"

"Who is she?" When he doesn't answer, I repeat, punctuating my words. "Who is she?"

"You tell me Camille. You're the one that found her so perfect for your shoot. Was that the bogus excuse you used to get to Sweden?"

"You know who she is. I don't need to say her name for you to remember." I step closer. "I'm sure you also know exactly how your ruined her life.

"Does it bring you joy when you hear that? You do like controlling and ruining lives. We saw how well that served Isaac. It shouldn't have shocked us to find you had more skeletons in your closet. But god damn Oliver...how fucking irresponsible are you?

"Impregnating a girl and then forcing her to abort it? Blackmailing her parents and making sure she goes through with it?"

He rises now. "That's enough Sanders. You don't need to poke into my life like you do with everyone else's. You're not getting anything out of me."

"I don't need much from you. Just acceptance. Accept you did all this. You ruined her life to the point of breaking. You ruined Isaac's life until he broke beyond that point. You controlled, and abused and clawed into his life, taking him apart bit by bit, till there was nothing left to give."

"No-"

"You wrecked his relationship with his boyfriend, with Nicholas, who's still grieving. You scared him from being close to anyone. And you started that entire relationship to show how much control you have over Katrina's life!

"Do you see where I'm going with this? You like control so much, you break them. You abuse them. And don't you dare tell me you didn't hurt Isaac physically!"

"I never meant to hurt him!" I finally let him speak. "I just...wanted him. I kept him close the only way I knew how."

I saw red. "Abuse?! How is that the only way Oliver?"

"He stayed! He stayed and I knew it was the only way." My fingers curled against my side.

"So you abused him, mentally and physically, until he was afraid of your wrath to ever do anything other than what you said?" He doesn't respond. "Yes or no Oliver?!"

My hand flies to his face when he doesn't respond. My knuckles ache but the rage in me dulled the pain. I itched to hit him again. "Yes or no?!"

"Yes, yes! You don't have to punch me to prove your point. I get it! I did it to him."

"You couldn't have come to this realisation before he died?! You couldn't find your fucking morals? Human fucking decency?"

As my hand reaches for a slap, he grasps my wrist. I find his obsidian gaze on me, my own fury glaring back at me. "Enough. I'm already being blackmailed by a teenager, and being guilt tripped for the death of my boyfriend. I don't need to be abused as well. Don't test me Camille."

His grips loosens and I yank my hand away. He had an opportunity right there to force me to give up the blackmail. But he didn't take it. He wanted to help. But as an unwillingly victim.

What a fucking character. He needed to be put in an asylum next to Bruce.

"Don't speak of abuse like you have any idea Wallin."

"Don't speak of things you don't know. Katrina isn't the only victim here."

He didn't meet my eyes. Frankly, I didn't want to dive into what he meant. If they were both abused in similar fashion, Oliver had just gone down the same path as his father and continued the tyranny.

He could be a victim, but he had inflicted just as much pain.

"You're going to confess, and you're going to help us whether you like it or not. You owe it to Annabelle. You owe it to Isaac. And you owe it to your sister."

His dark eyes continued to stare at the wall, but I knew there was no resistance now.