Stalker - Clarissa Wild Page 0,104

table and throw it at his face.

“Don’t,” my mother says, stepping in front of me. “I know what you’re thinking, but you’re not going to do anything.” She looks deep into my eyes, grabbing my chin to make me look at her, too. “I know everything. I know what happened. And you’re not going to get away with this.”

I swallow, pushing back the tears at the sight of my mother picking someone else’s side. Again. “If you know everything, then you know he didn’t protect me either.”

“You’d better keep your mouth shut, Vanessa.” Her fingers curl around my lips. “Or I’ll make sure you will.”

“You don’t care about me at all, do you? I just told you that he stood by and watched while his friend tried to assault me and you don’t even blink?” I say, my voice fluctuating in tone.

My mother shoves me against the wall. “You will not speak of it again. Do you hear me?” she hisses, her saliva shooting out onto the wall like a snake spits venom. “You’ll forget what you saw. What he did to you. You’ll only remember that boy … Miles … and that he hit Phillip’s friend in a fit of rage.”

“No!” I yell, pushing her off me. “That’s not true!”

“You will lie when asked about it!” Her voice rises. “Or I will make sure that boy meets the fate he’s so eager to bring others.”

For a moment, it’s quiet, and I can hear only exasperated breaths and my own heart beating in my throat. Phillip just stares at us with a slight smile on his face, like this is amusing to him. Like he’s won. I squint and make a face at him. Those who don’t deserve it always have the sourest wins.

“You know the school is going to hear about this,” I say after a while, folding my arms.

“Yes, and when they do, you will lie to them.” She turns her head toward Phillip. “You won’t implicate Phillip in any way.”

“Then what do you want me to do? If I lie, they’ll know. Miles will tell the truth.”

She glances at me over her shoulder. “And who do you think they’ll believe? You or some petty rat?”

I wince. “Don’t call him that.”

“Oh, then what would you like me to call him? A pest? An idiot? Your lover?”

“Stop it,” I say.

“Your lover?”

“I said stop!”

She suddenly marches toward me and grabs my throat. “Make no mistake, Vanessa. I might be your mother, but I am first and foremost a businesswoman, and when something threatens my business, I take care of it. You will marry Phillip so our families can be united, and nothing will stand in the way of that happening.”

“I will stand in the way.”

“Don’t you dare try … or I will make sure Miles never sees another sunrise again.”

“You wouldn’t …” I mutter.

“Kill him?” She smiles, and so does Phillip when their eyes connect. “Why not? It’s not like I haven’t done it before … and it’s not like he’s useful.”

“He’s useful to me!” I yell.

“Stop it,” she says. “He was never useful to anyone. He’s just a pathetic kid who craves attention. He’s not worthy of your love. Phillip is.” She points at him. “You will lie to the principal so Miles will get expelled. If you don’t, I will have him killed.”

My lips quiver as she lets go of my throat. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. My mother … she’s a monster.

“I love him, Mother.”

She looks down at the floor and starts laughing. First softly, and then hysterically. Like she’s lost her mind. “You don’t love him. Don’t mistake a one-night fling for love.”

“I know what love feels like, Mother. And I can clearly tell you have no clue about any of it.”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Just because you acted like a whore does not make it love, my dear.”

“I am not a whore! Miles cares about me! More than any of you,” I yell, pointing at them both.

My mother muffles a laugh. “Silly girl. Don’t you see? There are far more important things to worry about in life, and this is simply not it. Try to understand.”

“I won’t. I won’t ever understand. I refuse,” I say, slamming my lips together.

“So be it,” she says.

Phillip gets up from his seat, buttoning his vest as if he’s done listening. “I don’t think I’m needed any longer,” he says.

“You were never needed,” I say.

“Vanessa, dear, stop talking,” my mother muses. “You’ve said enough.”

“I won’t let you