by T. C. Clark
Irene felt her eyes fill, and she wiped the tears away quickly. Right now, she had to focus. She could lick her wounds later. When Sybil had come after her the first time, she hadn’t fought back. There was so much guilt and shame surrounding her relationship with Bryce. No, she hadn’t known they were married, but still he’d taken away an innocent part of her, and Sybil had exploited it. She’d never suspected that she would care so much about what other people thought of her. But the public’s reaction had really damaged her self-worth.
It took years with good and kind people for her to rebuild herself. Irene was stronger now. Despite everything that happened to her. This time would be different.
She’d already checked with the school. Liam had the job; he was safe as well. When she’d gone to the hotel room, she’d taken one of his shirts. She’d slept in it; his scent comforted her.
Irene sniffed and wiped her nose. Damn, she hoped they worked out in the end. She loved him so much. She stood up and walked over to the mirror. She needed to fix herself up for this confrontation.
Irene knew Sybil. Once she started this war, things would get nasty quickly. She needed all the armor she could get. She’d already made her designated calls to people Sybil could potentially go after in her life.
Her main concern was Quinton, but when she’d called him, his only response was relief. He was happy to stand with her on this, and he was glad she was finally ready to fight back. Her friend was tired of taking credit for her work, and he also believed the public would react differently this time.
Apparently, Sybil had done a lot of bad things to a lot of good people. The circles she used to run in had seen the side that Irene thought Sybil had only reserved for her. Quinton had assured her this time around, the press would take a different stance.
Irene had even called Shonda. She’d left the equivalent of five voicemails to tell her sister what happened. Shonda would probably beat her with a bible when she got home, but she needed to know what was coming.
Whatever happened next no longer concerned her. She wouldn’t let Sybil hurt the Campbells. No one had been around to protect Irene last time. She still remembered how alone she’d felt.
No, this was the only way forward. She only hoped that when it was over and the dust cleared, that she wasn’t alone again. But through her past experience, she knew even if she were, she would survive.
Ten
Thank you, Karma...
* * *
Irene stood outside of Sybil’s penthouse suite with a frown on her face. She braced herself as the door opened. The sickly sweet perfume that Sybil usually doused herself with struck Irene’s senses.
“Hello, Irene. I wish I could say I was surprised you’re here, but I knew you’d show up sooner or later. Would you like to come in?”
“Sure.” There was no need to do this out in the public and she was done being afraid of this awful woman.
Irene followed her into the living room and took a seat on an expensive-looking couch.
“So, what brings you to my door? Are you here to beg for my forgiveness again?”
“No, I’m done with with all that. I’ve learned that a woman like you will never change. You need a victim in your life to feel powerful and I’m done with filling that role.”
“Whatever are you talking about?”
Irene winced as her mind drifted back to the time when Sybil had targeted her. “I have one question though. Why are you doing this, now? You got everything you ever wanted from anyone you’ve ever met. What joy can you possibly get out of tormenting people?”
Sybil laughed in Irene’s face. “Honestly, I’ve always hated you.”
Irene stood up. There was no talking with Sybil, and she didn’t need to hear any more. “I don’t care anymore. I’m done running from you and I have nothing left to lose.”
“You don’t, but Liam does.”
Irene knew that, but negotiating with Sybil was a waste of time. It was time for her to tell Liam what was going on. Last time she’d taken on Sybil alone and that had been a mistake. She had people now she could depend on.
“Why are you still so angry? You didn’t even love him and you two were separated for years before we met.”
“It’s true I never loved him, but he had the audacity to love you. I alone decide when things are done, not the other way around. I was actually enjoying tormenting Bryce, and then you came along, and the dumb-ass fell in love. He had no idea how easy that made my plans. You were now a weakness of his I could exploit. As soon as I tightened the screws, he gave in. But I hated you for giving him hope. So, I made sure before I walked away there would be no relationship between you two. I’m telling you this so you understand the kind of enemy I am. I will stop at nothing to get what I want. I will lie, cheat, steal, or destroy in order to meet my goals. So don’t threaten me, sweet little Irene. It’s a mistake you won’t recover from.”
Irene shook her head. “We will see about that. If I were you I’d check out the news soon, specifically the LA Times.” She turned to walk to the door and stopped when someone pounded on it.
“Look at me with all these new guests. My neighbors must be worried.” Sybil walked around Irene and opened her door.
“Mel!” Irene yelled as her best friend strode inside.
“The one and only.” Mel walked in and looked around the pristine apartment.
“Expensive taste,” she said out loud.
Irene’s eyes narrowed. If Mel was here then something serious was happening.
“Oh, are you here to offer support for your friend? That’s adorable and a complete waste of time. I’m not sure what she told you, but this bitch slept with my husband.”
“Save the lies, I’ve met your ex-husband. Well, I’ve met up with all of your exes and I’ve learned quite a bit about you.”
“Mel…” Irene said.
“Irene, you’re not alone and you needed help to take down someone like this. You see Sybil here is a con artist of epic proportions. She has more enemies than most world dictators.”
