Eden High: Part Five (Eden High #5) Read online

  My mortification was farther enhanced when she and her friends held me down and revealed her name marked in the tag at the neck of the now hated dress. To think that it had been my very favorite dress ever.

  After that day, I learned that it was true, that I was nothing-a nobody. I hated that stigma more than all the others that had come before it.

  It wasn’t that mom was a horrible mom, she tried, but it was never enough. Nothing she did or gave ever filled the void.

  Then life changed almost overnight. Suddenly, I was the most popular little girl. People wanted to take my picture, well mostly it was mom they were after but so what, I was there too.

  It didn’t matter that my new daddy was old and had wrinkles on his hands and looked like the crypt keeper. It wasn’t long before I learned how to twist him around my little finger as well.

  Nothing was ever too much and believe me, I had years of want to make up for.

  I learned how to go through magazines just picking out whatever caught my eye. I ate whatever I wanted, when I wanted, with a nanny slash maid at my beck and call to fulfill my every need.

  But then the brat had been born. You see my stepfather had everything in the world, except for the one thing he wanted most, a son.

  He’d been married at the time he met and impregnated my mother. By then, he’d had three daughters with his wife, each older than dear old mom, but he wanted a son and now his wife was much too old to give him one.

  His dynasty was second only to one, the Saunders, but even then at the ripe old age of five going on six, I knew how to remedy that.

  I’d heard the whispers about my mom, about the trap. The servants talked freely when they didn’t know I was around, hiding out in the little pantry off the kitchen that had a great view and was the ideal spot if one wanted to know what the household staff was up to.

  I’d learned a lot hiding out in there and had averted quite a few nasty mishaps. It was there that I learned the art of blackmail, which had come in very handy these days.

  I rode the cock now stuffed inside me to completion, waiting until he sighed and relaxed his hold on me before pulling off.

  I cleaned myself up as best I could with my underwear and left it in the glove compartment. I liked taking the risk that his stupid wife might find out. She wouldn’t be the first.

  I usually didn’t like them to find out though, unless it served my purpose; no, this secret was best left hidden, after all, it’s how I planned to make my money, and indeed had already started making a whole lot of it.

  When mom’s last little affair had come to light, the old man had really seemed serious about kicking her out this time.

  It was only because of the heir that he had let her stay. At least the brat was good for something. My little brother was a sickly little twerp that I’d tried more than once to be rid of.

  He was treated like royalty from birth, something I detested about him, remembering my more humble beginnings; why should he have it better than I did?

  I’d tried to hide my true feelings from the others, but I’d slipped up that one time and old man Howard had caught me, or so I think, but I could never be sure.

  Maybe he’d thought it was a figment of his imagination. Maybe my explanation that we were simply playing a game had sufficed, but I could never be sure.

  I do know that since that day he had treated me differently. He’d never allowed me to be alone with Howard Jr., and in fact had sent him away soon after that to boarding school, where he visited more than he was at home with mom and me.

  No wonder she’d strayed. But now the little shit was coming home on top of everything else and I couldn’t help but feel like everything was coming apart.

  All my carefully laid plans were unraveling, first Jace just left without a word. One day we were together and I thought happy, and the next he just called and said we needed to talk.

  When he’d shown up all he’d say was that we were over, that’s it, no explanation nothing. I’d tried finding out what was going on, if maybe there was someone else, but he wouldn’t answer any of my calls.

  In fact, after telling me that he didn’t want me anymore he’d just walked away.

  It had taken the maids hours to clean up the mess I made that night. It was also the first time I’d been careless enough to leave one of them bloody. Usually I kept my little blows well hidden.

  But this new development had hit me out of left field. I wasn’t prepared, would’ve never have expected it.

  Why should I? Everyone knew we were the perfect couple, that I was the ideal match for him. It was the only thing that made sense.

  I wracked my brain for days trying to find the reason behind his strange behavior but could find none.

  It couldn’t be because of my little secret, no one knew about that.

  Except maybe that little bitch, but she was nothing, I could handle her; it was this new threat that I wasn’t sure about, this Sian person with her stupid name.

  I’m sure that had she not come along, Jace and I would’ve patched things up by now.

  What could Jace possibly see in her anyway? “Take me home please.” I fixed my clothes and sat back in my seat, suddenly not feeling as high as I had been just a few short seconds ago.

  Orgasms always make me feel on top of the world, and though I’d been with lots of men in the past three years, none had ever made me fly as high as Jace Saunders.

  So if that idiot thought she was just going to waltz into my town and steal the best catch right out from under me, she had another think coming.

  Landing Jace was the last thing I did that Howard was proud of. Even he, the great Howard Bellamy was in awe of that family.

  He was always going on and on about what a great man Jace’s grandfather had been, and how much like him the son and the grandson seemed to be.

  I could care less about all the wasted sentiment, my only interest was in Jace’s inheritance; another little tidbit I’d learned about from the servants’ gossip mill.

