SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 7

ROSE'S POINT OF VIEW

My phone buzzed while I was getting my nails done. Normally, I'd ignore it, Tuesday afternoons are my me-

time, after all. But something made me look. Maybe it was intuition. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was just that delicious feeling I'd had all morning, like something wonderful was about to happen.

The headline made me smear the perfect French manicure Julie had just finished on my right hand.

"LOCAL WOMAN FEARED DEAD AFTER CAR FOUND IN RIVER"

My hands shook as I clicked the link, not caring about the ruined nail polish. There it was, in clean black and white: Camille Elizabeth Lewis, age 25, presumed dead after her car was discovered in the Morton R "Oh my God," I whispered, but inside, fireworks were going off. Champagne corks were popping. Every cell in my body wanted to jump up and dance.

"Everything okay, Miss Lewis?" Julie asked, concerned about my trembling hands.

I forced my face into the appropriate expression of shock and grief. "My sister... there's been an accident. I... I need 10 go

The drive home was torture, having to keep my face properly devastated while my heart soared like a bird finally freed from its cage. I barely made it through my front door before the laughter bubbled up, wild a

She'd

actually done it. My pathetic, clingy little sister had finally done something right. She'd disappeared

exactly like I'd arranged, right down to the car in the river. Those gays I hired through three different cutouts had followed my instructions perfectly.

I poured myself a glass of the Cristal I'd been saving for a special occasion. This definitely qualified. Taking my phone and the champagne,

the one with the perfect view of the garden Camille used to love so

everywhere now. Local news, social media, even

they'd chosen were perfect,

shadow.

glass to the empty room. "Thanks for

breath, arranged my voice into something appropriately broken. "Baby?" I let

upset, the fool'I'm on my way over.

alone right

gone,I said, adding a little sob for effect. "My baby sister.." "We'll get through this together," he promised. ended the call and stulled at my reflection in the win mourning period had passed. Six months maybe. Elght at the most Than me for

years carefully

would need to be dark when he

ating the perfect stage set for my performance. The grieving sister, devastated by loss, turning to

it

phone buzzed again, Mommy this time. I

thick with tears.

sob. "They found

thrill through me. This was what I'd wanted all these years, to be the

my pale imitation of a sister. "The police think..." I paused for effect. "They

She's been so

The subtle hints about Camille's depression, the careful

should have helped her more," Mom wailed. "Should have

soothed, while inside I was dancing "But you

off my heels and spun around my living room, champagne sloshing over the rim of my glass. Free! Finally, gloriously free! No more perfect little Camille with her sad eyes and qu I caught sight of a photo on the mantel, me and Camille at her wedding, her maid of honor dress carefully chosen to make her look frumpy next to

Were."

time. I set down the photo and checked my makeup in the hall mirror.