One Wild Night

Janet had a cheerful smile on her face as she sat on the couch waiting for Andrew to join her so that they could see a movie on Netflix together.

It had been quite a while since they were last able to do that. Because of all that had been happening lately, she had been too worried to do any of this, but after receiving a call from Lucas some minutes earlier informing them that he was leaving the country and his first stop would be to see Tyler, she had been more than relieved. Tyler wasn't a stranger to the family, so she was glad to know that Lucas would be safe.

"You must be very happy about Lucas' decision. You haven't smiled that way for some time now," Andrew observed as he joined her with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"What way?" Janet asked with a grin and Andrew shrugged.

"Relaxed and happy," Andrew said as he poured some wine into the glasses and extended one to her, before sitting down.

"I'm just very glad that Lucas decided to visit Tyler instead of going off to some unknown destination. I was really worried he would do that. I'm glad the kids are doing okay despite all that has happened. I have a good feeling that they are going to be fine," Janet said, and Andrew gave her a nod.

"Definitely. We may not exactly be the best parents, but we did what we could, and I'm thankful to them that they turned out alright," Andrew said as he picked up the remote control and scrolled through the movie options on Netflix.

Despite her happiness with Lucas' decision, something else seemed to be nagging on the back of her mind, and she couldn't seem to place a finger on what it was. She tried to think about all that she had done that day and she paused when she recalled Lucy's phone call to her earlier that morning.

Her brows pulled together as she glanced at Andrew, "Did Lucy call you lately asking questions about Sara?" Janet asked, and Andrew turned to her with a curious look in his eyes.

"Why would she call me to ask about Sara all of a sudden? Did you tell her about Sara?" Andrew asked, and Janet shook her head.

"It's strange that she is asking that out of nowhere, right? She called earlier when you were out and she kept asking weird questions," Janet said, and Andrew narrowed his eyes.

"Do you think Sara might have contacted her? Perhaps she is trying to reach you through Lucy?" Andrew asked, but Janet shook her head once again.

"I don't think so. Lucy said she didn't," Janet said, and Andrew narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"What sort of questions did she ask?" Andrew asked, and Janet tried to recall all they had talked about.

"She wanted to know Sara's name, and she asked if Sara was married with kids, and if I've heard from her recently or if she is sick," Janet said, and Andrew sighed.

"We both know that Lucy is not the type to ask meaningless questions. Something must have prompted that. Perhaps we should..."

Before he could finish speaking, the doorbell rang, and they both turned to the door and their gaze moved to the wall clock before returning to each other.

Who could be at the door by that time of the night? It was past 9 PM already, "Are you expecting anyone?" Janet asked Andrew, and he shook his head.

"No. I take it you are not either. Then perhaps, it's one of the neighbors," Andrew said as he rose from his seat to see who was at the door.

"Who is there?" Andrew asked as he approached the door.

"It's Sara," Sara called from outside, and immediately Andrew's heart skipped a beat and he stopped in his track as he turned to look at Janet.

Janet who had been busy scrolling through the movie list, raised her head when she noticed that Andrew wasn't opening the door and he was standing on one spot, "What?" She asked, wondering why he was staring at her like he was in shock.

"I think you should get the door yourself. It's Sara," Andrew said, and immediately the calm and relaxed look disappeared from Janet's face as she got off the couch and marched to the door, while Andrew moved away from her path.

Janet swung the door open, and true to Andrew's words, Sara stood there proudly with her chin in the air as she smiled at Janet.

"Hello, Janet! It's been a while!" Sara said, and unable to control her anger, Janet raised her hands and before either Andrew or Sara could tell what she was thinking, she slapped Sara hard across the cheek.

"You must have some nerves to show your plastic face around my house," Janet hissed angrily, and Sara blinked at her in surprise as she looked around them to make sure no one had seen what had happened.

"What? Do you feel embarrassed?" Janet asked with an evil laughter, "My hand on your face will be the least of your problem if you don't disappear from my face this instant, you lowlife thief in expensive clothes!" Janet yelled, and Sara sighed as she straightened her spine.

"I thought we could have a reasonable conversation like two adults," Sara said and just as Janet raised her hand again to hit her, Andrew held her.

"Don't. She is not worth it. Let it go," Andrew advised.

Sara's gaze moved to Andrew who was standing behind Janet, "I'm not surprised you both got married. You both make a decent pair even though you could have done better," Sara said condescendingly.

"Watch it!" Andrew warned and Sara raised both hands defensively.

"That wasn't meant to be an insult. It's actually a compliment," Sara said, and this time Andrew stepped forward.