“What is your point? And get to it quickly. I have a one o’clock meeting,” Sybil picked up her phone, and Irene felt sure they were about to be kicked out the building.
“My point is a woman like you is an easy target for someone like me.”
“Security, I have two trespassers I’d like to report,” Sybil examined them with an evil smile. “Yes, I would like to press charges.”
“Hey, Sybil, could you tell them that Interpol is waiting just outside the door, and that a person being taken into custody really doesn’t have a right to request security. I just don’t want you wasting their valuable time,” Mel advised. The confidence in Mel’s voice surprised Irene.
“What’s going on, Mel?”
“I think little Sybil knows exactly what’s going on.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sybil demanded.
“St. James Bank,” Mel said simply.
“I have no idea what that means,” Sybil snapped, but Irene noticed the uncertainty in her eyes. Whatever Mel was referring to was real.
“Well, I wouldn’t think you would. You seem pretty dumb keeping all of your secrets in one place. Don’t worry, I gave all of my information to the government agency already looking into you. Trust me, they pieced it together.”
Sybil paled and her hands curled into her fists at her side.
“What are you talking about, Mel?” Irene asked.
“Oh, you weren’t the only person Sybil has blackmailed, and blackmail isn’t even the worst crime Sybil has committed. On my own, I’ve linked her to grand larceny, tax evasion, and even murder. But let me tell you a secret, Sybil. I am thorough—some would say obsessive. So this time, these crimes will stick.”
“You fucking bitch!” Sybil lurched forward with her hand raised, and without hesitation Irene stepped in front. She balled up her fist and punched her with all of the pent-up anger burning inside her chest.
She conn
ected hard with Sybil’s jaw just as the front door to the apartment flew open. Sybil fell to the ground as the men in black moved in.
“Damn!!!!!!” Mel exclaimed with glee.
“I don’t know…. I didn’t mean to…”
“Girl, stop. There has never been a woman who had it coming more than dear old Sybil here.”
“Do you really have all that stuff on her?” Irene asked hopefully. Sybil would be furious when she woke up, and Irene needed to be ready for another kind of fight then.
“Did you really come here to protect your man?” Mel asked instead. She watched Irene’s expression carefully.
Irene sighed; she couldn’t deny the truth. “I did. I gave an interview to my friend who works at the LA Times and I also recorded our last conversation where Sybil threatened me. Somehow it was leaked and now everyone can see exactly who Sybil is.”
Mel nodded. “I thought so, and then you should know I came here to protect you.”
“Thank you, Mel. She could still get away with this. Sybil is richer than most kings, and she has all the right friends in the worst places.”
“Well, it looks like we weren’t the only ones doing some protecting tonight.”
The scary-looking men in the tactical gear held Sybil in place as she regained consciousness.
“Oh, Irene, you messed up now. NDA or not, I’m going to officially destroy you once this is done. Whatever she’s found won’t hurt me. I still have people that will help me,” Sybil hissed.
“Do you now?” Mel pulled out her phone and logged into a website. Once done, she turned to show the room the screen.
It showed Tatum Campbell sitting across from Bryce and several other people sitting in a studio.
Irene’s mouth dropped open. What the hell was going on? The video stream’s timestamp showed that it had been live for nearly two hours.
“What did you do?” Sybil whispered.
“This isn’t my doing,” Mel smiled. “It seems like Bryce and everyone else you screwed aren’t going to stay quiet anymore. I’ve read the footnotes for this show, and I can assure you, anyone who used to support you is going to keep their distance in the future.”
During the live stream Tatum turned, and the camera focused on Liam sitting to his right.
Irene’s eyes widened. “Why is Liam there?” she whispered.
“And what did Sybil do to you?” Tatum asked.
“She nearly cost me the woman I love. The woman Bryce was talking about is my future wife, and Sybil used her connections on the board of directors to blackmail her into leaving me. You see, as Bryce said, she was tormented and tortured by Sybil, and she couldn’t stand the idea of that happening to me.”
Tatum turned back to face the camera. “I know my video podcast usually features much lighter fare. But tonight I knew I needed to use my platform to highlight what this woman has done to my family and many others. No one should be allowed to go through life inflicting this kind of pain without any consequences. So I ask you, my supporters, to aid me in bringing this woman down. Please share this story. And next week, Bryce has an interview with CNBC, and there, he will break down his new book, Surviving Sybil. Thank you for joining me and I’ll see you soon. This is Tatum Campbell signing off.”
This time Sybil didn’t say anything as the police led her away.
“How did all this happen?” Irene asked.
“Apparently, everyone decided they had enough of Sybil’s shit at the same damn time,” Mel answered. “Liam went after Bryce to fight for you. Bryce told him everything that happened. So, Liam didn’t beat Bryce’s ass, and then Tatum created a plan. It wasn’t half bad; sure it wasn’t as thorough or as legally binding as my plan, but it had its moments.”
“She’s really going to prison, isn’t she?” Irene asked.
