Chapter 2 - THE AISLE WHERE TEN YEARS RETURNED
Vanessa moved before Rose finished unlocking her phone.
She charged at Helen and slapped her hard across the face.
Helen crashed against the supermarket shelf.
Cereal boxes and canned soup tumbled to the floor.
“Remember me now, you lying bitch?!”
Rose screamed.
“Stop!”
Vanessa grabbed Helen by the collar and shoved her back against the shelf.
Helen stared at her in absolute terror.
“Ten years,” Vanessa hissed. “You thought I disappeared?”
Helen’s face changed.
And Rose saw, in the older woman’s expression, the memory before Helen spoke it.
Ten years earlier.
A Carter Distribution building engulfed in flames.
A younger Vanessa standing across the road, staring at the burning warehouse with a face too still to read.
Helen across the street in her car, horrified.
“Oh my God… Vanessa.”
Then present time snapped back.
Vanessa grabbed Helen’s hair.
“SHUT UP.”
Rose reached for her.
“Get your hands off her!”
Vanessa pressed Helen harder against the shelf.
“You ruined my life. Now I ruin yours.”
Helen squeezed her eyes shut.
Then a deep male voice cut through the aisle.
“Vanessa Pierce.”
Everyone stopped.
Adrian stood at the far end of the aisle.
Dark tailored suit.
Winter coat.
Face completely cold.
Vanessa released Helen slowly.
Adrian walked toward them.
“I’ve been looking for you for ten years.”
The color drained from Vanessa’s face.
Rose expected her to run.
She did not.
She laughed.
“You found me.”
Adrian stopped six feet away.
“I did.”
Vanessa’s eyes moved to Helen.
“You tell him?”
Helen was crying now.
“No.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Tell me what?”
Vanessa looked almost delighted.
Rose hated that expression.
Helen whispered:
“Not here.”
Adrian said:
“No. Here.”
Shoppers had begun filming.
A store manager approached.
Rose stepped between everyone.
“Stop. We leave now.”
Vanessa looked at her.
“You’re the only smart Carter in the aisle.”
“I’m not a Carter by blood.”
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“Exactly.”
Security arrived.
Police were called because of the assault.
Vanessa did not resist.
That surprised Adrian.
As officers took statements, she looked at him and said:
“You spent ten years looking for the woman your father told you burned his warehouse.”
Adrian’s expression did not move.
Vanessa continued:
“But that’s not why you’re looking anymore, is it?”
Rose looked at her husband.
“What does she mean?”
Adrian stared at Vanessa.
Then said:
“I found the audit.”
Helen made a sound like she had been struck again.
Vanessa’s smile vanished.
“What audit?”
“The one Robert Carter buried.”
For the first time, Vanessa looked uncertain.
Adrian continued:
“My father lied about the fire.”
Rose felt the entire story change.
Vanessa whispered:
“How much do you know?”
Adrian’s answer was quiet.
“Enough to know my mother helped him.”
Helen closed her eyes.
And Vanessa, still standing beside the police officer, turned toward Helen with fresh rage.
May you like
“You let me lose everything for him.”
Helen did not deny it.
