Chapter Fourteen: Do Whatever Needs To Be Done

Emily Torres looked at Lily with disdain and shook her head, “I told Grander that you were too chicken for this,” She complained. “Has Christopher found out your real identity?” She asked. There was a flicker of fear and dread in her eyes even though she tried to hide it.

Lily looked at her and the first thing that came to her mind was to do tell Emily exactly how she felt. She could not understand how they could only be interested in getting money and taking Christopher’s wealth when they had just lost their only child. Lily knew that the only reason Emily had some sort of fear and dread in her eyes was because she was afraid to lose the money.

“I sent you some money,” Lily said with thinned lips. She was equally trying to contain her anger. Lily knew that these people now controlled her entire existence, so she would be careful what she said or did.

“As you should,” Emily said. Then she lowered her voice and said, “You know this is strictly between us, right? I am capable of making your life a living hell if you make me upset, Ashley,” Emily said conspiratorially as she threatened at the same time.

Lily winced at being called Ashley by Emily. She could manage being addressed as the dead girl by anyone else, because to them, she was Ashley Grander, but hearing it from Emily after they had kidnapped her out of the blue and forced her into impersonating their dead daughter, she could bear it.

It irked her ears.

“I know that,” Lily said with gritted teeth. Growing up, she was not used to being tongue-tied or pushed into silence. She always had the liberty to say when things did not sit well with her, or when she was being treated in a way that she did not like, but this was completely different. This wasn’t her life to begin with.

“So why are you here? Is that what you wanted to announce to Grander?” Emily asked. She could not stop staring condescendingly at Lily, making Lily feel as though she was inadequate or lacking something in her body.

“No, that is not why I am here,” Lily responded. “I mentioned earlier that there is a big problem,” Lily reminded Emily.

“Oh gosh, that,” Emily said as her hand flew to her head and began to caress her temple as though Lily’s presence and conversation were giving her a migraine. “Have you done something to make Christopher upset?” Emily rephrased.

The question she asked now was different from what she had asked earlier, and Lily was grateful that at least, she had been sensible to know that if Christopher had found out that they were lying to him, they would have been thrown into jail by now.

“No,” Lily lied, because Emily did not need that piece of information. There was no need telling them that she had slipped a couple of times. As long as Christopher hadn’t stated that he had doubts about Ashley’s authenticity, Lily was on the safe side. And besides, she did not want them to threaten or even go close to her brother, Joe.

“So why are you here?” Emily asked impatiently. She could hardly wait to dismiss Lily, and as she flapped her manicured long nails, it was very obvious that she wanted Lily’s unrequested visit to be over.

“It’s Hedge,” Lily said as she shifted uncomfortably in her standing position and that was because, she did not know how to address the issue, and from Emily’s reaction, it was obvious that she did not know who Hedge was.

Her brows contorted in confusion. “Who is Hedge?” Emily asked with irritation.

Now that it was clear to Lily that Emily had no idea, she wondered if she should continue with why she was here, but then again, she knew that she could not handle the situation on her own. They were the ones who forced and threatened her into being their puppet and impersonator for their dead daughter, so whatever obstacle she encountered, she would definitely say it out to them.

“Ashley’s lover,” Lily answered.

Emily groaned tiredly and sighed deeply. For someone that did not know about an affair, she was too calm and dismissive about it. “Ashley was too wild for her own good,” Emily said. “Not only did she go back on the plan, she was secretly meeting up with another man. Jeez, a little chastity would have saved all us, but not Ashley; always leaping before she looked.”

Lily watched quietly as Emily grumbled and spoke poorly of Ashley. Not that the girl was a good girl in Lily’s books, but a mother shouldn’t be so comfortable in ruining the memories of her daughter.

Emily then stopped for a minute to gather her thoughts. Then she turned to Lily and asked, “He isn’t threatening you, is he?”

“Yes, he is, and that is why I have come,” Lily answered bluntly.

Emily leaped to her feet and faced Lily squarely. “Are you insane? A lover of Ashley reaches out to you and the next thing that comes to your mind is to run here like a scared mouse?” Emily barked at Lily.

For a minute, Lily was at a loss for words. “He is blackmailing me with Ashley’s sex tape, asking me for money, and demanding to continue the affair!” Lily did not know when she yelled out. She had expected that at least, this family would be reasonable, if not moral, but she had been clearly mistaken.

Emily walked closer to Lily, her breath mingling with Lily’s, as though such closeness would make words sink deeper into Lily’s skull.

“Do you have an idea who Ashley Grander was? Do you have a clue what this arrangement means to us? You should be privileged that you were picked to live this life. Do whatever needs to be done, even if it means dancing to the tune of her lover, or you and your brother are dead.”