I felt completely empty in this house and the silence was killing me. It's been 3 days since I've last seen Sierra. I thought she would call by now, to talk or to see how I'm holding up. Even when she's angry at me, she always would check in to at least see if I'm okay. I know it's pathetic of me to even wish that but I really miss her. I've fucked up big time, and I've been trying to figure out ways to fix this whole mess but nothing can erase what I've done and nothing can make her see me as the man she fell in love with.
"Sierra can you please call me back, I need to explain some things to you, and I miss my daughter...I miss you," I recorded what seemed like the hundredth message.
"Just give her some time," Louis who sat in the middle of my kitchen said. "It's not entirely over, she's just frustrated and need some space."
"She told me she hates me and she hasn't spoken to me since that night, I'm sure it's over with," I responded to him angrily. "My life is over."
"Don't say that, people go through—"
"It's for you to say when you have a wife that you can go home to," I cut him off. He was taken back by the tone of my voice. It's unfair how I'm letting my anger out on him when I'm the one who specifically called him over, so I can have someone to talk with. My anger should be taken out on that manipulative bitch that ruined my life, tore my family and marriage apart. Words can't express how much I want to ruin her the same way she's done to me.
"Look, you need to relax. How about we go out for some drinks tonight, that should distract you."
"No, I'll pass. I'd rather stay here," I denied his approach. "I'm meeting with the same officer later on."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He gave me an unusual look. "If this girl is as crazy as she seems to be, she's going to eventually find out what you're doing and going to the police will trigger her even more."
"I don't care, I want her out of my life," I said. "If she's going to harm me, she would've done it by now but she hasn't. And she won't. Triggering her anger is the only way I can play her own cards against her."
"Triggering her will only ruin your life even more. She broke off your relationship with Sierra, she can easily make it worse," he argued. "Michael you need to stop and think sometimes."
"I think there's nothing worse she can do, she practically took the most important thing away from me! What's next?"
"We're late," he then changed the subject. He checked his phone and gathered his belongings. He drank his last cup of coffee before getting up to put the mug in the sink. The sink was piling with heavy loads of dishes. I've been slacking on household chores ever since I came back to the house. I never had the time to actually push myself to clean. I've been so stressed lately, I don't even have time to sleep, eat or clean up myself. I'm not feeling the same way I've felt, I feel like pure shit. It's like every other second or minute there's always something new to worry about. Its almost getting to the point where I need medication to stay on my two feet.
"When was the last time you washed those dishes man?" Louis said with disgust.
"I'll do when I get back," I carelessly said. "We're going to be late for work."
"Are you okay? Like genuinely asking? I'm concerned for you, I can help with anything—"
"I'll be fine." I gave him my final words before storming off to the door. I waited for him to come out the house so I could lock it.
For the first time, I arrived to work early. Honestly with the amount of energy I'm lacking, it should've been best to stay home. I would've gotten the rest I deserve and also I would've avoided seeing her face. I still can't believe she managed to withhold a job just so she can have the advantage to get closer to me. Speaking of the devil.
How coincidental is it that she happens to be the first person waiting by the doors while everyone else were preparing to clock out in the line. I knew the only reason for her to be standing there like that was for me to come in. I wouldn't be surprised if she's been standing there the entire time, knowing exactly what time I left my house and how long it would take me to drive up here. She's probably calculating every single one of my move and steps. It's creepy and also alarming. I don't know how many brain cells she's lacking but this isn't remotely healthy at all.
I walked in with Louis, he already detected my discomfort when he noticed her staring down at me so eagerly. "She's in every fucking corner, I'm sick and tired of it." I mumbled to him.
"Do you want me to handle it?" He whispered back.
"No, I will," I said before storming up to where Veronica was standing, which was in the middle of the main floor, right next to the never ending line of people. I didn't even think twice before walking up to her and grabbing her by the wrist quickly.
"What's the rush? You're never this excited to see me." She said sarcastically. I dragged her far from the crowd of people and closer to a hallway where we weren't seen. She smiled as if this whole thing is a joke, which angered me more. I pushed her to the wall, where she caught her balance before falling to the ground.
"How long is this gonna keep going on?!" I start off yelling. "You can't keep doing this!"
"Doing what?" She said playing stupid.
"Following me, calling me, and ruining my life. You got what you wanted, you ruined my marriage. When are you going to stop?" It took me a second to realize how close I was to her, with my fists clutched to her face. I took a few steps back.
"Well if I stop, then it would defeat the whole purpose wouldn't it?" She tried to slide her hands up to my chest but I immediately removed them.
"Don't touch me," I warned her. She laughed at my response.
"The whole point is to be with you not push you away. I don't want to leave you Michael, I just want you to realize how hard it would be for you not to have me in your life."
"By making me miserable?" I was dumbfounded how she was saying this normally as if it's not the most fucked up thing someone could do. Yet again, she's the same person who don't even have a real identity and possibly took a few lives. "Do you not understand what you've done to me? Sierra left me, I can't see my child for god knows how long! I can't sleep, eat, or think straight. You're ruining me Veronica!" I pleaded. "I'm sick and tired."
"I gave you an offer twice, you refused. So I had to place matter into my own hands and get rid of the one person that was blocking us from being with each other, I placed the weight off of your shoulders, you should be thanking me!" She spat in my face. "Why are you acting like you were the slightest bit happy with her?"
