Chapter 15
The week at Hartwood Manor felt like an eternity. Vince's family was a nightmare to deal with. His mother, Vivian, was cold and judgmental, always looking down her nose at me. Harold was no better, grunting disapproval at everything I did. Claire and Melissa, Vince's sister and her friend, were the worst, constantly making snide comments and treating me like dirt.
Vince barely spoke to me in private, and in public, he was just going through the motions. We put on a good show for his family, holding hands and sharing polite smiles, but behind closed doors, he was distant and cold. It was driving me insane. I needed an outlet for my frustration, and I found it in subtle acts of rebellion.
Every chance I got, I would sneak into different rooms and break their shit. Nothing too obvious at first. I'd smash a vase here, crack a picture frame there. It gave me a sick sense of satisfaction, knowing I was causing chaos in their perfect little world.
One night, after a particularly grueling dinner where Melissa had been especially vicious, I decided enough was enough. I waited until the house was quiet, everyone asleep, then I crept into Melissa's room. She was snoring softly, her perfect blonde hair splayed out on the pillow.
With a wicked grin, I pulled out a pair of scissors and started cutting. Chunk after chunk of her hair fell to the floor. I was almost done when she stirred, waking up with a start.
"What the hell?!" she screamed, grabbing at her head.
I stood over her, the scissors still in my hand. "Consider this payback, bitch," I snarled.
Melissa lunged at me, and we tumbled to the floor, clawing and hitting each other. “You jealous, bitch. Did you find out I’m the first one who left Vince at the altar? He only brings you dogs here to make me jealous.”
The noise brought Vince running. He burst into the room, his face a mask of shock and anger.
"Sybil, what the fuck are you doing?!" he shouted, pulling me off Melissa.
I glared at him, breathing hard. "Teaching your precious ex-fiancée a lesson."
Vince froze, his eyes widening. "What did you just say?"
Melissa scrambled to her feet, her hands clutching the remnants of her hair. "You heard her, Vince. This psycho cut my hair!"
I smirked, enjoying the look of horror on Vince's face. "Oh, you didn't know? Melissa here has been filling me in on all the juicy details. Your family really knows how to keep secrets."
Vince shot Melissa a look, his jaw tight. "Get out. Now."
Melissa glared at me one last time before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Vince turned back to me, his face red with anger. "What in heaven's name were you thinking, Sybil? Do you have any idea what you've done?"
I met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I'm tired of your family treating me like crap. I won't just sit back and take it."
Vince's jaw tightened, and he tried to calm down by taking a deep breath. "You can't just go around causing chaos, Sybil. We have to play this smart."
I scoffed, crossing my arms in defiance. "Maybe you should have thought of that before dragging me into this mess."
Vince stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You knew what you were getting into. If you are unable to handle it, perhaps you should consider leaving.”
"Fine. Maybe I will."
As I turned to leave, Vince grabbed my arm, pulling me back. "No, you won't. You're in this now, whether you like it or not."
I yanked my arm free, my eyes flashing with defiance. "Then maybe you should start treating me like an equal instead of your little pawn. I've shown everyone what a bunch of assholes you and your family are. Sorry if that ruined your plan to make Melissa jealous. Is that all this is?"
Vince's eyes blazed. "You think this is funny? You're just proving them right, you know. Proving you're nothing but biker trash and a crazy bitch."
His words hit me like an abusive drunk. "Fuck you, Vince. I can't believe I was actually starting to fall for you. I was having a good time fucking you, but I guess that was just an act too, huh? You're a coward and a pussy, hiding behind your family's money and power."
Vince stepped closer, his face inches from mine. "You don't know anything about me, Sybil. You don't know what I've sacrificed or what I've been through. You're just a spoiled little girl playing dress-up, whether it be in your leather or in finery, thinking you can waltz into my life and tear it apart."
I shoved him, hard. "Don't you dare talk to me about sacrifice. I've been through more shit than you can imagine, and I'm still standing. But you? You're just a puppet, dancing to your family's tune."
We stood there, glaring at each other. Finally, Vince turned away, his shoulders slumping. "Get out, Sybil. Just... get out."
I didn't need to be told twice. Storming out of the room, I slammed the door behind me. As I walked down the hall, I could hear Melissa's sobs echoing through the house. For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt, but it quickly faded. They all deserved it. Every last one of them.
Back in my room, I threw myself on the bed, my mind racing. I had no idea what the future held, but one thing was certain. I wasn't going to let Vince or his family break me. I was Sybil "Psycho" James, and I was tougher than any of them.
The next day, I decided to prove I wasn't crazy by joining everyone for brunch. As I walked into the dining room, I noticed Melissa had styled her hair to hide the damage I'd done. Damn it if she didn't look even cooler with that new edgy cut. She shot me a smug look, but I ignored her. I had bigger fish to fry.
Claire and Melissa were already seated, sipping mimosas and gossiping. As soon as I sat down, they started in on me again, their words dripping with condescension.
"You know, Sybil," Claire said, her voice syrupy sweet. "We were just talking about how... unconventional you are. It must be quite the change for Vince."
I forced a smile, refusing to let them get under my skin. "Yeah, well, I used to be an actress. It's all about adapting to different roles."
Melissa raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "An actress? Really? What did you act in? Local commercials?"
I took a slow sip of my coffee, playing it cool. "Actually, I was on a pretty popular soap opera. You might have heard of it. 'Heartbreak Manor'?"
Claire's eyes widened with recognition. "No way. I used to watch that all the time! Vince, didn't you have a crush on that girl who played... what was her name? The crazy one?"
My heart skipped a beat as Claire snapped her fingers, trying to recall the name. "Oh, right! Victoria Blackwell. Vince, you were obsessed with her!"
I kept my face neutral, but inside I was reeling. Vince had a crush on my character? That was a hell of a revelation. I glanced at Vince, who was staring intently at his plate, avoiding my gaze.
I plastered on a bright smile, hiding my shock. "Victoria Blackwell? Yeah, I remember her. She was quite the character."
Claire laughed, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Yeah, Vince had posters of her in his room. It's hilarious to think about now."
I turned my attention back to my food, my head about to explode. Vince knew all along. He knew who I really was, even if he didn't know the full story. All this time, I thought he was being distant because he'd found out I was crazy, but it turned out he had some secrets of his own.
I glanced at Vince, who finally looked up, meeting my eyes. There was a flicker of something in his gaze—guilt, maybe? Or regret? Either way, he had some explaining to do.
I smiled sweetly at him, feeling the weight of this new information. "Small world, huh?" I said, my voice light and airy.
Vince forced a smile, but his eyes couldn't hide the tension. "Yeah, small world."
The rest of brunch passed in a blur, the idle chatter and clinking of silverware a background noise to the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. Vince had known about my past, and he'd kept it from me. As we finished eating, I leaned back in my chair, trying to process everything.
"Excuse me," I said, standing up. "I need some air."
As I stepped outside, the cool breeze hit my face, completely different from the heat simmering inside me. I paced the garden, my mind replaying the conversation over and over. Vince had some serious explaining to do, and I wasn't going to let him off the hook.