Karma's A Bitch​

Jillian winced as the light from the parted curtains shone on her face. Her skin was a pale as the white bedding that covered her. She wanted to turn away, but couldn't move. Her brain was clouded, and she had no idea what was going on, but she knew she was in pain. Something horrible was happening and she couldn't do anything to stop it.


Nicole released the fabric, closing the curtains and then crossed the room. She looked down at the still woman laying before her. To a stranger, there was no way they could have been sisters, let alone twins. Nicole stood tall, impeccably dressed in a black lace cocktail dress. Her auburn hair was perfectly styled into a chignon at the nape of her neck. The large diamond teardrop earrings twinkled, even in the muted light.


Her sister was a mere shadow of her former self. There was no color to her at all and her once glorious thick hair was dull, brittle and matted, from the weeks she had been in bed. Her lips were dry and cracked and looked like they would bleed at a moment's notice.


Carefully, Nicole filled the medicine dispenser with dark amber liquid. Reaching down, she lifted Jillian's head, causing her mouth to open in pain, and poured the liquid down her throat. Without a second thought, she dropped her sister's head back on the pillow.


“Dear, sweet Jillian, it's too bad you'll miss tonight's festivities. In fact, it's too bad you've missed out on the past few months. I have to say, I was able to move into your role quite easily. No one questioned Nicole's last minute European trip. In fact, no one has asked about her at all,” Nicole told her. “I suppose I should be upset, however that would mean that I actually cared about what others think. And we both know nothing could be further from the truth.”


She strolled around the room, not really looking at anything in particular. It was more of something to do while she filled Jillian in on the current events. “I truly expected Patrick to comment that something was different, but he hasn't. Not one word about the love of his life being a little different. Maybe it's because I keep him very, very happy.” Nicole turned to face Jillian. She wished her twin could see her tonight. There were only the two of them, since their parents were killed in a car accident. Everyone always adored innocent little Jillian. Nicole smiled and thought, 'if they only knew.'


“Did you want to know how much he likes it when I take my tongue and run it up his cock from balls to tip? Did you know that he makes this growling sound when I suck on his balls and then roll them around in my mouth? He acted surprised the first time I swallowed. Did you never do that? Honestly, what kind of woman doesn't swallow?


“Anyway, tonight is the night. Tonight, Patrick is going to ask Jillian to marry him,” she said with a laugh. “It helps when you make friends with his jeweler. He designed the ring himself. A three carat solitaire surrounded by two carats of smaller stones. I know it's not that large, but on our first anniversary, there will be a much bigger diamond.”


Jillian struggled to comprehend what she was being told. It made no sense. Patrick? Engagement? She allowed her consciousness to leave her.


Nicole briefly looked back before she left the attic room. “Good-bye Jillian. Rest in peace. Oh, I mean peacefully, of course.”


The night was everything Nicole had dreamed it would be. Patrick's parents were having a cocktail party at their large, ostentatious home. At exactly 9:30, Patrick led Nicole over to the fireplace, got down on one knee, professed his undying love for her and asked, “Jillian, will you spend the rest of your life with me, as my wife?”


After Patrick slipped his prized design on her finger, there was applause all around. As if from nowhere, the wait staff appeared with trays of champagne, and Patrick's father made the first of many toasts. The women ooh'd and ahh'd over what Nicole considered a mediocre ring, but she kept a smile fixed on her face. If Patrick's family thought they were going to take over her wedding, they had another think coming. She would arrange everything, and it was not going to take over a year to pull it off. She intended to be Mrs. Patrick Pendleton as soon as possible.


Patrick pulled her into his arms after everyone had gone home. “Come here, fiancee. Fiancee...I'm going to like calling you that, Jillian,” he said, kissing her on the neck. “I'm going to like a lot of things.” With that, he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to push her down onto her knees in front of him. Nicole twisted away from him.


“What in the hell do you think you're doing? Do you think I'm some kind of slut, paid to do as you wish? You've got another think coming if you expect to treat me like that, my friend. I am your fiancee, soon to be your wife. Just because you bought me a little bauble doesn't mean you own me.”


“Come on, Jillian,” Patrick pouted. “Don't be like that. You know how I like to be in your mouth. You haven't been shy before.”


Somehow the look on her face told him more than he than her words. “Good night, Patrick. I'll sleep in the guest room tonight.” There were no more words, only the sound of her heels clicking across the wood floor.


Nicole was having coffee in the breakfast room when Patrick and his mother came down in the morning. He placed a chaste kiss on Nicole's cheek and whispered, “You owe me.”