"You caused Sierra to hate me, why the fuck would I be thanking you? You should be lucky that I haven't strangled you yet." The words carelessly came out of my mouth, which took her by surprise because I'm not the one to make extreme threats like that but I was completely over trying to be nice and easy on her. It was true, there's nothing more I want to do but strangle her. She's clearly in denial and thinks making me suffer like this is benefiting me in any way. "I loved Sierra, and you ruined it!" My fist flew to the wall, just an inch away from her face. She didn't flinch, just stood there watching me spaz out on her.
"All this anger from you kind of turns me on."
"Listen closely, when I tell you this you psychotic bitch!" I gripped her arm, clawing my fingers into her skin before turning her flesh red. "You're never going to get the chance to be with me. You'll never receive any love from anyone because you're too fucking crazy to comprehend what that feeling is. You don't even care about others feelings why would you even believe someone is going to care about yours? Now If I have to get rid of you the hard way, then so be it." I said through gritted teeth. I pushed her to the wall even harder. "I tried asking the nice way, but I'm afraid you're not listening to a word I'm saying. So whatever more stuff you think you have of me to expose, just know I can do the same."
"What could you possibly have to use against me?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Your identity. You're not who you say you are. You kill people and throw them out their bodies like it's nothing," I responded. The response made her freeze in place. A blank expression plastered upon her face as if she's seen a ghost or something. "I know all your sick twisted secrets Veronica. You might hide it behind that smile but I know. It's just as easy to expose them the same way you've exposed the many private and personal things in my life."
"You don't know a damn thing about me," she pushed me away, clearly bothered at what she was hearing. "You can't prove anything," she said with a confident look.
"Oh I don't?" I chuckled. "The first thing I'll start off is exposing that male cop you killed by the woods. I'm sure that'll give you a one way ticket behind bars." I said loudly making sure she heard me loud and clear. "Then you'll really know what the fuck misery is."
"You're going to be in a bigger hole than you already are," she responded.
"Try me." Those two words were the only thing that made the rage in her eyes very clear. She was fired up and I wasn't phased by it. I wanted her to come at me with all the fury in her, because I'm more than prepared to play her own cards against her.
Veronica's POV:
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I banged my hand on the bathroom sink repeatedly. How did he find out? Someone could've obviously told him? I've spent years trying to keep my past away from my own self, so how does someone easily dig up something that not even my parents or family know. He's not supposed to know those things about me, it's supposed to be the other way around. I've had my eye on him, from surveillance cameras, to tracking his phone, following his GPS, how did I let him sneak around and figure me out that quickly. By the look on his face, he wasn't bluffing. He wasn't telling me those things to get me frustrated, he knows. He knows what I do and who I am. He clearly mentioned that stupid sheriff I ran into that one night of deposing another person's body. He knows I killed him. He probably found the other body as well.
It didn't make sense for him to drive that far up into the woods. He couldn't be there that night, it's a long way drive from where he lives so it wouldn't make sense for him to even know about the place. Besides, even if he did know, would he found the exact spot I buried the body and the exact spot I burned the sheriff's car? No, and how would he even know it was me? He couldn't. He would need some evidence laying around to piece that type of information together.
I mean, I've collected both the cop and the other person's belongings before executing their deaths. I didn't leave behind any of the items I used to bury the body or burn the car. I have a plastic bag of both the sheriff and the other male's belongings. What other evidence is there?
I looked in the mirror, staring at my reflection closely before the answer suddenly hit me. The blonde wig and the cigarette I lit. My memory of that day became vividly clear. Right after burning the car, I remember carelessly throwing the wig into the flames and flicking my cigarette at the car. Bits or ashes or burned remaining of the wig could easily hold evidence of my fingerprints. However, Michael may be smart but not smart enough to trace those fingerprints back to me. He is an ordinary guy that only works at a financial department after all. It would take a team of forensics to cover something like that. There's no way he could've conducted that, unless.....someone has already done it for him. Someone more in the police field. The correlation makes sense.
With my knowledge, Michael has visited the police department twice. Once, when he probably went to request a restraining order and twice when he went with Sierra in regards to the cameras I hid in his house. Even I was there on that day when I confronted and threatened him. So that means, someone at that department clearly knows him well, or at least has been working with him during his visits. His complaints probably center around me. Whoever is working with him has done their own line of research on me as well. I believe the only reason for that is because a disappearance of their fellow county sheriff. There's probably numerous of cops put to work, trying to figure out who killed him. Might be their biggest case yet.
Someone went and found the wig and probably small ashes of the cigarette, conducted some lab research and came up with the fingerprints. Either Michael found it and handed it over to an officer to look at, or an officer found it and reported it to Michael. Whoever is working with him is violating the disclosure of private criminal investigation and clearly isn't following the law even with a badge on.
There has to be a way to make it difficult to prove that I was physically there in those woods or any where near it. Evidence can easily be destroyed even when it's found. Even if I get a hold of that blonde wig and cigarette, there's still video evidence of me around the area.
My thoughts also circulated around the possible surveillance tape from the Home Depot store, where I bought the barbed wire, axe, shovel and hatchet. If they look at the recording of the security tape on that day, my face will be plastered for every cop in this city to see. I need to destroy it. I need to retrace my exact steps and undo what I've done.
What's more important is keeping a close eye on Michael so I can know exactly who's been helping him this whole time behind my back.
—————
*suspense sound starts playing*
Michael should've kept his mouth closed 😶
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