"What do you want here?" Andrew asked, and Sara shrugged.

"To talk and make peace. Let's have a decent conversation like adults," Sara suggested, and Janet shook her head.

"Talk and make peace? You don't sound like you came here for any of that," Andrew observed.

"I have nothing to say to you, and there is nothing you have to say that I'm willing to listen to," Janet said, and Sara's lips twitched.

"I won't be so sure about that if I were you," She said, suspecting that Janet didn't know about her meeting with Lucy.

"Quietly crawl back into whatever hole you came out from..."

"Funny that was the same thing your daughter said while we had brunch earlier. What was her name, Lucy? Lucinda Perry, isn't it? Did she tell you she had lunch with her aunty? I bet she didn't. Funny I didn't even know who she was until she introduced herself to me," Sara cut in with a cold smile, and Janet raised a brow.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, and Sara smiled as she shrugged.

"You see why I told you not to be so sure about that? Now you are interested in hearing what I have to say, aren't you? Can I come in? We should talk, don't you agree?" Sara asked, and both Andrew and Janet exchanged a look, but Janet shook her head.

As much as she was curious to find out what had transpired between Sara and Lucy, Sara wasn't the best person to hear it from. Sara was a liar and she couldn't believe any word from her. She was just going to hear it from Lucy instead.

"No, I don't agree. You are bad news, Sara. I don't want you inside my house. I don't care about what you discussed with Lucy, what matters is that she saw you for what you are," Janet said, and Sara sighed.

"That is fair considering what I did. But can you at least hear me out? I won't bother you again after now," Sara promised.

"Because I don't want you pestering me or my family again, I will hear you out, that way my husband and I can return to what we were doing inside before you interrupted us," Janet said, and Sara tried not to roll her eyes.

"How about we go out then? Maybe sit at a cafe or a restaurant?" She offered, but Janet shook her head.

"No. I'm not spending that much time with you. Besides, I don't want to be seen anywhere with someone like you. Aren't you worried that people might find out we are related and you aren't really an orphan as you claim?" Janet asked, and Sara smiled.

"I see you still care about me irrespective of your anger. I've missed you, Janey. I'm sorry I left the way I did," Sara said, and Janet shook her head.

"Care about you? You must have hit your head somewhere on your way here. Let me tell you something, the only reason I didn't expose you is because mom made me promise not to expose you, not because I care about you. Do you really think I am gullible enough to buy the bullshit you came here to sell? After thirty years you suddenly realize that what you did was wrong?" Janet asked, and Sara gave her a nod.

"I understand this might be difficult for you to believe and understand, but it is the truth. I'm sick, Janey. I'm dying. As my last days are approaching I have come to realize the futility of life. How meaningless and empty life is without family. I have everything money can buy but I have no one aside a bunch of strangers serving me. All I want is to spend my last days with you. With my family. I need your forgiveness. I want to also pay back the money I stole from dad. I will pay it back in ten folds to make up for all the trouble," Sara said as she opened her purse and took out a cheque note which she handed to Janet.

"I already stopped by the cemetery to apologize to dad and mom. I really want to make amends. I need to be able to face dad and mom when I meet them after I die," Sara said with a sniffle as she raised her handkerchief to her eyes to wipe her nonexistent tears.

Watching Sara's act, Janet suddenly burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, and Sara blinked at her in confusion.

Janet shook her head, "Your acting seems to have gotten better. You seem to have forgotten something, Sara, and it makes me wonder if the plastic surgeries affected your brain. I know you better than anyone else. You are my twin sister, remember? I know just how evil, deceptive, and cunning you are. You can't deceive me. I can always see through you and I know when you are telling lies. Did you really think this miserable cheque was enough to settle everything and make things right between us? What a joke!" Janet hissed as she tore the cheque in two, surprising Sara.

"There is nothing I wish more than for you to die a slow, painful, and lonely death. I wish that you experience in ten folds the pain you caused our family. You don't even deserve to have a dog by your side when you die, you vile creature," Janet cursed, and spat in front of her before walking into the house and shutting the door in Sara's stunned face.

Janet was the nice, sweet and forgiving one. What changed? Sara thought with a sigh as she stared at the door not knowing what to do now. She had hoped to at least win Janet over.

Now that her plan was ruined and both Janet and Harry were no longer part of her options, her last hope was her daughter. She hoped her daughter was alive, and they would be able to find her soon.

She would do whatever it would take to win her daughter over, even if it meant bequeathing her entire property to her, not that she had any plans of dying soon.