Chapter 2
This time, it was my friend, Chloe Reed. "Julia! I heard about Charles and that bitch! Are you okay? Don't cry. I'm coming over right now."
Chloe was the only person who knew everything I was planning.
"I'm fine. I'm on my way to the airport," I said.
There was a long silence on the other end.
"The airport? Where are you going?" Chloe asked.
"Evermont," I said.
"You're really just leaving like that? You're letting those two scumbags off easy?" Chloe's voice was full of frustration.
"Chloe."
I watched the city blur past outside the window. "The real drama is just beginning. I need you to do something for me. I need you to do something for me."
"Just say it."
"On their wedding day, make sure they get a special gift from me."
"What kind of gift?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
I hung up, and the cab pulled up to the airport.
I got my boarding pass and went through security.
While I was waiting in the lounge, my phone buzzed with a bank notification.
It was the payment for the private investigator I'd hired in advance, Zac Wright.
It was the first month's fee.
He sent me a message. [Ms. Sterling, as instructed, I'm now monitoring Charles and Evelyn 24/7.]
I shot back a single word: [Okay.]
The plane took off, and the roar of the engines drowned out everything else.
I watched the city shrink beneath me, turning into a tiny dot in the distance.
Charles, Evelyn, and Andrea thought this was the end.
No.
This was the beginning.
This was the opening act of the big finale I had in store for them.
*****
The air in Evermont was kind of humid.
I rented an apartment close to the university district.
It wasn't much, but it had a balcony where I could soak up some sunlight.
I signed up for a language class and went every day, feeling like a student again.
After class, I'd explore museums or hang out at a café by the Raven River with a book in hand.
My life boiled down to just me, living for myself.
I didn't reach out to anyone back home.
Not even my parents.
I shot them a quick text after I landed, told them the company was sending me overseas for some training, and that I'd be back in a year.
They knew I was busy with work, so they didn't ask any more questions.
All the news from back home came through Zac and Chloe.
Zac sent me a daily report, complete with photos and updates, to my encrypted email.
Charles and Evelyn were showing off their new life, way more ostentatious than I ever expected.
The day after I left, Evelyn moved straight into the house we used to share.
On the third day, Andrea took Evelyn on a shopping spree at the most upscale baby store in town; they bought so much that the car trunk was practically bursting.
A week later, Charles flaunted Evelyn's pregnancy all over his feed.
He posted a photo of the two of them snuggled up together, plus a shot of the ultrasound.
His caption read: [Thank you, my love, my baby.]
Underneath, a bunch of their mutual friends were liking and leaving congratulatory comments.
Someone even asked: [Wait, weren't you with Julia?]
Charles replied: [We've parted ways peacefully. I wish her all the best.]
What a load of crap.
Chloe called me, fuming. "Julia, did you see that? Charles is such a shameless bastard! And Evelyn, she used to act all innocent; now she's strutting around like she owns the place!"
"Yeah, I saw it." I was watering my new rosemary plant on the balcony.
"You're not even a little mad?"
"Why should I be?" I shot back. "The more they show off, the happier I am.
"The higher they jump now, the harder they'll crash later."
Chloe went quiet for a moment. "Julia, you've changed.
"You've become kind of scary."
"Oh yeah?" I smiled. "Scary? That's nothing.
"Trust me, things are about to get way crazier."
*****
Time flew by.
Before I knew it, more than two months had passed.
Charles and Evelyn finally locked in their wedding date.
It was a month away.
They blasted digital wedding invites all over the place; even Chloe got one.
She took a screenshot and sent it to me.
It was their carefully curated wedding photos.
He looked dashing, she looked adorable, like a match made in heaven.
The wedding was set to take place at the most luxurious six-star hotel in the city.
Word is, Andrea spared no expense for this wedding; she went all out.
She wanted everyone to see her son had landed his soulmate and was about to welcome a precious grandchild.
"Julia, when are you going to get the gift ready?" Chloe asked.
I said, "No rush.
"Hang tight, I'll tell you when."
I shut the chat window with Chloe.
Then I shot Zac a quick message. [Find out which hospital Evelyn went to for her prenatal checkups, and who her doctor was.]
I still had a snapshot of that payment receipt from half a year ago.
The info was sparse, but it was more than enough for me.
Zac didn't waste any time.
Just two days later, he dropped the full report in my inbox.
Hospital, department, doctor's name, everything was clear as day, no secrets.
I looked at the doctor's name and then logged into my account on a global medical forum.
I created this account back in college, just to connect with pros from all over the world.
It took me a whole day to track down the doctor's contact info.
Then, I set up a brand new email account and sent him a message.
In the email, I pretended to be a medical researcher studying rare genetic diseases in newborns.
I mentioned a really rare case, something so niche, most doctors wouldn't even know it existed.
And I casually dropped a hint that I had some preliminary data on a few similar cases, all tied to a certain gene sequence.
It was pure bait.
Any doctor with academic ambition would be dying to know more.
Sure enough, three days later, I got his reply.
He was super interested in the case I mentioned.
We went back and forth over email for about two weeks, "discussing" the case.
Our emails got more intense and enthusiastic.
He totally bought my cover story.
In the tenth email, I casually brought it up. [By the way, I think I have a distant relative who also had her prenatal checkups at your clinic; her name's Evelyn Hart.
[I was just wondering how she's doing and if it might be possible for me to take a look at her genetic report? It would really help with my current research.
[Of course, I'll keep everything strictly confidential.]
I hit send.
Then I just waited, waiting for the fish to take the final bait.
*****
The doctor replied faster than I expected.
And sure enough, his reply was just what I thought it'd be.
He shot back with a super formal, polite rejection.
He said patient privacy was untouchable, even if I was family, unless Evelyn herself gave the green light, he couldn't spill a single detail.
He even threw in a "good luck with your research" for good measure.
Typical; his reply was airtight, not a single loophole.
I stared at the email for a few minutes, then closed it.
I opened the chat with Chloe. [Chloe, I need you to do something for me. Go to the salon Andrea always goes to, sign up for a membership, and see if you can grab a few strands of her hair, with the roots still on them.]
Chloe replied in a flash: [Why do you want Andrea's hair? Planning to put a curse on her or something?]
Me: [Pretty much.]
[No problem. That old hag loves showing off at that salon, bragging about how great her son is and how sweet her daughter-in-law is. I've been dying to meet her for ages.]
One thing down.