The friend fell silent, retreating back into the fold.
A cold rage began to burn through my pain. “Your stupidity is your own problem,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “Don‘
t drag over a hundred members of the Devereaux family down with you.”
“Every word I’ve said is true. If you don’t believe me, call Caleb right now and ask him.”
“Today is the most important day of the year for the Devereauxs. You’ve made me bleed. They will not spare you. What
good is a business deal when you’re dead?”
Victoria didn’t believe a word. She swung her hand and struck me across the face, a hard, sharp slap.
“To hell with your ritual! Do you think I’m an idiot? Call him? You’re not even worthy. You might fool Caleb, but you can’t
fool me!”
“Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson, Let’s just see if anything happens to the Devereaux family!”
Suppressing my fury, I tried to use voice commands to have my phone call 911. Before I could finish, Victoria crushed it
under her heel.
“This is illegal! The Devereauxs won’t let you get away with this! Stop now, and you might have a chance. If the police
get here, you’re finished!”
She was unmoved, lunging at me again. Threats were useless.
Using every ounce of strength I had left, I scrambled to my feet and threw myself at her. She tumbled to the ground, her face contorted with rage. I tried to crawl toward the butler, but a heavy blow struck the back of my legs, and I collapsed.
“Beat her! Beat her until she can’t move!” Victoria screamed. “Some powerful witch, can’t even handle a single blow
from a stick? You’re a fraud, a phony!”
“I’ll teach you to act! I’ll teach you to seduce Caleb! If you walk away from this alive, I’ll change my name!”
She climbed on top of me, pinning me down, her hands a blur as she rained slaps down on my face until it was a swoll-
en, bloody mess.
During a brief pause when her arms grew tired, I used my last bit of energy to scream at her.
“Victoria, stop! The time is almost here! If I don’t go in now, people will actually die!”
“Then it won’t just be Caleb, you’ll be an enemy to the entire Devereaux family! Do you think you can get away with mur- dering that many people? The backlash will destroy you!”
Victoria’s fury turned to laughter. Another slap landed on my cheek.
“A witch, are you? You perform rituals? Fine. Do one now. Let’s see if your magic can save you!”
“Aren’t you so powerful? Aren’t you the one who can change fate? How come you couldn’t predict you’d meet with disaster the moment you stepped out your door today?”
The pain was too intense for words. She took my silence as guilt.
“No more excuses? What’s wrong, great witch? Done with the performance?”
*You’re so amazing, I just have to let everyone see this. In this day and age, we still have superstitious trash like you! Performing your ‘rituals‘ in other people’s beds!”
“If it weren’t for you, Caleb wouldn’t have canceled on me so many times. Bitch, I’m going to tear your face apart!”
Blood and tears mingled, blurring my vision. I couldn’t believe that scumbag Caleb was using me as an excuse for his own philandering. I’d run into him at restaurants several times with other women;
