A Twinkle In The Stars

Chapter 29

Madame Zay was the biggest puppet. Once she found me the next task was to infiltrate. Then the next was trust. Then the next:

Take down.

But it wasn't going to be easy of course. 

You would think a girl like me with all these problems and pent up aggression would be on her guard. Would be more careful when it comes to trusting strangers.

You can't help but not to trust someone like Madame Zay. 

She was like a warm hug on a bad day.

Like a shield when it felt like the world was caving in on you. 

She gave you things that made you trust her.

She gave me everything I thought I wanted.

A mother.

Sadly, I clung to her so hard because my actual mom was dead and there was no one else around to take care of me. Yeah I had Margo but look how that turned out. She was the one person who always treated me like she saw me. Saw what I was like on the inside. And she still helped me, right down to the end.

My sister.

Even though Ailita turned against me, she just wanted the same things I wanted. And when Edgar came to her promising that they could be a family again, I can confidently say I would have betrayed her too. Because that's how the human psyche works. No matter what we tell ourselves, no matter how selfless we think we are. It's always us before them. Me before you. My pain before yours. Which I can admit sounds horrible but deep down we all know we would do anything, say anything if that meant that what ever pain we were in, would finally stop.

My "dead" Aunt.

You may think I'm a monster for wanting my dear Aunt Gwen to die. But I had every right to be angry. Every right to want some payback. And if payback was death then so be it. But I won't feel bad or hand out forgiveness like it's a buy one get one free sale. I never even got an apology. Not once did she ever tell Madame Zay to voice her apology. It could have all been so easy. 

Madame Zay wanted to save me. She wanted to help me out. Which is why she gave me that money. And only me. No one else got money for their services.

She'd hoped I would take my million dollars and skip town. Run off never to be seen again. But my fear tied me to her. Money couldn't fix me. Only she could.

"What the hell do you think this is?! We had a deal! I do your little odd jobs and you give me money! Aracely got money!" Star yelled.

"One, our agreement was for you to do what I say and avoid jail time. Two, Aracely is different. You worry about yourself and maybe just maybe I won't turn you in." Madame Zay smirked.

"I'll tell everyone else!" Star folded her arms.

Madame Zay grabbed Star by the neck.

"You tell anyone and I'll hand your smart ass over to the feds myself. Get your entitled ass out of my house." Madame Zay released her.

Star kept her mouth shut for a while. But when I stopped doing the work and was still getting money from Zay, she began to get antsy. 

Jealous even.

So she had to go. But Zay didn't want any blood on her hands. So she choose the next best thing.

Getting Star arrested. 

It's easy the things you can accomplish when the entire Granada Falls police task force is under your control. 

But she couldn't save me from everything. Edgar was still after me. And I was taking her money but still staying. I had officially proven my loyalty. 

But some dots still weren't connecting.

Why set me up? Why drug me? Why act like I was making everything up?Why hold me captive? Why turn everyone against me?

It was the last attempt. The last attempt to get me out.

The original plan was to "test" my loyalty and for me to fail. Knock me out and make it seem like everything Madame Zay related was a lie. Insert all my friends acting like I had been in a coma. 

She knew I was smart and stubborn. So she planted the burgundy note from her in my coat. Which would trigger my fight or flight response in which she knew I'd run. But it couldn't be too easy. It had to seem like everyone was turning against me so I would run.

But it all changed once she figured that Ailita was truly working for Edgar. She was to ensure that Madame Zay was holding up her end of the bargain. Which she found out while stumbling across a cell phone conversation from that night.

"I don't know! Zay has her tied up downstairs. I don't know what her plan is. She made us act like she didn't exist and then Aracely tried to run. Dad, she's your partner in all this why don't you just ask her! She doesn't tell me everything! Just come tonight and handle Aracely!" Ailita hissed.

That's when Madame Zay knew. We were internally screwed. Literally.

She went to Margo and told her what to do. Just give me the pop tart and water. Then untie me.

Right down to the nail, she knew me.

Make sure everyone was around and that I'd be chased. Maybe I'd go for a door. And escape into the woods behind the house.

But I bolted up the stairs. 

She had to join in the chase or it would look very suspicious.

But she was behind the group and heard cars pulling into the driveway.

Edgar.

My time had just been cut in half. Maybe even less than that.

So she fueled her way past everyone and just as Edgar and his people had burst through the door she had decided to save me:

Which is why she pulled the trigger, shooting me in the back three times.