“Yeah, probably for at least three consecutive lifetimes.”
Irene slid to the floor as the heavy weight on her shoulders lifted. “I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it and go and get your sexy chef. Even when he thought you left him for someone else, he was willing to fight for you. That doesn’t just happen.”
“Oh, don’t you worry. With Sybil gone, Liam Campbell is mine. He isn’t the only one who knows how to fight for what he wants.”
“Mel!!!” A male voice yelled from the hall. Mel winced and ducked down behind the couch.
Cole stormed in and looked around. “Where the hell is she?”
Without missing a beat, Irene tapped her chin and said, “I’m pretty sure she went to talk to the guys in the suits.”
“I’m going to kill her,” Cole muttered. He turned around when he got back to the door. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good.” Actually, she was way better than good, but she had a feeling Cole really wanted to leave to search for Mel.
“Good.” Cole turned around and disappeared out of the door.
“He is very mad,” Irene said.
“Yeah, I kind of snuck out of the van when I realized you were inside. I’m definitely going to get yelled at by at least three different teams of people, but it was worth it.”
“I love you, Mel.”
“I love you, too.”
“You know who else loves you.”
“I do.”
Mel sighed and patted Irene on the back. “It’s about damn time.”
* * *
Irene knew she needed a bit more time before she approached Liam. She was going to have a lot of explaining to do. Once she’d finished with the investigators, she immediately went back to the hotel.
As soon as she entered the hallway where her room was located she stopped cold. Shonda was sitting there, leaning against her door. She looked like she was asleep.
Irene ran to her and shook her awake. “Shonda! Are you okay!?”
Her sister’s eyes shot open, and she yawned. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you. I was already in Europe so I caught a red-eye to get here, and I don’t think my body’s fully recovered.”
“What are you doing here?”
Shonda sighed and shook her head. “Deshaun called me and told me what happened.”
Irene sighed, she’d explained her situation to Deshaun last night. She wanted him to be prepared for whatever happened next. She had no idea he was going to call his mom.
“Listen, Shonda; it’s not what you think. Bryce and I…”
Shonda stood up and grabbed her hand. Irene was so surprised by the gentle touch that she stopped talking.
Why would Shonda come here when she could yell at her perfectly fine over the phone? Irene braced herself for a lecture, but Shonda remained calm. She just stood there, staring at her face. Her older sister looked so different now. In the past, Shonda had always been so angry. Right now, she looked… at peace.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I haven’t been the best sister, and I certainly haven’t been the best mom. But I’m trying to do better. When Deshaun told me what happened to you, my first thought was, why didn’t you come to me. It was a stupid thought; I didn’t make it easy for you to open up. But I’ve come here to tell you I’ve changed and I want to be here for you.”
“Thank you, Shonda. I appreciate that.”
“I’m serious, Irene. When Deshaun came out, I was in a bad place, and my reaction to his news was horrendous. I hurt him, Irene, and I was so angry about other things that I didn’t care. I lost years with him until I finally woke up. I don’t deserve it, but he forgave me, and he told me how hard you worked to make sure he knew I loved him. And I do love him. I wasn’t there for you even though I knew something had hurt you. I want to be there now. I have to be there now.”
“Thank you, Shonda. But I’m okay, I know you were struggling with your own demons then, and I can’t believe you came all this way. But, I really am fine. I just have to make things right with the man I love. But I promise you I’m doing a lot better than yesterday.”
“Good, I just wanted to make sure you w
ere okay and…. is the man you love tall, tattooed, and handsome?”
“He is.”
“Okay, then. I’m going to go, and I will check in with you tomorrow.” Shonda smiled at something over her shoulder, and Irene frowned.
“He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?”
“I am,”Liam said. His deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
Shonda walked around her and held out a hand. Liam shook it, but his eyes remained on Irene.
“I’m Shonda, Irene’s sister. You know Irene is a special woman, right?”
“I know, and you don’t have to say it. Irene belongs to me, and I have no intention of hurting her.”
Shonda nodded and smiled at Irene. “Call me when you have time. I’ll be here until the end of the week.”
“You cleared your schedule for me?” Irene asked, Shonda never did that. Her sister liked her routines.
“I told you, Irene, I’ve changed.” She patted her purse and walked down the hall.
“Love you, Shonda!” Irene called out.
“Love you, too, baby girl,” she yelled back.
They watched her board the elevator and then turned back to face each other. Liam’s eyes were unreadable.
“Can we talk?” Irene asked softly. She wished she had more time to think about what she should say, but Liam was here now. She would have to figure it out.
Liam nodded; he was quiet as he followed her into her room.
Irene’s heart was beating out of her chest. She could still remember the look on his face when he searched for her in the parking lot.
He walked over to her bed and sat down.
“You know everything now, right?” Irene asked.
“Yes, most of it.”
“And how do you feel?”
“I don’t know. that depends on what you say next.” Liam’s face remained unreadable.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about my past. I’m even more sorry that I brought that woman into your life. I tried to protect you from her. But still, I should have told you everything upfront.”