With a sniff, Nicole turned to speak to her future mother-in-law, Charlotte. “I'm not sure what kind of family traditions you may have when it comes to weddings, but I started making a list. I was hoping that since I don't have a mother, you would help me.”


“Why Jillian, I would love to help you. But, what about Nicole? Did you call her last night and tell her about the engagement?”


Nicole cringed. “I left her a voice mail. She hasn't been very responsive since she got to Europe. Honestly, she's my twin but I don't feel close to her anymore. You're my family, now.”


Charlotte smiled and reached for Nicole's hand. “Jillian, I've always wanted a daughter and I'm so pleased you want my help. So let's start with a date, shall we? Do you have any idea when you two would like to get married? Next Spring? Summer?”


“Patrick and I haven't talked about it, but we're madly in love and I can't see waiting a moment longer than we have to. I say as soon as your club has an available weekend.”


Patrick's jaw dropped and Charlotte looked shocked. “But Jillian, dear, weddings take at least a year to plan. My goodness, there is the engagement party, bridal showers, dresses to order, tastings and flowers. I … I just don't know if we can expedite this as fast as you would like.”


“Charlotte, I have complete faith in you. You are the premier hostess in this area. If anyone can help Patrick and me marry quickly, it will be you.”


It was that little compliment that set Charlotte's mind to get the ball rolling. While Patrick didn't really understand Jillian's need to marry so soon, he knew there was no stopping the train that the women were driving. When he took his new fiancee to her rented home Sunday night, he begged her to let him come in for a while. All Nicole could think about is what he might find in the dark attic bedroom.


“Patrick, really, not tonight. It's been a long weekend,” she said, moving closer and running her hands through his hair. “Can you give me a couple of days? Please, baby?”


She pulled his head down so she could capture his mouth, snaking her tongue inside and causing him to moan. He grew hard and Nicole could feel him push against her.


Stepping back, she moved away. “Good night, my love. I'll see you see you soon,” she said as she stepped inside the house and closed the door.


Nicole had been out of the house for two days, and fully expected to find Jillian dead. The room was completely quiet when she entered. In the dark, she listened for breathing and heard none. She moved closer to the bed and almost screamed when she heard her twin moan.


Damn it,' she thought. 'She should be gone by now!'


Nicole kicked the end of the bed and made a decision. “I don't have any time to waste on you, Jill! I've been more than patient, but I'm done!”


Nicole grabbed the bottle from the table, turned to Jillian, grabbed her hair and raised her head. Without a word, she attempted to pour the rest of the liquid down Jillian's throat. Nicole released her, as she coughed and sputtered, and then finally became quiet. Now, she just had to get her out of the house.


It was one o'clock in the morning when Nicole starting dragging Jillian down the two flights of steps and out to the garage. Getting her down the steps was the easy part. Hoisting her into the trunk took almost more strength than Nicole possessed. Thank goodness Jillian had lost so much weight, she resembled more of a corpse than a person. After she closed the trunk, Nicole got into the driver's seat, pressed the button to raise the garage door, backed the BMW out onto the street and drove off into the night.


“What to do...what to do,” Nicole said out loud. She continued driving, not knowing where to turn, but praying she would find the perfect place. It was approaching three o'clock when she finally turned off the street, into a vacant industrial area. It didn't look like anyone had been near here in a very long time.


The light from the car finally fell upon some old pallets. Nicole turned the car and then backed it in closer to the pile of wood. She cleared a spot, pulled her sister out of the trunk and then hid Jillian, stacking the pallets around her. Nicole stepped back, convinced no one would find her, until well after her death. Without hesitation, she jumped in the car and went home to sleep.


In the weeks that followed, Nicole followed the news closely, always searching for a story about the body of a woman being found. None ever appeared in print, so she allowed herself to get caught up in the excitement of the wedding. Although she and Jillian were left very well off after their parent's death, she breathed a huge sigh of relief that Patrick's parents insisted on paying for most of the wedding. He was their only child and his happiness was always their priority. Charlotte even insisted that they fly to New York see if they could find the perfect dress to bring back to California.


Charlotte's traditional taste ran headlong into Nicole's sense of high fashion. But, it's all about who you know and they were able to get a designer's sample gown that would have jaws dropping. The lining was flesh-toned, covered by lace placed strategically to look like it was the only thing covering her nude body. Charlotte was immediately on the phone to her tailor, ensuring alterations would be done before the wedding day.


