Manipulation, and how to use it

#

The more I mull it over, the more my brain becomes like a spinning wheel moving at its fastest pace. With each second that goes by, I'm finding more questions than answers. First, I find out that this man is deranged, and now this? I'm re-ally...confused.

Anitta eyes me weirdly.

"That's not...that isn't possible. I... I've seen him. He...well, that's just impossible", I mutter self-consciously

"My husband, Xavier Maxwell, was killed almost seven years ago", she says

"Wait. I thought... I thought you were married to Xavier Grayson", I say with such uncertainty

She's not saying a word and I can sense the sudden shift in her expression from anger to a flat sadness. She quickly darts her eyes towards me. They show concern and fear. She knows exactly who and what Im talking about. If not more. She takes a deep breath before telling me, "I met Xavier ten years ago. He was fresh out of college and he came to apply for a job at my fathers real estate agency. The minute I met him, I remember thinking how he was the sweetest, most patient and loving man I'd ever known. He was perfect. Just so kind and gentle and filled with so much... good"

".... We had an instant connection", she continues. "It was like something out of a movie honestly"—she blushes—" it was just...love at first site. He was...he is, my soulmate. After being together for two years, he finally proposed and we got married only three days after, we couldn't wait. It was a small wedding, maybe 20 guests, but nonetheless, we were happy. Months later, when we found out that we were expecting a child together, something was missing for me. I just, I though it was strange that I never met his family. He told me that he had no family outside his identical twin brother. His mother died at birth and his father was so bitter that he blamed Xavier and his brother for their Mother's death. He treated them like they were animalssomething less than human. He would beat them, torture them, he wouldn't feed them sometimes, he barely paid for their school. He was a terrible per-son. A terrible human being...a sad terrible man with nothing good about him. That's what Xavier would say"

She goes on. "I remember him telling me that, one day he met with the social worker and he was able to rescue himself and his brother out of their fathers house when they were thirteen. That's when they moved into a lady called Miss Grayson's house. I think her name was Rachel Grayson, I don't remember. He said it wasn't the best place to grow up but it wasn't as bad as being with his father. I remember him telling me that Miss Grayson was always so fixated towards Jeffrey. He said they would watch strange documentaries together and sometimes she wouldn't let him go out with friends because she wanted him to stay with her. I remember him saying that Jeffrey told him that he felt suffocated, but Xavier forced him to stick it out because this was as good as it could be for them...at least until Xavier could go to college and build a life for him and his brother."

"And where is Miss Grayson now?", I ask

She stares out the window lifeless and takes a breath. "She was poisoned. They never looked into it much but, Xavier knew that it was his brother. I never would've met Jeffrey if it wasn't for my own stubbornness. I insisted time and time again for him to introduce me to Jeffrey and he would refuse time and time again until the night I said I wouldn't let him meet his daughter if he wasn't going to let me meet his family. That was my greatest mistake"

She sighs heavily. "Jeffrey invited us to his home. He was the mirror image of Xavier. Youd barely be able to tell the difference. I remember the evening was...quaint. We had dinner and talked. The next thing I remember is being in the kitchen and hearing Xavier upset about something Jeffrey had done. I remember walking into the room to try and mediate, and then...then...seeing my daughters father....dead, on the floor, with a knife to his chest. I was so...terrified. I remember thinking that it was all my fault. I remember thinking, my baby is going to grow up in the world, without a father... because of me."

I consider this before asking her, "Why did he spare you? Why did he spare your life?"

"I wish that I knew why Jeffrey spared my life that night", she stops to mull over her response. "...He could've very well killed me if he wanted to but he didn't. I guess, he knew that it would hurt more to keep me alive. He knew that killing me would've brought me peace.", she pauses strategically. "I wish he would've killed me. I really do. I hate myself for saying it but, I wish I died that night as well. After that night I remember calling the police and, he went on trial. They deemed him not guilty on the count of insanity. That's when they put him in solitary confinement at some asylum"

She breathes. "I received a call about six months ago and was told that his psychiatrist was adamant on the fact that he is no longer a threat to society. I didn't believe that. Not even a little bit. So, I moved again, changed my number, changed my locks. I'm safer now without him. I haven't spoken to him ever since the last day in court when I saw that dark look in his eyes...the same one he had when he killed my husband"

I shake my head. "So, all this time, I haven't known any Xavier Grayson. I've only ever known—"

"Jeffery Maxwell...psychotic Murderer", she finishes.