  Of course that was after we grew up and I finally got him to notice me, which shouldn’t have been as hard as it was come to think of it.

  Jace had been the only person to make me want, the only one who I had had to work so hard for. He was the only person who had seemed to see through me no matter how hard I tried.

  And the sex was better than anything I’d ever experienced, ever since I’d lost my cherry at thirteen to one of Howard’s business partners.

  That good man was responsible for a fat part of my secret bank stash. Too bad he’d gone and died before I’d reached my goal, but now I had a better enterprise going. One that was sure to make me very rich.

  So, after years of careful planning and manipulation of the adults around me, which was way easy for a cute little blonde haired blue-eyed doll, who grew into a real beauty. I am now on top of my world.

  The only thing that was missing was Jace at my side. I hadn’t given up on my dream of running Hollywood some day and never will. I’d won him once before. I can do it again, I’m sure.

  But first, I have to deal with this latest nuisance. If I played this right, I could kill two birds with one stone, but I’m gonna have to think smart.

  I’d heard too many whispers about the demise or downfall of one too many saps in our little community from being stupid or careless.

  In this day and age, with technology being what it was, there wasn’t much a person couldn’t or shouldn’t get away with.

  And since I had so many people I could call on. So many at my beck and call, I need not even get my own hands dirty.

  It’s just like when I got the other girls to mess with her at practice. It also helps to look like me; there’s no limit to what some people would do to get between my legs, and I have no problem using that shit to my advantage.

  ***

  He dropped me off at the lot where I’d left my car and I made my way home, while he went off to his wife and kids.

  Now that I was alone,
I had more time to think about whether or not we had been seen, and about how much longer I was going to string Vincent Sayers along before I put the squeeze on him.

  He was good for a few trinkets, and I so enjoyed screwing the father of one of my peers. In fact, again, you could say she was the reason I’d gone after him in the first place.

  I’d heard all about the little princess in my usual way. The servants were all going on and on about her last birthday party and how her father had spoiled her, about all the great gifts he’d given and was always giving to her.

  More than the gifts, I envied their relationship. I never had a real father, and the closest thing to one that I had, distrusted and sometimes even seemed to despise me.

  I don’t know why, I’ve always tried to be a good little girl, at least when anyone else was around. And I’d always done his bidding.

  Mainly because even as a very little girl I’d known that if I wanted to stay in the fancy house and wear fancy clothes, then I’d have to be kind to him and do the things that pleased him.

  But this little princess, who was so loved and had such an enchanted life, was living the life I should’ve had.

  Every time I screwed her father I thought of how it was going to destroy her life when it came out.

  Not about me of course. I never let them know that I was the woman in the pictures. I had my ways of concealing my identity as well as doctoring pictures to make them tell the story I wanted.

  I’d learned it last summer when I’d been sent away to some retreat because stodgy old Howard had caught me doing a few lines and lost his mind.

  Of course I needed something to take the pressure off; my whole world was coming undone. He and mom were constantly fighting, and there were threats of throwing us out of the house.

  I could never go back to living the way we were when I was a child, and though there might be alimony involved, there was no way it was going to be enough to keep me in the style I was accustomed to.

  Here I had an allowance at least, and didn’t need to touch any of my blackmail money, which had been set-aside for a rainy day.

  Not to mention the prestigious address and the family name, though he’d never seen fit to formally adopt me.

  Something he’d promised to do before the whole trying to drown the brat thing had happened, and he seemed to dislike me immensely ever since.

  Life wasn’t like the movies, where the man out of the kindness of his heart took care of the cheating ex-wife and the darling stepdaughter that he’d grown so fond of.

  No, reality was him yelling about what a little conniving bitch I was, and how I was no better than my mother, whom he called things I blush to think of, farther more say.

  I slipped up to my room without being seen and headed straight for my stash. Removing my little black book, I thumbed through the pages from the past few months.

  “Not bad for three months work.” I pawed through the jewels he’d given me. At last check there was a quarter of a million dollars worth there, plus the new bracelet he’d brought me tonight, that should be another fifty grand at least.

  Along with the others that I’d acquired over the years, plus the hard cash that I had squired away, I had a cool two million.

  Not bad for a seventeen year old who started with nothing, but still, not nearly enough for what I had in mind for my life.

  I could still picture it; Jace and I, the parties, the nightlife, jet setting around the world. Me reigning over all these fools as I should.

  Anyone who gets in the way of my plans for me will regret it. With the thought firmly planted in my head I felt better.

  I went through my gains meticulously, as I do every night, before hiding my little stash away again.

  Now it was time to put on my thinking cap. Alone in my bathroom, I ran a nice hot bath with extra bubbles, before slipping into the tub.

  With my head on the headrest and my eyes closed, I cleared my mind of everything but what was at hand.

