Page 56 of Her Wicked Plan

It starts almost the same as the rest. Talking about her being caught with killing her sister's boyfriend. The court case and how she pleads insanity.

Again, stuff I already know.

Keeping my eyes skimming the words, I finally grasp them when encountering new information.

The Rollins Family were never shy about how much money their family had. They donate to multiple charities, host Galas, and send their daughters to private schools. According to our resources on the last topic, Stephanie Rollins's tuition was being paid for the entirety of her education at the Prep School.

Veronica’s education history, however, was all over the board. Her parents didn’t pay her tuition as they did Stephanie's. The payment was made with Veronica at the beginning of the school year. She was in and out of school because of her behavior, from pulling a pair of scissors on a student in middle school to getting into a physical altercation in high school with another student.

This is public knowledge, given that Veronica’s parents pulled her out of private school after the first incident. The school wouldn’t tolerate that behavior, and every other exclusive school they tried to send her to turned the child down. Veronica spent the rest of her education in public school, separated from her sister. What makes little sense are the hidden occurrences you can’t dig up any dirt on.

For instance, how a male student ended up in the hospital after a date with Veronica when she was a sophomore. The doctors swore it was due to a car accident that night. Was it the truth, or did Veronica’s mommy and daddy pay off the doctors and the boy's family to keep quiet?

“What the fuck?” I curse under my breath.

Other times could have been cover-ups. A man was found dead in his home when the last person he was seen with was Veronica Rollins. That, however, has no further evidence. It was a coincidence, or her parents also used their money to cover it. Does that mean Veronica killing her sister's boyfriend was their last straw?”

I stop reading because this is all too much. My mind wraps around the information I’ve just read, trying to make sense of everything.

I knew Veronica had a rough childhood with her sister and her parents, but I didn’t know the extent. I didn't realize what happened when she was in school, and I shouldn’t be surprised, but now?

Knowing that she comes from money, her parents would have been able to use their wealth to cover up what Veronica did in her teen years.

Were they trying to protect their daughter or their family name?

And what about now? Was the incident with Stephanie’s boyfriend their last straw? Did they finally have enough of the child they couldn’t control and let her face the consequences of her actions?

Veronica and her family are the only ones who know the answer to that, and seeing as I won’t be reaching out to her parents or her sister for the details, that leaves Veronica. I’m sure who will shut me down when I bring it up.

CHAPTER 15

Veronica

I close my journal as quickly as I can when I realize Edith is approaching me. No one can see the things that I write here. Not even Leo.

It would give away everything I am working towards, and then there is the fact that I have written about the filthy thing that took place during one of our sessions.

Once I clicked the little button on the top of the pen, causing the tip to disappear, Edith sat on the couch. She only makes it a point to spend time with me when she wants something.

I hold my gaze on the journal sitting in my lap for a moment longer before I finally lift my eyes to see her mindlessly glancing around the room as if this is her first time here.

When she meets my stare, I narrow my eyes at her in a dumb attempt to scare her away, but it’s Edith. My death glare won’t work on the old woman.

Nothing seems to scare her. She told me she started at Black Lake as a nurse around 30 years ago. Edith has been working for the facility for decades, so who knows the insane things she has seen. Whatever she witnessed in the past must have strengthened her skin.

“Don’t look at me like that, Veronica,” she demands with a shake of her head. “You don’t scare me.”

“What do you want, Edith?” My bored tone is on full display, my eyes rounding out as I give up on the intimidating look. “Can’t you see I am busy?”

I hold up the journal in the air, gesturing that I was in the middle of writing before she rudely interrupted me. Her eyes scan the cover, where there are little drawings that I’ve already made with the silver sharpie, and then she says, “I see Dr. Madden gave you the new journal.”

I inhale a sharp breath before allowing the booklet to fall back into my lap. “Yes. Even though I didn’t ask him for one, he ruined the last book, which means this...” I tap the binding of the book, “was his way of apologizing.”

“I see.”

“What was the reason for your interruption?” I question when my eyes meet hers again.

“There is a… well, it’s sort of an event tonight for the patients and I think⁠—”