The Rich and Scandalous

(21)Cruel Intentions

Leigh felt as if her whole world was out of control and crumbling down around her. She paused before entering the foyer that Janice was in, no doubt sipping on her most expensive champagne and trying to find another way to make Leigh's wedding hell.

No wonder she was trying to be nice to me, Leigh couldn't help but to think. She was probably feeling guilty for trying to kill me.

Uncomfortably, she walked into the foyer and eyed Janice suspiciously. Janice shot her a wide smile, picking up a small white plate with a slice of cake on it that has lavender frosting coating it. "Here," she said, placing a silver fork onto the plate. "Try this." She shoved the plate into Leigh's face, and it took everything in Leigh not to scream.

"I thought we already settled on the crème meringue for the side appetizers," Leigh said slowly as she eyed the plate cautiously.

"We did, but this lavender cake is to die for," Janice exaggerated, making Leigh flinch. "You have to try it."

"Actually," Leigh said quickly, thinking of a lie. "I have a bit of a toothache from trying all of the deserts. Maybe I will go get Jason to taste it." She didn't trust Janice one bit, and for all she knew, Janice could have poisoned the cake. Hell, anything was possible at this point and she doubted Janice would let her own son nibble on poisoned cake. Janice forced her face to remain a smile as she jolted slightly and sent the piece of cake tumbling to the floor.

"Whoops," she said, covering her mouth as if she was a clumsy school girl. "I guess the cake is no good now." Leigh took a step back, her eyes widening slightly as she held in a breath. She found it hard to believe that Janice dropped the cake on accident, and if she did do it on purpose then that meant Leigh's suspicions were right. Janice was trying to poison her –apparently cutting her brakes weren't damage enough.

Janice was more dangerous than she thought, and she regretted ever even threatening her with the pictures and videos in the first place. On top of everything else that was going on, how was she going to deal with this too?

"Your life is like a soap opera," Elsa said, her laughter flowing through the small clothing store in the outlet mall. They were in the size four to eight pants section, surrounded by lavish racks of clothes that had many zeros at the end of the sell price. Leigh had just informed Elsa on her current situation with Janice, and she couldn't help but to scowl at how Elsa managed to think everything was all so funny.

Reaching out, she slapped Elsa across the arm and gave her a pointed glare. "Shut up," Leigh snapped, laughing slightly. "Since when does someone's life being in danger become a funny matter?"

"Oh come on!" Elsa exclaimed. "You have to admit, you don't live the normal life of a nineteen year old—"

"Soon to be twenty," Leigh added, turning to the side and looking at a pair of dark denim jeans.

"Right," Elsa agreed, "Soon to be twenty. But really, Janice is bat shit crazy."

"Beyond crazy, like she literally tried to shove the cake in my face," Leigh said, laughing at how bizarre it all sounded. "Can you imagine the headlines? Death by wedding cake." They both began to cackle in unison, and Leigh couldn't help but to feel warmth from her friendship with Elsa. It was no secret that she never had a close friend, and over the span of a month, Elsa and she had become inseparable. It was Elsa who kept her sane and from running back to Jason, and it was nice to know that Leigh had prejudged her. She was great company and had a wonderful sense of humor. Not to mention that she was trustworthy and understood Leigh's feelings about everything.