Chapter 41 Get Gone

Morning light shone in the window and Anna paced back and forth across the room. She felt panic unlike any she’d felt since that night in her apartment. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend that things were normal but she knew that this morning was anything but.
“You are going to wear a hole in the floor,” John said from across the room.
“What should I be doing? We are about to confront her about these videos, Erin, the whole thing. I feel sick.”
“What’s the worst that could happen? Come on give me the worst-case scenario.”
“Isabel tries to rip my heart out with the letter opened.”
“Really,” John said with a raised eyebrow, “I’m just as pI$$ed as you are but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“You’re right,” Anna said as she went to sit beside him on the couch. She laid her head on his shoulder and placed a gentle kiss on it. “I am just overreacting.”
“Hey,” He said turning her face up to him. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“I know,” Anna said with a smile as she watched Isabel pull up to the main house. Her car screeched to a halt and she jumped out as if she were on fire. Anna watched Isabel check her hair and dress in the glass on the front door before she opened it without knocking.
“So much for respecting other people’s privacy right.”
“Exactly,” John said quietly and stroked her chin. “But she will be done soon enough.”
“Isabel in here,” John called out as they turned to the door.
“John I was so happy to get your call…” Isabel’s voice died off as she saw Anna sitting on the couch.
“What’s going on here?” She asked stopping in her tracks.
“Come in and sit down, this shouldn’t take too long.”
“John, Anna… I’m not sure why you asked me here. I don’t appreciate being tricked.”
“Just be quiet and listen,” John said as she grabbed the tv remote and pushed play on the big screen.
“I don’t know what this is but…”
“I said be quiet and listen.”
Isabel’s mouth closed with a snap as the first of the video clips came on the screen. Her eyes grew round with each video and she kept her mouth closed not sure what to say.
“So do you have anything to say?” John asked as the last video finished and the screen went dark.
“I know it looks bad,” Isabel said hesitantly as she looked up at John with her wide blue eyes.
“It doesn’t just look like anything,” John said angrily “It looks like you were plotting to destroy our marriage.”
“I would never do anything like that. I was just trying to help a friend.”
“You told her to take her clothes off and get John alone. That is not helping a friend.” Anna screeched as she glared at Isabel.
“I just wanted to help her.”
“How about you help me? I’m the one you’re related to.” Anna yelled at Isabel taking over. Anna had had enough of Isabel. Whatever she had done or not done in the future she remembered, she was sick of all the things she’d done in the past. Sick of the years of abuse and betrayal.
“But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, you have always used me for whatever you could get out of me. You have always resented me when I had anything.”
“That’s a lie,” Isabel screeched “I took care of you!”
“Only when it suited you! You wanted everything I had, even though I suffered so much.”
“I think you are remembering things wrong. I tried to help you.”
“I can’t do this anymore, you have twisted me into knots. My stomach is upset, every time I turn around you are trying to tell me what to do and trying to flirt with John in that underhanded way you have.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m the victim here. Erin set those videos up to make me look guilty.”
“These were pulled right off the server at the office, they haven’t been tampered with. I’m trying to understand why you would do this.”
“I don’t have to stand for this,” Isabel said as she stood and began to head for the door. “I’m tired of being accused of things and being made the bad guy. I told you that Erin did this, she tampered with it somehow. “
“Isabel stop,”
Anna stood looking at the cousin she had once wanted to impress so much and knew that Isabel was nothing but poison. “I want you out of my house, today.”
Isabel stared at her in shock and then she turned to John as if she would try to get him to overrule her.
Anna snapped her fingers in front of her face to get her attention. “Don’t look at him, he’s not going to change my mind.”
“John?” Isabel asked looking at him pleadingly.
“Don’t look at me, Anna and I are on the same page. You need to get your stuff out of our house by the end of the day.”
Isabel sniffed and glared at them both. She slung her purse up on her shoulder and stomped to the door. She stopped with her door on the handle and turned to look at them both. “You’ll be sorry for this.”
“Get out,” Anna said harshly.
Isabel smiled and the look in her eyes was cold and chilled Anna to the bone.
“Remember you brought this on yourself.”