VENGEANCE UNLEASHED

Chapter Three

"Dad told me you are working with Mrs. Thompson." Mark has been dying to ask his stepbrother about what is being said about him in the town and, more importantly, what Emma's mother is saying about him.

" Yeah. She is nice; she pays me well too." Daniel knew what was coming. If Mark volunteered to drive him to school, it meant he wanted something from him. He never did anything for him unless he wanted something in return.

"Good for you. How is she doing anyway?"
Mark looked at him, purposefully driving too slowly. This is his only chance to talk to Daniel. He is nowhere to be found in the house. He is either at school, work or studying, locking his room.

"She is okay. I think." He remembered how she reacted when he told her that Mark was in town.

"Did she ever ask you about me? "

"No. We don't talk much about anything aside from work." Daniel lied. Susan is like a second mother to him; he confides in her about his home life, school, and other teenagers stuffs. She is easy to talk to.

"What about with other people? There is this girl, Lilly, she told me Mrs. Thompson has been talking about me with the coffee shop old lady; what was her name?" Mark snapped his finger, reputedly like that would help him remember.

"Mary" Daniel said, looking out the window.

"Yeah, Mary. Lilly told me that lady is spreading false rumors about me."

"I don't know; I have never heard them talk about you. And who is Lilly?"

"You don't know her; she was my classmate." He shifted in his seat like he was uncomfortable talking further about her, which didn't go unrecognized by Daniel.

"We are here. Thank you." Daniel hurried to get out of the car.

"Wait!" Mark grabbed him by his hood, pulling him back to sit. "You will tell me if Mrs. Thompson is accusing me of something weird, right?"

"Like what?" Daniel looked at him, confused.

"You know, like I have something to do with Emma's death; trust me, I don't, but she might think so."

Daniel looked at his stepbrother like he was trying to read something on his face. "Okay, I will. Can I go now? I will be late."

"Okay. Do you want me to pick you up later?"

" No. I will go straight to work. We are busy; it is Valentine's Day tomorrow."

Daniel said goodbye, leaving Mark with his thoughts. It is Valentine's Day tomorrow; it would've been his and Emma's first anniversary. He opened his wallet and pulled out a necklace with the initial E. He stared at it for a while until students passing by startled him, and he put it back before anyone could see it.

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