"What the hell is she doing here?!?!" I yell my anger building inside.
"Ella please hear me out." Amy says.
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say!"
"Ella...you'll want to hear this."Courtney says.
"Oh so now you are siding with her?"
"No Ella. I didn't forgive her for running us off the road or stabbing you and Ivan, but what she has to say is important. She's already told Brad and I and now you need to hear it."
"I'm listening."
"I'm going to start with...I didn't vandalize your car."
"Of coarse you did. Your finger prints were on that note?"
"Yes my fingerprints were on the note, I did write it but I was forced to do it. I want to tell you everything from that point on."
"Ok we are listening." I say losing patience.
"First I want to start with my relationship with Ivan. I've known him a long time, before the foster care stuff happened. We dated on and off. When I turned 18 he slept with me and that started the serious part of our relationship. After about the 4th time I ended up pregnant. Ivan was so happy. He wanted to be a dad. So we got an apartment together and then he told Nancy about the baby. She was less than thrilled. The next day she called me and asked me to lunch so I met her. She had asked me to disappear and never look back. She said would send me money monthly to take care of me and the baby and Ivan must never know. I declined, I wanted to be with Ivan I wanted us to raise the baby together. So she got upset and left."
"Wow. That's terrible but honestly what does this have to do with what happened to us?" I ask
She goes on. "I went home and told Ivan and he said I was making it up that Nancy would not do that and shrugged me off. About a week later she calls me asking me to meet her for lunch again and that wanted to apologize. So I trusted she was sorry and met her. Half way through lunch I started getting really bad stomach pains. She called for an ambulance and called Ivan to meet us at the hospital. I lost my baby that day. Turns out when I got up to go to the bathroom she put something in my drink to make me miscarry."
I'm staring at her in dis belief. How can I trust she's telling the truth.
"I threatened to tell Ivan what I knew and she said she would destroy me. There was nothing she could over me so I made my decision to tell Ivan. Before I could she told me what she was hiding. Apparently before she married Brad's dad she slept with my dad behind Brad's dad's back. She ended up pregnant. That baby was me. She told Brad's dad that she was going to Nigeria to do volunteer work, she really went to her aunts house for the pregnancy and once she had me her aunt handed me over to the adoption agency. Nancy went back home, married Brad's dad and ended up pregnant with Brad on her honeymoon."
"So because she adopted Ivan that technically made him your brother and she didn't want you having a relationship with your brother?" I ask.
"Exactly Ella. But she paid me off to disappear and so I did. Losing my baby, losing Ivan destroyed me. I ended up falling into a deep depression and was institutionalized. Two days before your car was vandalized Nancy came to visit me in the home. She told me she researched you and you were a horrible person and you needed scared away. She told me what she wanted to do, that she would take care of the car but needed me to write the note. I cared about Ivan and his wellbeing so I wrote the note. She didn't give me my meds and I went crazy. That's how I ended up at Ivan's and attacked you. When I was taken away I was sent back to the home. Case stated that I was mentally ill and that's why I committed the crime. I broke out because I needed to find you to tell you everything. I followed you for a few days and was waiting for the perfect moment to approach you, then Zack ruined it by attacking you all. I followed you from that party to your friend Derek's house and waited for you to come out once you got situated but I assumed you ended up staying so I left. I went back to my hotel and was going to work on a new plan. Next thing I hear is that you were ran of the road and in the hospital and that you lost your baby. Which I'm really sorry for your loss."
I nod my head accepting her condolences. I don't know what to make of all of this either.
"But they found your finger prints on the stolen car?" I ask.
"Yes my finger prints were on the car. I stole it when I got into town. I needed a way to get around without people seeing me. I'm not proud of that by any means. But she wiped it down leaving only a few prints making it look like I wiped it down and missed some spots. I swear to you I didn't run you off the road."
"So are you saying Nancy did it?" I ask.
"Yes. The hotel staff will vouch that I was at the hotel during the time of your accident."
"So you have an alibi?"
"Yes I sat at the bar and talked with the bartender, his name is Alex. A couple also came in and sat next to me. They bought me a drink." Amy answers.
"So say we believe you and go after my mom for this, will you back is up?" Brad asks her.
"If I didn't want to help I wouldn't be here right now telling you everything."
I stand up and start pacing, my boot hitting the hardwood floor, thump thump thump. Courtney looks at me and I sit back down. Brad leaves the room for a few minutes not sure what he's doing. Courtney is worried so she goes to find him. I'm left in the room with Amy, the one who I thought was responsible for my loss, the one who stabbed Ivan and the one who destroyed my car, but I was possibly wrong. Her story kind of almost makes me feel sorry for her. I turn to her and unexpectedly speak.
"I'm sorry you lost your baby too." I say.
"Thanks Ella. That means a lot."
"Not to sound rude but you don't seem to be too bad right now."
"No offense taken. I'm on my medicine. It sometimes helps me forget." Amy explains.
"How far along were you?" I ask.
" I was 3 months? How about you?"
"I was the same. Why would she do this to me? I mean I understand the brother thing but why would she do this to me...or even us?"
"Ella she's a sick person. She has a mental illness."
"I know Brad told me."
"It seems like when she starts to lose control of something she stops her meds and goes crazy."
"So what makes Courtney so different? Why hasn't she tried to hurt her for being with Brad?" I'm questioning.
"Because Brad isn't apart of her sick love triangle. He was the child that was not born out of wedlock the one she did everything right with."
"So in other words he became the golden child?"
"You could say that. She likes to have control, with Brad he never let it happen. Ivan, he bent over backwards and obeyed her every command. He was afraid if he didn't that he would be sent to another home. He was finally feeling like he belonged somewhere and Brad became an amazing brother to him. Brad and Ivan became so close and inseparable."
"Yeah I saw that as soon as I met Ivan and he and Brad were in the same room together."
"Look Ella I'm really sorry for everything. I'm sorry that you had gone through everything you've been through. I'm sorry for attacking you. I know apologies generally are hard to accept but I really hope you accept."
"Amy I'm really happy that you took the time to try and explain. I'm also sorry for everything you've been through too."
"Thanks Ella. I'm going to go back to the home, but I didn't want too until I had the chance to talk you first. I just hope I can some how prove I'm not guilty for the accident."
"We believe you and will testify if needed." Brad says coming back into the room. "I mean you are my sister so family sticks together. No excuses for my mom though."
"Thanks Brad and thank you Courtney and Ella. That really means a lot."
Amy stands up and comes over to me and hugs me. "I hope one day you can forgive me." I smile and she walks over to Brad and Courtney hugging them as well. She walks out the door and I know she's going to head back to the home.