Silence.

"You need to help me Mrs. Bailey. Please", I urge, "...you know him better than I do. We need to put an end to this once and for all, before someone else gets hurt. And I know you can help me do that"

"...if you asked me to do that seven years ago, I would've dropped everything and helped you. But things are different now. I have a six-year-old daughter whose mother is the only thing that she has left. I just can't risk that. I'm sorry"

"I understand", I sigh

"But", she realizes something. "I can get you in touch with his observer and psychiatrist. Her name is Dr. Renée Chen. She had so much faith in him and his recovery, I think you should go see her. Maybe she'll help you, but I can't do anymore than that"

#

I'm a woman on a mission and right now, Dr. Renée Chen might quite possibly be my only hope at finding safety. She might be my only hope of finding refuge and putting an end to the extraction of insanity that is Jeffery Maxwell. It's strange to even say...Jeffery Maxwell. All this while, there's been only an illusion of Xavier Grayson. There's only been some sort of mere abstraction. I gave myself...willingly to a complete stranger.

Ask me how I'm feeling? I do not know.

"She's a beautiful baby", I smile, just barely at Dr. Renée as we sit across from one another in her kitchen. I arrived here almost fifteen minutes ago. I spent a full 12 minutes in my car, practicing my words. Putting together all the missing pieces in my head.

"Thank you", she smiles. She takes a sip of her coffee, which I saw her spike with some brandy before sitting down

"Like I mentioned earlier, I'm here because I need your help. With Xavi—I mean, Jeffery", I say, correcting myself

She nods. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Well, I dont know how else to say it excepthes been... stalking and harassing me. Watching me and the people around me. All this while, he's been posing as this, successful man, when in reality he's stolen two identities of the first people he harmed. I've known him in my capacity as Xavier Grayson, until recently I didn't even know that this person doesn't exist. He's completely manipulated me and, everyone else that I know.", I murmur, "I'm not certain how far things have gotten with other people but I sense within myself, every time I see him, that there's an evil growing within him and it's merely feeding on itself."

"I know exactly what you mean"

"You do?"

"Mhm", she sighs. "He was here, not long ago, and, I saw it. He manipulated me into thinking that he was well. And to make things worse, I fell for it. I judged him with emotion, when I should have judged him with facts. I let him come out in-to the world again because I had so much faith in a broken human being, being fixed when in reality, he can't be fixed. He's far too broken beyond repair"

"So then why haven't you done something? Why can't you call someone and have him taken back into confinement?", I shrug, confused

"...it isn't that easy.", she shrugs too. "By law, he can't be charged for the same case twice. And well, theres just no way of me...proving that he's done anything terrible."

"That's all you need? Proof?"

"Yes. He won't confess to a thing, that's for certain. He'll merely say he did something bad. But, if you could find evidence of the, quote-un-quote, bad that he's done, then I can help you and hopefully get him the help that he needs"

"If I go looking...for proof", I swallow. "how do I know he won't...kill me?"

"Jeffery isn't a psychopath. He's merely sociopathic with psychopathic tendencies"—she swallows—"He's not an idiot...he's precise and, though he some-times acts impulsive, he calculates the consequences of his actions", She stands up, putting her mug in the sink. "...from what you tell me, it seems that you've become his new anchor. He needs to be anchored. He needs some sort of an attachment or, fixation. It keeps him...in the real world. And he knows that", she says, sitting down again.

"He wouldn't kill you...not unless, it was his ultimate last option."

_____

So guys....Uhm...we hit 6000 reads!!!

So so crazy! Thank you so much for continuing to read my story and sharing it and loving it! It means the world to me!

Also, please share your thoughts on this chapter! I know for a fact that none of y'all saw this coming, and not gonna lie, It only gets CRAZIER from here!

Don't forget to vote, comment and share!

Unlike the next chapter, love y'all

-xo, Lakish'a...