"It was the power. I think that's what pulled me back..." Toni Topaz, Betty Coopers estrange half sister , sat beside her- understandably an emotional wreck. Darks bags had formed under her eyes, not from lack of sleep but from the running trail her jet black mascara had left, misplaced from her tear. Her body was slumped back against the old oak tree, the wind had blown her perfectly curled waves into a curly mess. But Betty wasn't much better herself, so wasn't one to judge.
"I threw away a possibly perfect life, a fresh start.." The fresh swig of red, bringing out her confidence.
"Trust me no life is perfect..." Betty assured her , placing a warm hand on her bony back. She smiled in return.
"I snook into the hospital, told them I was an off duty doctor from another town over and while there were checking my authenticity , I walked into the room, looked her right in the eyes and set the life support to a twenty four hours delay. That way it gave me chance to get out of Riverdale, change my name and number all before she even died. It was when I reached the woods, just before the "welcome to Riverdale" sign that it hit, I never actually found my parents. The sole purpose of my adventurous escapade to Riverdale. So I stayed, on the Southside of course. But I still followed you and Jughead, I wanted to make sure my past never caught up with me, I couldn't let either of you discover that it was me who killed Penelope." She continued.
"I followed you both to the Sheriffs office that night, it was then I found out that one of the files recovered from the memory stick that F.P kept as insurance against your Dad, maybe to hold against our mother if she ever wanted to find out. To this day I will never know why he blacked out my name, but I recognised the print, the hospital, the weight. It was my birth certificate, except with Alice Cooper listed as my mother. I panicked, I thought they were onto me. I took everything, from the countless interview to the unknowing, nosey town folk to the key piece of evidence. Including finger prints, at least that part was a good idea for a cover up."
Betty pulled her knees closer to her chest, tightening her grip. She was always so close, quite physically a breath away at times. Yet it some how took sixteen years for them to meet.
"I thought they had found information on me for another crime..." Betty was gob smacked... she didn't think the sweet , innocent girl affront of her could be capable of any crime, let alone multiple.
" A couple weeks prior , I made a few connections and found out where our Mom was and who I thought was my Dad. I found him first, lurking around an old, washed out bar at the edge of town. I introduced myself, but didn't tell him who I was yet, I didn't want to give him the chance to turn me away before he got the chance to know me. I think he mistook my kindness for something else entirely. He offered to take me back to a motel around the corner. I had to tell him then, I remember crying out that I.... I was his daughter, why..why would he do that to our mother?" Toni could only choke out the final statements between sobs, Betty felt the tears well as she understood what Toni was about to confess to.
"I told him I was going to tell his wife, my mom. He freaked out and came at me. I panicked ! It was an act of self defence." She trembled, her body began to shake.
Betty didn't want to believe it. She kept herself in a inescapable state of denial , but had to ask.
"Wha.. what did you do?" Betty asked, voice shaky. Her Dad may of been a bad man in some respects, but he didn't deserve what he got.
"I killed him , okay? I didn't mean to.. I mean at the time I still believed he was my Dad. It was self defence ! He came at me.. I don't know of he would have hurt me or not but . but I pushed him back and he fell. He cracked his head on the hard cobble stone pavement. I.. I saw the blood trickle from his head.. I knew from the South side what it meant to get involved with the law... I was scared so I ran. I didn't check if he was ..."
"Alive." Betty screeched.
Toni swallowed hard." I got scared and ran. And by the time some one found him.. it was too late. He had been drinking.. they assumed he had just fallen over in a drunken haze... the police force like open and shut cases. They took no further investigation... I had gotten away with murder. It was time for me to leave... I could go see my mother after I had ust killed her husband. I walked by her hotel three times... but never had the courage to meet her. I had ruined everything... I had ruined her life. It was in my own drunken haze I called my Dad, my real one. The one who raised me , not the family who abandoned me. I blurted it all out.. I told him everything. For some reason that was beyond me, I had convinced myself that I needed to dispose of the body. So by morning , me and my Dad had come to pick up the body. I didn't go in... I was scared they would arrest me or something."
"But my Mom saw..." Betty trailed off confused.
"Clifford Blossom. It turns out I was right about being some what related to the Blossoms. Clifford and my Dad were funnily enough twins, a common occurrence, your Mom must have just mistaken them for one another. After all Clifford was dead at this point."
" So then what? what did you do with the body?" Betty asked, through gritted teeth.
"We threw it- him in Sweet Water river... Betty I'm so sorry." She faltered.
"Just finish the story." Betty said, ignoring her previous statement.
"It was then when I found out Hal wasn't my Dad. Him and our Mom had identical blood type, It was given to us when they discharge his body. A positive. I have B negative... meaning I must have gotten it from my Dad." Betty bit her tongue, knowing that it wasn't quite how genetics worked but Toni was heading still in the right direction. To contradict her now would be worthless.
" I came back to Riverdale, I abandoned the man who came to my rescue, who committed a felony for me. But I couldn't be the enormous bull dozer I was, I couldn't destruct his life an more than I had already. I loved him so much... I had to let him go. I came back angry. Angrier than when I found out Penelope and Clifford killed Jason , angrier than when I found out I was adopted. I hated you. You and Polly, you both got everything. The perfect life, the perfect family while I was thrown out, forgotten about . Abandoned." Her eyes were hard and glossy.
"I wanted revenge. And that's what I got. I guess it started with your Dad. I practically convinced your boyfriend it would be a good idea to join the Serpent, knowing how it would affect your relationship. I saw you at your weakest, alone without a soul in the world. I used that too my advantage. I tried to take every thing away from you, and then Polly walked back into your life. Followed by our Mom. I swapped out Polly's post natal depression medication with paracetamol, giving her no chance to become connected to the babies. Leaving you as their voluntary mother, shutting you away from the outside world. I even left you notes so you would see what Jughead was up to. joining the serpents with a mystery brunette . But then... it hit me. Out of all our family... you are the only one who would accept me. You were the only one I had any chance with. And I was purposely trying to ruin your life. When I saw you in pain, breaking down , I thought that would be it. It should have given me some release, it should have made me happy. But it didn't! It made me feel guilty, it made me feel heart broken to see you this way and to know it was caused by me."
She grew silent for a moment. Allowing her betrayal and condolences to register with Betty.
"It was then... I wanted to fix everything. I wanted to give you the life you deserved, the life you needed. I kept my distance for a while, only meeting you as Toni Topaz. I adored you Betty, my own little sister. You were all I ever dreamed of and more. I made arrangements out of town, ready for today."
"What arrangements?" Betty asked, looking Toni straight in the eyes as her face softened.
She took Bettys hands in hers. Closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"For me to escape. For us to escape if that is what you want? We could start a fresh, leave Riverdale and all the mess that comes with it behind. I don't expect you to come with me or even make the decision tonight. But the offer is on the table."
Betty couldn't believe her ears. But before she had chance to register anything her half sister had just offered her, a loud rustle of leave emerged from the Forrest beside them.
Instantly the pair jumped up in panic, looking to one another in defence. Expecting the other to take action, if any one were to hear Toni's confessions, it would be game over.
"Who's there?" Betty managed to chime out.
After a few moments of silence in the painful darkness. Out walked a shadowy figure, his gaze glued to the floor, his heavy jacket giving him away instantaneously.
"Hi Jughead." Toni uttered.
Betty had more than one problem to deal with now . But the night was far from over...