Façade

Chapter 13

This story, and indeed this relationship, began with a lie, a big one. As Daniel once said 'The truth doesn't always set you free' and although I accept this to be true, I also believe that the truth always comes out, and with it, comes unimaginable devastation. This, was another lesson that Emily Grayson was about to learn firsthand.

Daniel's voice boomed across the beach, causing birds to take flight suddenly, off into the distance, away from the seemingly tiny problems of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Grayson.

'I came back to take... ugh, how do I say this' Emily exhaled. 'I came back to take revenge on your family for destroying mine' she leaned over, and took deep, slow breaths. Tears began to fall. One by one. One by one. Again and again.

Daniel stormed outside onto the balcony. He looked out over the horizon. His eyes drifted down to the plants they had potted together when they first moved to Paris. The dew on their leaves was frozen, like tiny beads of glass. He noticed how beautiful they were. How pure they were. Once upon a time he thought that Emily was just as pure. There was no denying she was more beautiful, but now, now she was a liar. He needed to confront her.

He stepped back inside. 'So you came back, with your agenda, and without any regard for anyone's feelings, to inflict your own brand of retribution on this family' he stared her in the eyes, searching them, for the woman he married, the woman he fell in love with. 'She looked down at her hands, which were intertwined with one another 'Yes. But you need to see it from my perspective. My father, who was my whole world, was ripped away from me when I was only young. I grew up in institutions, and abusive foster homes, while you and your parents were living your lives. I felt, no, I knew it to be unfair' she looked up at him with her big, brown eyes and whispered 'I was a scared little girl.'

Daniel stared right back, and said 'No one forced you to do anything. You could've stopped at any time' his voice grew louder the farther he got through the sentence. His brow began to furrow frustratedly, and he put his hand to it.

'I began with Lydia Davis' Emily started, with a shaky voice 'I tracked her and your father to the South Fork inn, and poisoned his soup. After that, I left it up to your mother to figure out. Except, of course, I needed to put the final nail into your fathers coffin. During the Memorial Day yacht party, I, seemingly unknowingly confirmed your mothers suspicions of your fathers affair.' At this point, Daniel was outwardly showing signs of experiencing difficulty processing this new information. Emily, not paying too much attention to this, continued. 'Then, the destruction of Bill Harmon came about. He wasn't the most challenging of targets. All it took was some misplaced trust, and the access to Nolcorp's internal information. I just misled him slightly. I told him that Nolan would collaborate with Allcom cellular, he bet big, and lost big.'

Daniel couldn't listen anymore. He hated that his wife was this whole other person. He hated the fact that he thought he knew her when, in fact, he was only at the tip of the iceberg.

The house was mobbed by reporters. The noise was deafening. Flashes of light surrounded them as they were engulfed by a swirling sea if questions and flashes. They could barely make out the reporters voice in the background as he said '...And this just in, Victoria Grayson has been arrested on suspicion of the solicitation of the attempted murder of billionaire Emily Grayson.'

Daniel looked to Emily 'Wha-? Did you do this?!'

As I said, secrets always come out, and with them, comes unimaginable devastation.

© Sarah Egan 2013 - 2014 This story is subject to copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the author.