Patrick didn't know what changed in Jillian, but she was more at ease and more loving. He found himself spending more nights at her house, than at his own. He felt his body relax as he exploded in her mouth for the second time. He trembled as she licked him clean and then crawled up his body, kissing and nibbling as she moved. He held her even closer when he tasted himself in her mouth. God, she could be such a slut.


He rolled onto his side, pulling her close and wrapping himself around her. “God, I love you, baby.”


“I love you, too, Patrick. I never dreamed I would be here with you.”


“What do you mean? We talked about this for the past year.”


Nicole paused, trying to think of a witty answer. “Oh you know, I mean how fast we've been able to put the wedding together. I thought it would be another year yet.”


“Well, in two weeks we'll be man and wife. Don't forget we have the appointment with the lawyer tomorrow.”


Nicole smiled. “We each have pre-nups to sign. Contracts we'll never need.”


“I know. Oh, and life insurance policies. We need to make sure that if anything happens to me, you'll be taken care of,” Patrick told her. “And me.”


The couple met with Patrick's attorney the next morning. He advised Nicole to take the contract and review it with her own lawyer, but she wouldn't hear of it. “You're the family lawyer. I'm going to be family, too. Why would I talk to someone else?”


The paper work was pretty cut and dry, so they were out of the office within an hour. The next appointment was at the insurance company. Nicole was surprised at the million dollar policies, but like Patrick said, it was to protect each other. In addition to the new life insurance, they reviewed their options for bundling insurance once they were married. They picked up their tickets for their cruise and then one last stop at the jeweler's to pick up their rings. Finally, everything was ready for the wedding.


Violins and a harp combined for a beautiful entrance to Clair de Lune. Nicole stood alone on the other side of the ballroom doors, waiting to make her entrance. Her gown hugged her curves and the cathedral veil flowed behind her as she made her way towards her groom. The soft fragrance from her cascading orchid bouquet made her feel at peace. This was the day she had longed for, the day she deserved. For a brief moment, she wondered if Jillian's body would ever be found, and then she smiled because she finally won. After their first kiss, Patrick and Nicole retreated to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, for an evening of dancing and celebration.


Nicole's fingernails raked down Patrick's back as he thrust deep inside her. His passion bordered on violence, but she didn't care. This was her husband and she would be the mother of his children, and heir to his family's fortune. She grabbed his ass and pulled him in deeper, waiting for the growl and the explosion that followed.


The next morning they boarded their flight to Athens and their Passage to India cruise. Their twenty-one day honeymoon trip encompassed six countries and nine ports, ending in Mumbai. It was a rare combination of art, food and history. Patrick's parents gifted them the trip which included the “Owner's Suite”, a multiple room suite which was larger than Nicole's first apartment. They were greeted by champagne, chocolates and flowers, along with card from his parents, wishing them a magical honeymoon.


Nicole was astonished at not only the luxury in which they traveled, but each port of call, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, brought adventures she could never have imagined. This was her life now, and she took complete advantage of everything possible, not realizing how demanding she was becoming. In each city, Nicole insisted Patrick buy her a piece of jewelry to remember their trip. Before they had reached Mumbai, she had already requested a gold and ruby necklace. After all, it was the least he could do for his bride.


The last night on the ship, his wife refused him. “All I am is a body to you, Patrick! Well, guess what, go find another whore tonight!” She turned, ran into the bedroom and slammed the door.


'No,' thought Patrick. 'This is unacceptable. What the hell has happened to Jillian? No. Never again.'


When Nicole finally got up the next morning, Patrick was no where to be found. Their last day on the ship and he had apparently gone to shore. She was seething with anger when he finally came back to the suite.


“Where have you been?” she demanded. “We were supposed to tour Mumbai! Tomorrow we leave the ship and you go off on your own? Well? Well? What do you have to say?”


Patrick slowly slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet pouch. Nicole's eyes widened when he poured the contents out onto his hand. It was the most stunning ruby necklace she had ever seen.


Nicole threw herself into his arms, covering his face with kisses, sliding down his body, and pulling his zipper down as she did. She knew it wouldn't take long...it never did. Easing his cock out, she moved her lips down his length and began to suck. She kept her eyes shut, so he wouldn't see her rolling them. It also meant she couldn't see the look on his face. It was not that of a loving husband enjoying his wife's efforts. It was a look of hatred as he grabbed the sides of her head and forced himself down her throat until she gagged.


In and out he pushed as deep as he could against her struggles. Her eyes were now wide open, tears pouring down her cheeks and a look of real fear on her face. Patrick didn't care. He was relentless until he felt the boiling in his balls. He pulled out, grabbed the top of her hair, and let his cum spray all over her face. 'That's what I do to a whore,' he thought. When he was finished, he pushed her until she fell on the floor. Now it was he who turned, went into the bedroom, and slammed the door. That was just the first of the surprises he had in store for Jillian.


