Dark Illusion: A Psychological Thriller Novel Read Online Free Page B

she had stepped inside, striding
like a beauty queen, with her stiletto heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Click-click-click ,
to this day she could still hear clearly their hollow sound.
    Mandy had oozed confidence and
fake charm, admiring Kelly’s home and complimenting her great taste. Kelly
rolled her eyes inwardly: she couldn’t care less what this little brat thought
of her decorating skills.
      Then Mandy had turned to
Kelly and thanked her for making her dream come true. “I don’t know what I
would have done if I had to spend yet another year working a desk job ,”
she’d spat out the last two words with disdain, oblivious to Kelly’s tense
expression. She had worked her butt off to become Editor in Chief. That was her
dream. But to Mandy it was nothing more than a springboard for getting what she
really wanted. “In fact,” Mandy had continued, failing to notice her hostess
growing hostility, “the real reason I applied for a job in Inner Beauty was to
make connections in the fashion world and finally get my big break; I just
never imagined it would happen so fast!” Her flawless grin had slapped Kelly
right in the face. How could Mandy think that she could star on the cover of a
famous magazine without any effort or audition, just like that? Kelly
had felt her blood boiling and a storm raging inside of her. She had been so
furious at this conceited girl for thinking that she deserved everything thanks
to her looks alone.
    Kelly had wanted to change it.
    In a moment of unbridled fury,
Kelly had erupted in rage and shoved Mandy with more force than she realized
she possessed. Mandy’s head had hit the coffee table and she lost
consciousness. Kelly had panicked for a few long moments, not knowing what to
do, but then it dawned on her that she had a golden opportunity. She could
finally get back at all the beauties who had looked down on her for years and
barely acknowledged her existence. She could finally get back at her .
She was calling the shots now, and she would not be ignored, not by the likes
of her , starting with Mandy Sheldon.
    She dragged Mandy’s weakened body
down the stairs leading to the isolated basement, with her body taking a hard
blow on each step it pounded down. She had continued dragging her across the
dusty, wooden floor of the studio, the same place Mandy had believed so naively
she would perpetuate her beauty and start her new life as a model.
    That’s “pretty” ironic ,
she’d joked with herself as her eyes focused on the defenseless girl.
    Kelly had stopped once she stood
in front of the only mirror in the studio, a huge mirror reaching all the way
to the ceiling. She had begun to undress Mandy from her fancy clothes and
roughly wiped the makeup off her face.
    “What are you worth without all
of this, huh?” Kelly had asked the unconscious Mandy while yanking out her
hair. But that hadn’t been enough. Her fingers had been tickling and wishing
for more.
    She had begun to slowly scratch
Mandy’s delicate face, and relished hearing the fainted girl’s moans of pain.
Every time Mandy opened her eyes, Kelly had pounded her again until she blacked
out. Kelly hadn’t known how she was going to get out of this trouble, or even
if, but she didn’t really care. She knew she couldn’t let Mandy live, but she
hadn’t been sure that she would actually be able to kill her.
    Perhaps the dark creature
inside of her could.
    When Mandy had opened her eyes,
Kelly was standing in front of her with a gun. She had pointed the pistol at
Mandy with trembling, hesitating hands. Kelly felt the darkness overtaking her
yet again, but she couldn't fight it: “Do you want to live?” Kelly had asked,
her voice merely breaking. She’d almost wanted Mandy to say yes.
    Mandy had stared at her with a
surprised, yet still terrified, look. She had opened her mouth, but then her
eyes noticed her disfigured image in the mirror. She’d let out a shriek of pure
fear. Instead of replying, she had