Promises of Her

Chapter 4: Declaration

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Jude spent weeks devising an absolutely flawless plan. Frank had given her what she needed and more; with information not only on Miss.Winters herself, but her partner as well. Jude had paid close attention to Lana's schedule at work; discovering that she worked every Saturday merged perfectly with her plan of targeting Miss. Winters' girlfriend. She was a school teacher and had each weekend off, staying home alone. Jude saw this as the perfect opportunity, for if Wendy's homosexuality was discovered she would be stripped of everything. Her title, job, and dignity. She was going to make Wendy admit Lana herself, but Jude wasn't going to let her know that.

September 10th, 1964

Frank ushered Jude out of the building and watched as she made her way safely down to her car, where there she gave an affirmative nod sending Frank on his way. She glanced over to the passenger seat where lay a large black leather binder with which contained documents that would seal Mrs. Winters' fate; with a sly smirk she stuck the key into the ignition and drove off, ready to deliver justice. As she arrived she refrained from parking her car in the driveway, instead, parking on the opposite side of the street not wanting to draw any unwanted attention. The very last thing she needed was the interference of nosy neighbors. Grabbing the leather binder off the passenger seat she made her way to the front door of the house; knocking firmly 3 times, Jude raised her chin and exhaled deeply setting her stern facial expression permanently. A short, well kept brunette girl with a pearly white smile opened the door "good afternoon sister" she greeted humbly, slight confusion visible in her facial features. "Would this happen to be the home of a, Miss. Winters?" Jude asked plainly watching as the woman instantly grew concerned. "Why yes-is everything alright? is she hurt?" Jude raised her hand and gave a soft smile "everything is fine, a slight slip is all" she played. "Please come in sister, I want to hear all about it!" the young woman said as she moved aside, inviting Jude in. This is going to be easier than I thought, Jude mused to herself.

"I didn't catch yar name." Jude said as she took a seat on the couch in the spacious living room. "Wendy. Wendy Pyther. You said La-Miss.Winters was hurt?" Jude grinned acknowledging the young woman's Freudian slip; she was going to bend her to her every will. "Yes. while trespassing." The young woman shifted in her seat, worry filling her entirety. "I need to see her." Wendy stated firmly. "Surely you aren't her family." Jude played, testing the waters. "I'm practically family. We're very close, like sisters." Jude flashed a toothy grin and raised her finger "but point in fact, yar not sisters. You have no legal standing" Jude stated as she let her eyes wander around the room. "I have a moral standing" Wendy nearly whispered, her voice becoming shaky. Jude rose from her seated position and slowly sauntered over to the mantle above the firplace to retrieve a picture frame. "Yar a school teacher?" she asked smiling. "I teach the third grade." Jude looked over to the young woman then back down at the picture smiling "tha molding of young minds is a sacred charge; you'd never do anything to put these precious youngsters at risk now. Would you Miss. Pyther?" The young woman looked at Jude dumbfounded "no of course not." Setting the picture back down on the mantle, Jude slowly made her way closer to Wendy. "So when you agreed to room with Miss. Winters you couldn't have possibly been aware of her inversion. You would never intentionally expose these little angels to a homosexual. Would you?" The young woman furrowed her brow. "Are you threatening me sister?" Jude slammed her hand down hard on the coffee table stationed in front of her, causing the young woman to flinch back in surprise. "It is I who have been threatened, young woman. Yar friend gained access to MY facility under false pretenses. She had no interest in our bakery, she wanted an inside look into a mental ward and I intend to see that she gets it" Jude hissed. "You can't do this!" "Oh yes I can...and I can do it one of two ways. Exposing the shenanigans that took place in this little love nest, ORRR, I can do it discreetly" Jude explained as she pulled the admittance papers from the binder, placing them down in front of Wendy. She raised a pen toward the young woman, her eyes burning with fury. "I have no legal standing" she whispered her voice weak; Jude smiled and inched forward. "Yar a respected member of this community, at least for now. Yar sworn statement along with our professional diagnosis is more than enough for a friendly judge to remand Mrs. Winters into my custody." As Jude went on she watched as the elementary school teacher started to unfold and crumble before her, her eyes filling with tears as she searched frantically for what to say next; Jude sat silent waiting for the girl to make her decision. She was almost at the tipping point, one more push from Jude and the woman would fall head first right into her preset trap. Thinking quickly, Jude pulled away the pen and tucked the paper away safely in the binder. "It's a small town. A scandal will work just as well" She said smiling brightly. She looked over to the girl, her hazel eyes penetrating Wendy's. "You'll be ruined, you'll ever step into a classroom again." As she began to head for the door, Jude bit her lip to keep from nearly hollering out in self pride; even with her back to the young woman she knew she had won and her plans had all fallen into place. "WAIT! WAIT" Wendy called out desperately. Music to Jude's ears; she turned around and arched her brow in query. Wendy waved her hand motioning for Jude to come back and took the documents from her hastily; she let out a little whimper as she clicked the pen and shakily signed Lana over to Jude.