Chapter 9 - THE SISTERS
Rain began falling over the clinic roof.
The helicopter hovered above them.
Its blades filled the air with a violent roar.
Olivia held a second gun.
Her wedding gown had been replaced by black pants and a dark jacket.
Lily stood between Olivia and Beatrice.
Grace raised her empty hands.
“This ends tonight.”
Olivia smiled.
“For you, it does.”
Nathan moved beside Grace.
“Let Lily go.”
Olivia turned the gun toward him.
“After everything I did for you?”
“You destroyed my family.”
“I gave you a better one.”
“You gave me a lie.”
Olivia’s smile disappeared.
“I stood beside you when Grace embarrassed the company.”
“She wanted me to sell it.”
“She wanted to make you ordinary.”
Nathan looked toward Grace.
“Maybe ordinary would have been enough.”
The words surprised everyone.
Olivia’s eyes burned with resentment.
Grace finally understood that Olivia had not simply wanted Nathan.
She wanted Grace’s entire life.
As children, Olivia had followed Grace everywhere.
She wore Grace’s old clothes.
She copied Grace’s hairstyle.
She dated boys Grace had rejected.
Their father compared them constantly.
Grace was the responsible daughter.
Olivia was the disappointment.
When Grace married Nathan, Olivia believed Grace had received one more prize she did not deserve.
“You could have built your own life,” Grace said.
Olivia laughed.
“With what?”
“You had every opportunity I had.”
“No.”
Olivia’s voice rose.
“You had Dad’s respect.”
Grace looked toward the stairway.
Charles appeared beside Jonah.
Police officers spread across the roof.
Charles stared at Olivia.
“I loved both of you.”
Olivia aimed her weapon at him.
“You loved the daughter who made you look successful.”
Charles stopped moving.
Beatrice pulled Lily closer.
“We need to leave.”
Olivia ignored her.
Grace stepped toward her sister.
“Lily is innocent.”
“No one is innocent.”
“She loved you.”
Olivia’s face flickered.
For six years, Lily had called her Aunt Liv.
Olivia had helped with homework.
She had attended school plays.
She had held Lily during nightmares caused by Grace’s disappearance.
Perhaps some of those moments had been real.
Lily looked up at Olivia.
“Did you make Mommy go away?”
Olivia’s hand began shaking.
“Your mother was sick.”
“Did you make her sick?”
Olivia’s eyes filled with tears.
Beatrice pulled Lily toward the helicopter.
Olivia suddenly turned the gun toward Beatrice.
“Stop.”
Beatrice stared at her.
“What are you doing?”
“She asked me a question.”
Beatrice’s expression became disgusted.
“She is a child.”
Olivia’s voice cracked.
“She is the only person who ever loved me without wanting something.”
Grace held her breath.
Lily reached toward Olivia.
“You can still tell the truth.”
For one second, Olivia looked like the sister Grace remembered.
Then Charles moved.
Beatrice fired.
The bullet struck Charles in the chest.
Chaos exploded across the roof.
Nathan tackled Beatrice.
Jonah fired toward the helicopter pilot.
Grace ran to Lily.
Olivia stood frozen with the gun in her hand.
Beatrice threw Nathan aside and grabbed Lily’s ankle.
The child screamed.
Grace caught Lily’s arms.
Beatrice pulled toward the roof’s edge.
Olivia raised her weapon.
She fired once.
Beatrice released Lily.
The older woman stumbled backward.
Her heel slipped on the wet concrete.
Nathan reached for her.
May you like
Beatrice looked at her son.
Then she fell over the edge.
