The Master Plan

Alex was brooding over a glass of bourbon. She didn't have any right to look hurt, not after all her betrayal. What game was she playing? Refusing the money after pretending to love him.

When he found out she had also been cheating, it sent him to the edge. Evelyn had shown him pictures of her with different men. "I'm sorry Alex, Evelyn had said, "but the Kate you know is not who you think she is, she's my sister but I just had to tell you, I felt really guilty seeing as we, you know, had a history."

He remembered the first time he saw Evelyn. It was at a conference dinner in New York. She had looked so beautiful then, so witty and smart. He couldn't get her out of his head. They got each other's contact information and kept in touch. After a few dinners, they hooked up.

One month into their relationship, he realized he wanted more. Evelyn was everything a man desired but when you got too close, you saw her too-polished smile, her vain conversations. He wanted real, and couldn't be it.

Then he met Kate through Evelyn. And it was love at first sight. She laughed openly, she was kind, genuine. At least that was what he thought.

First, it was the lies. He found out Kate had a ruptured ovarian cyst at the age of seventeen. She had surgery. It saved her life, but the aftermath left her with low fertility. She had a slim chance of conceiving naturally.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He had asked with tears in his eyes, broken by the news. "I told you how much I wanted kids and you said nothing. All those doctors' appointments, you knew and you said nothing. Kate, I swear, if you had told me, we could have found a way around it, I would have considered other options because I loved you, but you tricked me! Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I'm so sorry," she had cried, "I didn't want you to leave me, I was afraid. Please forgive me, Alex, I'm so sorry, I should have told you. I was going to, please Alex."

He had tried to forgive her, tried to get past it, but he couldn't see her the same way again. How many other lies was she keeping from him?

But he also hid the truth from her, didn't he? Feeling annoyed, he convinced himself he did it because he genuinely loved her.

---

Evelyn was gloating on the balcony of her apartment. The stupid idiot. She thought she could come into their home and ruin everything. She couldn't forgive her father for loving Kate. On his deathbed, it was Kate he had requested to stay by his side. Smelly, pathetic Kate. Even her own mother didn't want her.

So the bitch had finally made use of her senses. Evelyn always wondered how someone could be so stupid.

Manipulating Kate was easy. She had been a little fool, so trusting, so naive. Evelyn began by being the nice stepsister. She made Evelyn feel welcome. She gave her her toys, played with her, and made Kate look up to her. Then she started playing her games. She'd coax Evelyn into breaking the rules, like the time she made them sneak off to a party.

Her father had made them promise to stay at home. But Evelyn, when her father left them alone, began crying in earnest. Kate immediately ran to her. "Oh, don't cry, Evie, maybe Dad knows best." Evelyn had been greatly annoyed when Kate called her father, Dad.

She hid her hatred and muttered tearfully, "I promised Josh, I would attend his party, he would think I snubbed him, how am I supposed to live with myself!"

"Don't worry so much then, we'll quickly go there and come back before Dad finds out." Evelyn had given Kate her sweetest smile.

They went to the party but Kate made sure they got delayed and by the time they returned home, their parent were waiting for them in the living room."

Her father was very disappointed in them and when he tried to reprimand her, Kate did not allow him. "It was all my fault," she said, head downcast. "I was the one who made us go to the party, Evelyn didn't have anything to do with it."

Kate's mother had shaken her head, like she knew it was Kate's doing all along. "Isn't it bad enough that you have no regard for rules, you are corrupting Evelyn now?" It had stung Kate and Evelyn happily watched Kate's mother break her down.

But Evelyn's father wasn't fooled, he had stared at his daughter with something close to shame. Evelyn wanted to throw things at the wall, to scream at him for picking Kate over her.

It didn't end there for Evelyn, she kept on manipulating Kate. She made her an outcast in high school while pretending to be her only true friend. The popular girl who still loved her awkward and weird stepsister.

Oh, it was sweet, it was so sweet to think about Alex. It was her finest work yet. Finally, she could put the bitch in her place. But she would miss tormenting her darling stepsister.

Evelyn had set up the perfect way for them to meet. She'd begged Kate to help her host an event. Kate didn't like things like that, socialising. She'd grown very socially awkward over the years. Her self-confidence and esteem chipped at till there was barely anything left. But Evelyn knew she only had to beg and Kate would do her bidding.

So Kate agreed to help with the guest list and of course, grace the event. Not even the pretty dress and shoes could make Kate blend in. She was visibly out of her depth. Evelyn moved a piece on her chessboard by introducing Alex to Kate.

God, it was a pitiful sight. Kate couldn't compose a single coherent line. She blushed and stuttered, with all the shyness of a little girl. But it went horribly wrong, didn't it? Alex had taken one look at Kate and fallen in love. That wasn't supposed to happen. She wanted Alex to see her graceless stepsister and come back to her.

Everyone loved Evelyn, glamorous, shining Evelyn. The queen. But she couldn't have foreseen the tables turning. It was unusual for Evelyn who was used to always having her way. He laughed at Kate's bad jokes, complimented her outfit and asked for a dance. Evelyn was seething by then. Her hands shook with rage, and her chest was heaving. She couldn't believe her eyes.

First, it was her father and now, her lover. It was too much for Evelyn and she swore to destroy Kate.

She made Kate hide her surgery and fertility issues from Alex. "It would do you more harm than good, I promise. Marry him first and then tell him later. He loves you and would forgive you."

She was the one who leaked the news to Alex, perfectly aware it would lay the groundwork for her master plan.

She advised Alex to keep their relationship from Kate. "It would only upset her, I know my stepsister, Alex, and if you really want to be with her just don't tell her, okay. She's so soft-hearted and she wouldn't want to hurt me. After all, it's done between us, no need to make it a thing."

She fabricated lies about Kate being drawn to attractive things and coveting what doesn't belong to her. She made up stories about Kate crying for her dolls because she didn't like hers. She made it seem as if Kate only married him for the money.

She worked her way into Alex's life and made him believe she was the only one who loved him genuinely. She leaked photos of her and Alex to the press to taunt Kate.

Then the cheating lie. It was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Unknowingly to Kate, she'd set her up and taken several pictures that looked compromising.

"Don't confront her, Alex, she'd only deny it and make a scene."

Despite all her attempts to sleep with him, Alex had turned her down. But that night, when all his defences were down, she had her way with him. Knowing fully well it would make Alex carry guilt and not fight for their marriage.

"It's time Alex, release yourself from her."

But of course, this was done the same day Kate told her about her pregnancy.

After the phone call with Kate, she had screamed so hard her throat burned. She swore not to let Kate win. She would do anything and everything. And something must be done to rectify that bit of issue quickly.