Page 41 of Her Wicked Plan

“Okay, then I’ll provide you with the paper.”

She finally picks up the journal and places it in her lap. “What else are we going to discuss today?”

“We can talk about Eliza,” I offer.

Her tongue sticks out in disgust. “No, thanks.”

“What is wrong with Eliza?”

“She’s too perky. It makes me tempted to yank my hair out. I can barely handle the seconds she is around me, and if I spend more time with her, as you suggested, then I’d go bald. Or she’d end up dead.”

“You would kill her?”

“No.” Lie.

“This isn’t your first incident with someone in the kitchen.”

“You heard about that?”

“I know more about you than you think.” I lift my eyes to her. “You stabbed someone before.”

Her head teeters back and forth as she recalls the situation. “But I didn’t kill her.”

“That you didn’t. You punctured her spleen.” I state. “Why?”

“I was minding my own business, trying to do my duty in the kitchen, when she approached me. She had been pushing my buttons for a while, trying to assert her dominance over me. I guess you'd say to knock me down on the social ladder.” Her eyes roll before continuing.

“I’m not one to sit back and take shit from people. Especially when they threaten me. Cassie wouldn’t shut up. I had enough. I snapped at her, but when she punched me in the face… that’s what really sent me over the edge. I picked up the knife I was using and sunk it deep into her skin. Her eyes were wide with shock, like she wasn’t expecting me to hurt her.” She laughs evilly. “Serves her right. No one messed with me after that.”

“You say that you don’t take shit from anyone, but yet you let your sister walk all over you.” I point out.

“She is my sister, Leo.” Her eyes focus fully on me. “Stephanie may be a bitch, but I would never lay a hand on her. I could never kill her. Don’t you have siblings you would do anything for?”

“Good to know that there is a person out there you wouldn’t hurt.” I jot that information down. “And yes. I have a sister.”

“A sister.” She repeats my words to herself. The idea of me having a sibling is a revelation to her. She stays silent but then speaks soft enough for me almost to miss it. “There are four people I’d never hurt.”

“Who are the others?”

“My sister, of course. Dr. Bennett and Edith. Then there’s you.” she admits. “I don’t think I’d ever hurt you.”

Relief floods me. I was worried about how on and off she was with her anger because, with the anger in her little body, Veronica could physically hurt me.

I knew this, but hearing her say she doesn’t think she’d be able to cause me physical harm makes me feel good—like I’m earning her trust.

“That means a lot coming from you.” I decide to tell her.

She smiles half-heartedly. “Do I need to be escorted to your office for every session? Can’t Edith unlock the door for me and leave me to it?”

“They don’t want you sneaking into other offices.”

“I wouldn’t. I’ll come straight to you.”

“I’ll talk with Edith.”

“Thank you. Is there anything else, or are we done?”

“We can be done for the day if you have something more important to do,” I joke, knowing there isn’t anything else for her to do today. An arts and crafts event is being held, but it’s not somewhere Veronica would be.