makeup handed her several tissues. She dabbed at her eyes, but it did no good. The tears gushed like a river unleashed.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she sobbed. “I panicked.”
“Panicked?” Sam’s voice pitched. “You ruined my life.” A life that she now lived sequestered in another state, alone, apart from her family and friends, and the one man she loved more than life itself. “Why Kyle?”
Cathy closed her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to look at Sam. When she opened them a shadow crept over them. “I hated what you had.” Bitterness seeped into her words. “It was wrong, but if I couldn’t be happy, why should you be?” She nervously bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Sam took another step toward the sister— no —woman she now hated with a vengeance. Her mother caught her arm but Sam shook her off. “Sorry?” she repeated, trembling.
The knowledge that Cathy had instigated this problem, knowing full well what the outcome would be, was too much for Sam. She drew back her hand and released. The loud slap echoed throughout the store.
Cathy’s eyelids shot open. Her tears instantly dried. She held her palm over her now red cheek, staring at Sam in what appeared like disbelief.
Several people gasped and someone yelled Sam’s name, but she couldn’t comprehend through the red haze her mind had become. “Did you fuck him while he was passed out?” she growled.
“No!” Cathy quickly added, “Sam, I wouldn’t do that to you. He couldn’t have performed in his condition. Besides, even inebriated he knew I wasn’t you. He pushed me away before he passed out. I stayed because I wanted to make it look real.”
Real?
Sam wanted to scream. Tear her updo out. No. She wanted to rip every strand of Cathy’s hair out. Before she could take action on the fiery revenge surging through her veins, Jennifer and Francois caught her arms. Sam struggled against them like a madwoman.
If she could just get her fingers around Cathy’s throat…
“Sam! Someone has called security.” Jennifer gave Sam a jerk. “Let’s take a walk.”
“Sweetheart,” the cosmetician’s tone was soft and sympathetic. “When you’ve calmed down, come back and I’ll finish.”
Finish? Makeup was the last thing on Sam’s mind. Murder was the first thing.
While her sister half dragged her away, their mother went to console Cathy. That in itself fueled Sam’s fury. Anger so alive it threatened to consume her burned brightly. Who was the victim in all this mess? Cathy? Hell no.
“Breathe, Sam.”
Air flooded her lungs as she opened her mouth, almost choking her. “I can’t believe it. That bitch!”
Heavy footsteps took Sam through the jewelry and then through the purse section. She had shrugged off her sister’s grasp somewhere between the earring counter and accessories. All she could think of was that Kyle was innocent. For two years she had put them both through a living hell.
He was innocent but Cathy was not.
Sam and Jennifer were approaching women’s wear when her sister cautiously began to speak. “Sam. Think.”
Think? That was all she’d done since she returned to Seattle. Her head hurt from all the thinking.
“Kyle tripped over himself to be with you, to give you everything you desired, while George acted as if Cathy was his soon-to-be trophy wife.”
“And I’m supposed to care, why?” Spite hung onto the last word.
“Come on, Sam.” This time Jennifer snapped at her. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. George wanted someone to show off in front of his law firm. Cathy had the big diamond ring. The large house to look forward to, but you had love. You had Kyle and dreams and a future together.”
“A love that Cathy tore out of my hands.”
“I don’t blame you for being angry.” Jennifer fought back tears. “What she did to you is unforgivable.” They strolled quietly through racks and racks of women’s shoes before Jennifer spoke again.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she sobbed. “I panicked.”
“Panicked?” Sam’s voice pitched. “You ruined my life.” A life that she now lived sequestered in another state, alone, apart from her family and friends, and the one man she loved more than life itself. “Why Kyle?”
Cathy closed her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to look at Sam. When she opened them a shadow crept over them. “I hated what you had.” Bitterness seeped into her words. “It was wrong, but if I couldn’t be happy, why should you be?” She nervously bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Sam took another step toward the sister— no —woman she now hated with a vengeance. Her mother caught her arm but Sam shook her off. “Sorry?” she repeated, trembling.
The knowledge that Cathy had instigated this problem, knowing full well what the outcome would be, was too much for Sam. She drew back her hand and released. The loud slap echoed throughout the store.
Cathy’s eyelids shot open. Her tears instantly dried. She held her palm over her now red cheek, staring at Sam in what appeared like disbelief.
Several people gasped and someone yelled Sam’s name, but she couldn’t comprehend through the red haze her mind had become. “Did you fuck him while he was passed out?” she growled.
“No!” Cathy quickly added, “Sam, I wouldn’t do that to you. He couldn’t have performed in his condition. Besides, even inebriated he knew I wasn’t you. He pushed me away before he passed out. I stayed because I wanted to make it look real.”
Real?
Sam wanted to scream. Tear her updo out. No. She wanted to rip every strand of Cathy’s hair out. Before she could take action on the fiery revenge surging through her veins, Jennifer and Francois caught her arms. Sam struggled against them like a madwoman.
If she could just get her fingers around Cathy’s throat…
“Sam! Someone has called security.” Jennifer gave Sam a jerk. “Let’s take a walk.”
“Sweetheart,” the cosmetician’s tone was soft and sympathetic. “When you’ve calmed down, come back and I’ll finish.”
Finish? Makeup was the last thing on Sam’s mind. Murder was the first thing.
While her sister half dragged her away, their mother went to console Cathy. That in itself fueled Sam’s fury. Anger so alive it threatened to consume her burned brightly. Who was the victim in all this mess? Cathy? Hell no.
“Breathe, Sam.”
Air flooded her lungs as she opened her mouth, almost choking her. “I can’t believe it. That bitch!”
Heavy footsteps took Sam through the jewelry and then through the purse section. She had shrugged off her sister’s grasp somewhere between the earring counter and accessories. All she could think of was that Kyle was innocent. For two years she had put them both through a living hell.
He was innocent but Cathy was not.
Sam and Jennifer were approaching women’s wear when her sister cautiously began to speak. “Sam. Think.”
Think? That was all she’d done since she returned to Seattle. Her head hurt from all the thinking.
“Kyle tripped over himself to be with you, to give you everything you desired, while George acted as if Cathy was his soon-to-be trophy wife.”
“And I’m supposed to care, why?” Spite hung onto the last word.
“Come on, Sam.” This time Jennifer snapped at her. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. George wanted someone to show off in front of his law firm. Cathy had the big diamond ring. The large house to look forward to, but you had love. You had Kyle and dreams and a future together.”
“A love that Cathy tore out of my hands.”
“I don’t blame you for being angry.” Jennifer fought back tears. “What she did to you is unforgivable.” They strolled quietly through racks and racks of women’s shoes before Jennifer spoke again.
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