Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Tiffany’s POV

“Cat got your tongue? No response? Poor Ana, you needed to be taken down a peg. After Seth pissed me off, I was happy to do it,” I told Ana.

It was pissing me off that she wasn’t replying to my taunts. She should be full–on crying by now, just like she did back in school. She’s not supposed to be looking at me like I’m the one with the problem. Tonight, she’s going to learn a hard lesson. One I’m sure she’ll remember until the day she dies. I must have hit a nerve, because she’s angry enough to speak now.

“You think that I acted like I was better than everyone? When did I do that? You’re the one who thought you were above everyone else. You’re projecting your own behavior and emotions onto me. I stayed to myself because you made very sure I didn’t have any friends. After Seth and Holden graduated. I studied and tried to avoid you. I never spoke to anyone, so how dare you call me high and mighty? All I did was try to survive. Yet you sit there and act like I deserved what I received. I didn’t. I never did. I think you like to remember it like that, so you feel less guilty about what happened,” Ana told me.

“You and your family looked down on mine when we should have been equal. No, actually, it should have been my family that wielded the power. You treated us like we were nothing. Handing out scraps like we were so far below you. My parents are better than yours; certainly, they’re smarter than yours. My mother had to be intelligent to have conned your mother out of millions of dollars‘ worth of purses, clothes, and shoes. Yet your mother fell for it every single time she asked for something. What kind of woman is ignorant enough to spend that kind of money on someone who couldn’t stand her?” I asked.

“My mother trusted someone she believed was her friend for over thirty years. That doesn’t make her ignorant. My mother is a kind, trusting soul. Your mother is a backstabbing opportunist. That’s the difference between them; my mother is a shining star. Don’t try to twist this around. You’re getting off topic. I want you to admit why you broke my ribs. Why did you write derogatory words on my skin to humiliate me? You know what. I won’t force you to tax your brain, Tiffany. I don’t want to waste the court’s time waiting for you to figure out why you did it. Truthfully, if you actually had an excuse for it, you would have said it right off the bat. You’ve been very vocal about my deserving punishment. Yet can’t provide even the slightest reason to have done it. You’ve been jealous of me since the day I was born,” Ana stated as if it were the truth.

“The fact that you were born was reason enough, Ana. Once you arrived, I was nothing. I was no longer the baby anymore. I wasn’t receiving the attention I had previously. I’m a year and a

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< Placing Blame on the Caldwell’s

+25 Points

half older than you. I was always the center of attention until you arrived. My mother had to dote on you to stay on Alicia’s good side. My own mother turned her back on me, to kiss up to keep getting what she wanted. Why should I be the one to pay the price for it? I remember when I was eight, and my fathers’s company almost went bankrupt. My parents had to beg your parents to help. In doing so, it proved that our family always looked down on my family. They still do to this day. I remember how my parents spoke about how humiliated they felt at having to beg for something that your parents should have offered them in the first place,” I replied.

“That’s not true. I remember when that happened. Your parents didn’t have to beg; we were all there, Tiffany. My parents helped them avoid bankruptcy and saved their company. There was no begging done by either of your parents. My parents were willing to do it because they respected your family and their longtime friendship. My parents helped them when your parents were at their lowest point. They provided them with the funds to continue paying their employees. They did that as a gift, not a loan, because they cared about them. My parents even brought investors in to help your father rebuild his company. My father helped yours by showing him where he went wrong, so it wouldn’t happen again. They worked hard to help him succeed, and look at what it got them? Stabbed in the back by the people they trusted the most,” Ana replied with scorn.

“That’s a lie. That’s not what happened. Your parents are vindictive and conceited. They’ve never had to struggle. They kept my family around just to humiliate them,” I cried out.

“I guess you listened to what your parents said, instead of paying attention to what actually happened. I was young, too, but I remembered what happened better than you. You’re angry at a perceived slight that never actually occurred. Your parents were upset at almost losing everything because of the bad choices your father made. Your parents only perceived that mine looked down on them because they had to ask for help. They obviously resented them for it. They never begged, and my parents immediately came to their aid. You poisoned your mind against my parents for so long that you’re starting to believe your own lies,” Ana replied

to me.

