And Ethan was living with a woman. Nel, her name was Nel. She used to do his hair. She was a doormat, absolutely worshipped the ground he walked on. Now, I understand his scenario a bit more than Sutton’s. I mean, who wants to be with someone like that? It has to be boring—vanilla pudding, vanilla ice cream, vanilla milk shake—all day, every day. You can’t really blame him for looking for something more, he’s a man, and Sutton is a temptress witch, and it’s easy to understand how she could pull him away from his life, his work, his world, without a second thought to the people she’d hurt if she did. She’s a home wrecker. Always has been. This isn’t the first family she’s broken up.

Ethan didn’t stand a chance against Sutton, and neither did that vanilla milk shake of a woman he was with. When Sutton burst onto the scene, Ethan forgot all about poor old Nel. Dumped her on the side of the road, put her clothes on the street at the end of the driveway. She came home, three days after his trip to Chicago, and found everything she owned on the street and the locks changed.

Come to think of it, Nel could have done it. Or Toby. He is perfectly capable of murder. I hear the breakup there didn’t go as smoothly. Toby threatened to kill Sutton. They shouted and screamed late into the night. The police were called. There will be records on file should you care to check.

Until now, have you even stopped for a single moment to consider the people they hurt? Thought about the betrayal and pain they’d felt? Who’s to say Nel and Toby didn’t meet for a drink one night and concoct a plan to take Ethan and Sutton down?

Would you blame him? Would you blame her?

I wouldn’t.

I understand the desire to see them both rotting in the ground perfectly.

Now, I have to get ready for my date. I bought new lingerie for the occasion. Red. I do like red.

I miss good old Ethan. He was fun.

And he’s going to enjoy tonight, whether he wants to or not.

I am going to enjoy it even more. Because everything I have worked for is happening.

Stupid Sutton. She has no idea what I’m capable of.

And neither does he.

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

AIN’T NO REST FOR THE WICKED

Franklin, Tennessee