They didn't see each other the rest of the day. It wasn't until late in the afternoon when they happened to be in their lounge at the same time. Patrick went over to her and tenderly pulled her into his arms.


“I'm so sorry,” he whispered. “I don't know what came over me. I promise you, that will never happen again.”


Nicole sighed and let him hold her. Right now, she was afraid of him. She hoped that would pass and her anger would kick in. But at this moment, she didn't want to upset him. She buried her head in his neck.


“I love you, Patrick. Please let's never fight again.”


“Don't worry. We never will.”


Later, they left the ship to have dinner in the city. Tomorrow they were supposed to fly back to the states, so Patrick wanted to make Jillian's last night one he would always remember. Jillian looked wonderful in red cocktail dress and the gold and ruby necklace hugging her throat. Exiting the restaurant, he suggested they walk a bit to settle their dinner. Trying to avoid an argument, Nicole agreed.


She clung to his arm and struggled to keep up with his long strides. She didn't understand his need to walk the streets of a strange city. How could he possibly know where he was going? Shops were darkened and closed. The only signs of life came from the occasional restaurant or club, but still he walked on.


Nicole never saw it coming. Hands reached out of no where and grabbed her. She tried to scream, but cloth had been shoved into her mouth. She desperately looked at Patrick, who seemed to just watch the happenings. She was dragged away, down an alley. They found her body the next morning, brutally raped, mutilated and very, very dead.


Patrick sat in the police chief's office for hours the next day. They met him at the hospital, where he was treated for minor stab wounds and bruising. He explained that he had taken his bride for dinner at one of the finest restaurants. They were celebrating the end of their honeymoon and their new life together. He had even bought her a very expensive necklace for that night. Patrick told them he didn't know what became of his wife, until they showed him pictures. He bowed his head and appeared to weep. Appeared. He should have taken acting lessons.


If you're stupid enough to trust a stranger in a strange country, you're just plain stupid. Within twenty-four hours, one of the people involved in the attack was caught with Jillian's credit card. In no time he told them of Patrick's plan to kill his wife and the five thousand dollars that was split among five people. In the slums of India, that kind of money isn't even something that comes to you in a dream. And now, not all the money in the world could buy Patrick out of that prison.


After many months, the sentence came down...life in prison for everyone. Patrick would end up praying for death. His parents are still fighting to have him transferred to an American prison. So far, the officials in India are not considering their request very seriously.


In a lawyer's office back in the states, a frail, young woman sat quietly, waiting to hear if the courts had decided in her favor. The secretary came out and ushered her back to the attorney's office, got her seated and brought a cup of tea. With shaking hands she tried to drink the warm liquid.


“Well, good afternoon. How are you today? Ready to hear about the outcome?” She jumped as Mr. Christian entered the room. She looked up at him, still silent, but hope filling her eyes.


“I'm very pleased to tell you that the courts have accepted the proof you provided, not only in your testimony, but the DNA tests. You are, without a doubt, who you claim to be. That being said, you are the sole heir to your sister's estate. You have both my congratulations, and of course, my condolences. I'll be working with the Pendleton family attorney to transfer those funds to you.”


A soft sob escaped, as she buried her head in her hands. So many things lost. Her life, the way she knew it, her love, her sister...everything she had known and loved was gone. She wasn't sure where she would go or what she would do first. But she knew she had only one goal. Jillian was going to live.

 

Wow "What comes around goes around" to the max.I enjoyed this story and the many places it took me to.The characters were well developed and the story flowed throughout. Thanks for your submission.

 

What an intricate story-line. Very impressive. There was a slightly similar real-life story which occurred a few years ago - a doctor from Bristol went to South Africa on honeymoon with his new bride, they were 'mugged' and she was killed. The police however thought he had arranged it all, and he was eventually exradited from the UK to SA to face charges, but was eventually cleared.

 

I think the story was well written, but I really didn't like the characters. That's a big problem with writing from the criminal's point of view, especially one as psychopathic as Nicole. She was unpleasant, but so was Patrick, so I didn't feel one way or the other when he had her killed.

I did think Jillian was going to come back to haunt her, as she didn't seem to have any plan to dispose of the body, or even to kill her properly. I did wonder if Jillian was going to turn up dead in Europe as Nicole's body, but nothing so sophisticated.

 

Loved it

 

Okay, here's my take on this story. First the technical, then a review of the content.