“It couldn’t be that the great Caldwell family was ever in the wrong, could it? You think so highly of them, Ana, but aren’t you forgetting about how they turned their backs on you when you needed them the most? Have you forgotten how they blamed you for your weight gain? They told you to let your petty anger go for treating Holden and me with contempt. It was amusing how they made you be nice to us during the holidays. I made your mother push you even harder about your weight after each celebration. Your whole family was totally ashamed of you, Ana. I know that had to hurt; you probably wanted to scream out the truth. They sat there like idiots, never knowing you had a valid reason to hate both of us. I wished I’d been able to get to you in your own home. I tried, but you always managed to get away. That’s my only regret in this whole thing. That I didn’t manage to hurt you inside your own

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Placing Blame on the Caldwell’s

home. Your safe spot, and the only place I could never reach you,” I said with a laugh.

+25 Points

I heard the courtroom draw in a collective breath at my words, and that snapped me out of it. I totally forgot there were people around. I didn’t want everyone here to see that; my reputation was on the line. I looked like the vile person that Ana accused me of being. How did I manage to fall for it? My attorney had his hand on mine, and Gretchen was doing the same on her side, but I never felt their touch. I was so focused on trying to hurt Ana with my words. I didn’t realize the mistake I was making, and I can’t take any of it back.

The jury looked truly shocked by my outburst. I’d just admitted to what I had done to Ana. What’s worse, I’d shamed my own family along with me. I looked around, but the jury, as well as the rest of the room, looked like they were thoroughly disgusted by what I’d just said. It doesn’t matter; I won’t be getting sentenced today anyway. Even if I were, Eddie said it would still be tomorrow or the next day before I would be shipped off to prison.

Today was his off day, so he could come with us. He had already set everything in motion, so I’m not worried. He has spent the last three weeks setting everything up. I wasn’t going to leave anything to chance, not on the most important day of my life. If I’m being honest, I was ready to leave this hellhole right this minute. I just need to show this arrogant b***h a lesson first. She maintained eye contact with me, as if trying to call my bluff, which pissed me off.

How dare she act like she’s not scared of me anymore? I hated that the most, as I thrived on her fear. It’s fine; my parents have already taken care of the rest of what I needed for me to get this done. Including a car to pick us up, after we’ve paid Ana a little visit tonight. Then straight to the airport. There’s no way that Ana can beat me. I can’t wait to see the look of surprise on her face when we catch up with her tonight, and she’s all alone.

I smiled back at her, just thinking about what was going to happen. I’ve never hated anyone in my life the way that I hated her. I’m looking forward to messing her face up. Her handsome husband isn’t going to want her anymore after that. She won’t be so smug then, will she? Whether he loves her or not, he won’t be able to get past what she’s about to look like. Eddie reached out to a friend of his to get what we needed. I didn’t ask any questions about it. I knew what it could do.

Eddie will be helping me with this. He reached out to a friend of his and got it for me. He even got gloves to handle it. He hates her as much as I do. I might have exaggerated a few things to win him over. He’s out in the transport van, not in here with us. He will be none the wiser. After we land, we will be going in two separate directions. I didn’t tell him where we would be living. He thinks that we can still hook up after we get there. I won’t set him straight until after we arrive. Why give him an opportunity to mess up our escape plans? Until we land in the Maldives, I won’t be safe. I sat back down in my chair. I had to keep it together.

“Ms. Vaughn, you do realize that’s an admission of guilt? You just announced to the room

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< Placing Blame on the Caldwell’s

+25 Points

that you had not just harmed Ana Caldwell, but that you intentionally did it. You knew your actions were the cause of her weight gain. Even mocking her for causing her even more issues with her family as you made your little rant,” the judge stated.

“But I didn’t,” I replied. I just needed this trial to go on until tomorrow. I needed to be able to leave here smoothly.

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