(After a hiatus) Episode 4
Colin Greene had been very much in love since the age of twelve. As he often did, his mind sauntered off into the day that love had entered his life. His mother, the cold and beautiful Marnie Greene, had invited several wealthy families to the estate for a garden party. One such family was Herbert and Ginny Moss and their ten-year old daughter Lily. Colin was instantly attracted to her. She was innocent, sweet, and blonde. Shy, reclusive Colin watched her from across the garden.
“Just go talk to her,” his little sister Kayla said, sneaking up behind him. “It’s quite obvious that you are attracted to her, though she seems dull and dimwitted.”
“She’s heavenly,” Colin replied. He had made up his mind to talk to her when, much to his horror, his brother Jack beat him to it.
“I’m Jack,” the double-crossing sibling said.
“My name’s Lily. I can do a cartwheel,” she proclaimed with a giggle.
Jack and Lily had been together from that very moment.
Back in the reality of his study, Colin poured himself another drink. He still loved her. She was blonder and sweeter than ever, and damn, what he’d give to see her do a cartwheel. What did she see in handsome, popular, outgoing Jack?
“Thinking about Lily?” his sister Kayla asked, sneaking up on him.
“Why are you always sneaking up on me?” he asked.
“Why are you always so lost in thought?” she countered.
“None of your business, you witch,” he said bitterly.
“God, Colin, we need to work on your comebacks,” she said, sauntering out of the room.

...

“Marnie, Marnie, wake up!”
“Jeff?” Marnie asked, her vision blurry. “Jeff, don’t leave me!”
“Jeez, you gave me a scare,” he said. “I hadn’t seen you in twenty years, and you just fainted on me.”
“I did?” she whispered.
“Yes, I just told you that I was married with two children, and you fainted.”
“Now I remember,” she said. “Though I wish I didn’t! Oh, Jeff! You’re married! With two kids! We’ll never be together now.”
“No, I don’t suppose we will,” he said, but he didn’t seem too broken up about it.
“It’s not fair,” she said with a pout. “Today has been just dreadful. First the maid forgot to bring me my drink. Then my husband was shot. Now you’re married. What next?”
“Madam!” A maid burst into the room.
“Yes?” Marnie noted that she still had not brought the martini.
“Madam, the hospital called. Your husband will be just fine!”
“Why, God, why?” Marnie howled, clutching Jeff against her. “Why do bad things happen to good people? Why?”

...


Angela Rojo had a terrible burden to carry. Her deep, awful secret was ruining her life. Today at the hospital was just another example of how bad things were for her. She needed to talk to someone. She took off work early and went to find her sister Marie. Luckily, Marie was home.
“Angela, what’s wrong?’ she asked, seeing her sister’s tear-streaked face.
“Marie, I need to tell you something that I have never told anyone.”
“Okay,” Marie said, preparing herself for the worst.
“When I was thirteen, I was… I was cursed.”
“Cursed?” Marie asked incredulously.
“Yes, cursed. An old gypsy woman put a curse on my head.”
“What kind of curse?”
“She said that as soon as I turned eighteen my life would be ruined.”
“You’re twenty-four.”
“Yes, well, my life has gotten progressively worse over the past five years!”
“Six,” Marie automatically corrected.
“Huh?” Angela asked, sniffling and crying.
“Six years,” Marie clarified.
“Oh,” Angela said, crying and sniffling.
“I still don’t get it. What exactly has this curse done to you?” Marie asked.
“Oh, Marie, it’s made me do terrible, terrible things.”

...

“Jack, are you listening to me?” Lily asked as they drove home from visiting his father.
“Huh?”
“You seem a million miles away,” she said with a pout. “Don’t you love me anymore?”
“Of course I love you, Angela.”
“What?”
“What?”
“Did you just call me Angela?”
“Of course not,” Jack said. “Why would I do that?”
“I could have sworn that you said, ‘Of course I love you, Angela.’”
“Why would I say that?” Jack asked nervously, mentally kicking himself for the slip.
“Jack, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world,” Lily said seriously. “I have since the day we met at your mother’s garden party when we were both ten. I could never, ever love anyone else. No one. No one at all. You’re the only one for me, and if I lose you I will never love again.”
“You never have to worry about that,” Jack said. “I promise.”
His fingers were crossed behind his back.

...

It was becoming quite clear to Veronica that she would have to kill her own sister if she ever wanted Sean. Though she was known to be mean, sarcastic, moody, and shrew-like, she was not known to be a murderess.
“How can I kill her without killing her?” Veronica pondered aloud. “Send her to jail? Convince her to join the army? Move to Alaska? Keep her prisoner in the basement?”
And then… inspiration struck. She smiled evilly. Yes, this was it. Soon Sean would be hers, and Claire would never know what hit her.