Read the story out loud. It will help catch things that a spell checker will miss:

they were going to take over her wedding, they had another THINK coming (should be thing)

Her skin was A pal as the white bedding (should be as)

You've got another THINK coming if you expect to treat me (should be thing)

Somehow the look on her face told him more than HE THAN her words (should eliminate those words)

Other than the above, I think the story was technically pretty sound.

Now, from a content point-of-view, I really enjoyed this story. I thought the characters were good, especially how one turned from a protagonist to an antagonist. Good job there. I thought the story flowed well, it had a reasonable amount of dialogue, and the level of descriptive writing was perfect. I actually have no advice for this story because I thought it was a very good story. Maybe, maybe it would have been helpful to know what happened to the real Jillian during the time from being dumped to her revival in the story. I think I would have liked that. But otherwise, thoroughly enjoyable.

 

I thought the expression was "another think", as in, "if you think that, you have another think (thought) coming". Colloquial usage? The only reason I'm debating this is I also saw those phrases and questioned them, and then actually looked for their use in other writing. Another "thing" seems more grammatically correct, but I'm under the impression that the idiom is another "think".

It's a small point in an overall very good story. I'm a huge fan of the use of dialog v. narration, so the style of this entry worked well for me. Accurate title, too.

 

Very good story, I truly enjoyed it! The mistakes seemed to decrease towards the end of the story, like the author was sucked in just like I was! Or I just didn't notice any towards the end. Karma is a wonderful thing...oh the sex was good too.

 

Wow, very interesting and good story...would have liked to know more about Jillian....why her sister hated her so
But well written and a easy to follow. As far as "another think coming" also thought should have been thing
Lol Dad used that line all the time
Anyways, great story...thanks for your entry
Good luck!

 

Drunk guy responding here.

I have not read this story in it's entirety yet, but I have to jump in with this little pet peeve of mine. The original phrase has always been THINK. It is grammatically incorrect, but that is the point. This is one of those Americanisms that I will fight to the death to defend. Yes, it is bad English, but if you think I am going to back down, you have another THINK coming!

 

REALLY sorry we got off on that tangent, writer.

Anyway.

This was fun. The crime theme was amply met, but you wrote a mystery/thriller as well. This story is the first one I'm commenting on, since the word usage thing made me read through it carefully. Though none of the characters were completely developed or described, the urgency of the entire plot took care of any complaints a reader should have. There were enough twists in this, one of the shorter CAW 29 stories, to make it an entertaining read. Well done.

It may be too soon to talk about short lists, but then again, ...

 

Minimal errors were not distracting. I think the first scene set the tone for the story. I didn't like the characters, but isn't that the point? The author made me not like fictional characters. Crime and mystery. Well done.

 

If you think I didn't like it, you have another think coming. Musta been some Yankees or summat that ain't never heard good ol' Southern spoken.

Okay, that was fun. I liked the story. The good character was good, the bad characters were bad, good won. I thought it was well written, well thought out, and the language fit. So there, LOL.

 

No mistaking the crime here. Very short, but told the story. Couple of typos, but didn't hurt the story. Characters and dialogue were believable and the author told the story well. Karma certainly was a bitch.

 

As regards the grammatical debate flourishing here, it is most certainly "think" - "If you think that, you've got another think coming to you."

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/have_another_think_coming

There are a number of quotes in that article from books written between 1901 and 1984 which substantiate this. "Thing" seems to be a recent usage of the phrase, possibly due to this early 80's hit:



Anyway, apart from that this is another tale which is giving me a headache choosing my top three!

 

I stand corrected. Well, sit corrected.

See, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

 

Because everything you read on the internet is true!

It is entirely possible that you could also find tomes with the other usage. It's fun to debate it though.

 

At the risk of running the discussion into the ground, read this from Grammerist:

Another think coming

Another think coming is the original form of the colloquial phrase aimed at someone who has a mistaken view. It comes from the old comical expression, If that’s what you think, you’ve got another think coming.

Because think in the second part of the expression is (intentionally) ungrammatical, some people hear another thing coming and repeat it as such. Plus, another thing coming usually makes literal sense, so it’s now more common than another think coming.

The exact origins of another think coming are mysterious, but it appears to be an Americanism, and it does predate another thing coming in the sense expressing disagreement. It goes back at least a century.
​

We now return you to your regularly scheduled adoration of a great story.

​

 

There's a tool to analyze that, Google's Ngram viewer. By the looks of the plot, the song is coincidental.

 

Wow, all this debate about a word when we just thought it was a pretty good story.