  I weighed the pros and cons, but in the end I couldn’t take the chance. I had no doubt that she’d waste no time in trying to destroy me, it was the only way she could hope to keep Jace after all.

  No, the question of whether or not she had seen us was moot at this point; besides, I would be taking care of more than one problem at a time if I do this.

  First, I had to get the players straight. There could be no room for mistakes, and no time for self- doubt. If I wanted my life to go exactly as I’ve envisioned it, then I have to do this for me.

  Leaving the tub, I dried off and went back to the bedroom to retrieve the clothes I’d just discarded.

  I dug through my pockets for my phone with the little recording device and video recorder that I’d had going during my little rendezvous.

  I’ll have to look over and edit it later, but for now I had something more pressing to see to.

  Before I could make my call the phone went off in my hand. I didn’t recognize the number but that never stopped me before.

  “Hello.”

  “You stay away from my dad you bitch or I’ll make you sorry.”

  “Who is this? I think you have the wrong number.” Of course I knew who it was, funny, I never thought she had the guts. I wonder if that bitch had gone running to her.

  “No, I don’t, I know what you’re doing but I’ll kill you before I let you destroy my mom.”

  “Poor, little rich girl, is daddy not showing you as much attention as he used to? Aww, sorry, that’s because daddy’s found something else he likes more and it’s right between my legs.

  I always suspected you knew, now I’m glad that you do, makes it that much more fun.

  Do you remember all those missed recitals and other stupid shit your dad used to come to then he was suddenly too busy for? Well he was with me.

  I knew every time you had something special planned and made sure to keep him away, he’s my daddy now.

  If you tell your mother or anyone else, especially that nosy bitch Sian, it’ll only go bad for you and your family.

  You see, I’m underage yet, and your dad will be in so much trouble.

  Imagine what will happen if I sue him in court for fucking me, I can do that you know.”

  I could hear her fighting for her breath now and vaguely remembered hearing that she suffered from asthma or some such crap.

  “Of course your dad will be ruined and my dad will insist he goes to jail; then where will you and your mother be, not to mention that little brat she gave birth to not too long ago?”

  She slammed the phone down in my ear. How dare she? I couldn’t let her go running her mouth, not now, not when I was so close.

  Now that she knew, only half my plan was over. I still needed my money. I wasn’t worried about some snot nose brat finding out I was boffing daddy.

  It’s the wife who he’d want to keep in the dark. From past experience, I know there are always ways around the offspring. But I have to move faster than expected now.

  Couldn’t have her losing her damn mind and running to her weakling of a mother.

  I finally calmed down enough to make the call I’d started to.

  “Liz, tomorrow, before class, we need to have a little meeting just you and I. I think it’s time I took care of this little problem we’ve been having.”

  “It’s about time, I’m getting tired of those fat freaks being thought of as the most popular girls.

  All of a sudden everybody wants to be their friend, and that overgrown whale has the nerve to think she can have my Shane.”

  I’m so not interested but can’t let her know that now can I? Liz is one of those things I picked up along the way in my travels.

  I’ve been collecting people like her for a while now, ever since I realized the importance of having people to answer to me.

  Liz’s family is like the typical middle child. Not quite as adorable as the baby and definitely not the heir.

  They do okay, but nowhere near Howard’s level, in fact, no
ne of the girls on my team come from families that are wealthier than Howard, or even in the same ballpark.

  I think maybe that was a subconscious move on my part. I don’t like anything or anyone that challenges me, whether outright or implied.

  That’s why me, and that Belle person never got along.

  “Calm down. We all know this little farce is just a passing phase. Jace is just doing this to get back at me for some nonsense, but we both know Jace and I were meant for each other.”

  “Uh Mandy, I know you told the others that but you do know that I know that’s not true, you’re not even Howard’s daughter and...”

  My loud scream cut her off midstream.

  “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean...”

  “Shut, the fuck, up, I told you never to mention that, how dare you?” She thinks I don’t know that they all pity me, that their parents all look down on me and their mothers still talk about mine and how she stole another woman’s husband.

  “Just be there tomorrow at our place, and don’t tell anyone, not even Kelly.”

  I hung up the phone before she could ask any more questions. That last crack was gonna cost her too. Every time I think that enough time had passed so most people would forget that I wasn’t Howard’s biological daughter, some asshole has to go and remind me.

  It probably didn’t help that the old son of a bitch refused to adopt me and now I’m almost too old.

  It was still widely believed that I was at least in the will, and even a pittance from Howard Bellamy’s estate would still be a pretty penny.

  So I knew that people wouldn’t outright snub me. Those who do are going to pay dearly once Jace and I take over this town.

  I had one more call to make before it was bedtime. We had a big game tomorrow, and I wanted to be in tiptop shape.

  “Hey what’s up? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you tonight.”

  “Shut up and listen. You ready to get some of your own back?”

  “You know I do.”

  “Come over in half an hour, everyone should be asleep by then.”

  “Am I coming up the window again?”