He looked at his phone, turned pale, then quickly left the room. She watched him, smiling. Her plan had worked it seemed. Jacob's karma was just around the corner. Someone's got to do it.
Anne forced her eyes to tear up, droplets pooling around her eyelashes. She ran after him, grabbed his arm, and breathed, "Your company? It's been embezzled!"
Jacob stopped. He turned towards Anne. His face was, for the first time, gaunt and haggard. A crack in his armour was finally revealed. Jacob, disbelief written all over his stupid face, muttered, "What happened?"
Continuing the act, Anne held to both of his arms, looking into his eyes. She gazed at him with concern and care. Just a little longer. They say that revenge is best served cold. For Anna, it was as sweet and dopamine-producing as sugar. "How will we make it? The money's gone."
"Don't worry," he said, confidence growing. The sinister glint in his eye returned. Anna was a disappointed, but definitely not surprised to see that whatever humanity he had for that one moment was now but a memory. Jacob's voice heightened in volume at each word, "They won't get away with this. I'll make them pay for this."
Anna held back cringing at his brash words. She gave him a weak smile, filled with hope. "You really think you can do it?"
"Nobody can fool me, Anne," he boasted, his confidence back in full power, arms akimbo. Jacob sneered psychotically. He genuinely believed that he still had a chance and that he had all the power.
Anne resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What power? Hubris and idiocy weren't exactly strengths to put it nicely. Little did he know that the tables have turned. His fate was in her hands now and she was going to enjoy it before all hell would break lose. Well, at least for him. "Who do you think did it?"
Jacob thought for a minute, eyebrows scrunched in deep thought. For a second, Anne thought that Jacob might have some competence behind his assured facade. She didn't like wasting her time on idiots.
"Probably John, that bastard," He swore, eyes flaming. This man really was infuriating. These types of people were annoying just as is. It gets worse when they're willing to sacrifice lives for their own gain without even a twitching an eye. People like him deserved what was coming for them.
Swiftly, Anne pinned Jacob to the wall with unexpected strength. Her hand steadily held the knife innocently against Jacob's neck. Both the man and the woman's heartbeat doubled. While Anne's revenge was just in reach, so was Jacob's demise. His eyebrows raised higher than Anne had very seen before, mouth agape. Too shellshocked to get any words out. Anne triumphantly grinned the widest she had in years.
She hissed, "I guess you really don't know who you're dealing with. I'm not some trophy wife." Anne made a face at the phrase trophy wife. She then enunciated with clear syllables, "It's Chloe Stewart, not Anne Blake. Rings a bell? You can't just kill my family and get away scott free."
It felt nice to finally let it all the go, to finally reveal herself after years of hiding. Her parents and brother meant everything to her. Now they're gone because of this abomination. Jacob sputtered, from both the edge of the dagger and her words.
"What?" He tried and failed to steady his voice. Jacob couldn't believe the double whammy he'd just received. "I trusted you! W-what are you doing?"
"This." She purred as she slid the knife cleanly against his lying throat.
Jacob buckled, collapsing to the ground like a sack of rice. Her sweet parents would have wanted her to talk it out, to come to a mutual understanding. That would've been best for her they'd say. But did their innocent, hopeful hearts really know what's best? Not to be insensitive, but she's the one alive and well. Or at least somewhat well. Serious therapy could be a good next step, but still Anne smirked without an inch of guilt. She'd just accomplished what many before her strived to complete until they too were buried six foot under by this atrocity. "That felt real nice."