Sequel: Glass
Status: Complete

Pieces

Twenty-Two

Zack was pissed. He was upset that I wouldn't tell him the entire story. I simply told him that Amber called because she saw pictures of us on the internet, proving we were a couple. I told him she just called to bitch at me about it, but he wouldn't buy it. He knew there was something worse as he saw how frustrated I was. He walked out of his office when I was in the middle of screaming into the pillow. He knew something was wrong.

Despite being angry, he continued to hold my hand as we sat at Chief Andrews desk. He was being as comforting as he could, even though he was catching on to what was happening. He knew I was hiding something, "So Craig is your ex-boyfriend and all of these marks are from him?" Andrews questioned and I nodded.

"Do you mind telling me the entire story, Violet? From start to finish. It'll help me get a better read on how hostile Craig really is towards you," He stated and I nodded and turned to Zack.

"Babe, you don't have to tell this alone," He said softly and I shook my head.

"Zack, please," I begged and he cursed under his breath, standing up before angrily walking out the door.

"Violet, this sounds like a delicate situation. I'm trying to understand why you're not so open towards Zack," Andrews told me and I sighed.

"I... I'm a changed person, Chief," I told him, "I wasn't always nice, I guess. What happened between Craig and I gave me this reputation, and I don't want Zack to think I'm still that girl."

He nodded, "So, what's the story?"

"I started my relationship with Craig my senior year. Back then all I wanted to do was party and find a guy who was stupid enough to buy me drinks and maybe a fancy dinner. I didn't have a conscience. I just did things to benefit myself.

"So I met Craig, and I convinced him that I wanted a relationship with him. He gave me everything I wanted. I didn't necessarily want love from Craig, but I liked that he had money. With him, the world was entirely different. Nothing was off limits.

"I swear, Officer, that at one point I did believe Craig and I were in love. But my love for his money was greater. So I began to go off on my own, trying to find another man to catch when I got bored of Craig. He was insanely jealous though, and that's how the beatings began."

"It was his form of punishing you?" He questioned and I nodded.

"To scare me into never leaving. Eventually, he asked me to marry him and I agreed. I knew if I married him then I'd have his fortune forever, but things only got worse. His family hated me because they knew I was nothing but a gold-digging whore," I felt the tears fill my eyes, "And they tried to break us up.

"I couldn't let that happen, so I continued to convince Craig I loved him. But the abuse got worse. I was blacking out every night and he was having sex with me roughly, even when I told him not to. It was horrible. Even with all the money, I knew I wasn't happy. I realized it wasn't worth it, and I realized what a monster I was."

"What lead you to run away, Violet?" He asked softly.

"A couple days before graduation, Craig was wanting sex every night. It was rough and it hurt. He'd keep me up in his penthouse all day and made me wait for him to get home. One day, he came home and he had very expensive lingerie. He ordered me to put it on, and I listened. I was terrified of doing anything else. I couldn't run.

"He asked me to model, and I did. He said if I did, then he would be gentle with me. He lied," I scoffed, "And not only did he have naked pictures of me, but he took rough to a whole new level.

"I was desperate for help. So I asked my friend Samantha for help. I told her what happened. In the past I was rude to her, because I thought she was jealous of my relationship with Craig. But she was all I had left, and I didn't want my mom to know. She asked to see the pictures for proof. Well, she ended up sending them to herself and posting them on Facebook for revenge.

"It spread like wildfire," I sobbed, "I was the Vegas slut. Even strippers had a better reputation than me. Craig was furious, even though I tried to tell him it wasn't my fault. His family was threatening to cut him off. So he beat me like he never had before. He told me we had to get married in order to fix this, so it would look like we were actually a happy couple.

"I couldn't do it. So one night at one of the clubs, I made an escape. A couple people helped me sneak away from Craig and I got on a plane to San Francisco using Craig's money. I paid for my tuition for an art school and started a new life, covering up my tracks. Craig had no idea where I was.

"Because I disappeared suddenly, his business partners saw it unprofessional. His investors started to pull out their shares and the family almost went bankrupt because of me. Eventually, they gained it back, but Craig never forgot. I was the one to ruin everything."

He took the information in, thinking through my story before he sighed, "And now you're afraid, because Zack has money and you work for him, that he'll think you're just going to do that same thing to him," He assumed and I nodded.

"I can't lose him," I sobbed and he looked at me sadly.

"I can work on getting the restraining order, but it won't be easy with your reputation. You have to understand that you look like the bad guy, here," He said and I understood. I was the bad guy.

"Thank you," I whispered and he nodded respectfully.

"Violet, do you mind if I give you my opinion?" He asked and I nodded, allowing him to, "The way you explained it to me... I understand. And if I can understand, then Zack will. If you keep up these secrets, it'll only make you look more guilty when he does find out. Trust me, eventually he'll want to know everything. He can only handle so many secrets."

"I know," I whispered.

"Well, I can only offer you that. I can't make you do anything you don't want to do. Thank you for coming in, Miss Kennedy. I'm going to try to make this happen," He shut a file folder and stood.

"Thank you so much," I smiled.

-

Las Vegas Tribune
The Violet Kennedy Scandal Revealed

Matt looked at the article in front of him, illuminating the room. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if he really wanted to know what this scandal was. A part of him wanted to just close his computer and never look at it again, but another part of him knew he had to keep Val safe.

Every Las Vegas resident knows the name Violet Kennedy, but not the story surrounding the notorious teen. Last week the talk of the town was Kennedy's departure from Vegas, leaving Sin City behind permanently. Everyone knew about her controversial relationship with millionaire, Craig Stevenson. With all of the scandal that's happened in the past week, it's time for answers.

Kennedy was eighteen when she met Craig, just starting her senior year in high school. Excited to finally be in her last year, the teen headed out for a night on the town with her fake ID and a few friends. She found herself in Stevenson's most popular club, Vanity, where she was caught red-handed drinking underage. This is how she came to meet Craig Stevenson. In his security office where they met, the story goes that to get out of punishment with the law, Kennedy seduced Craig into letting her go.

This started the toxic relationship that would eventually nearly ruin the Stevenson family name. After one night with him, Kennedy continued to seduce Stevenson into taking her out on the town and buying her everything she could want. "She was using him. She was a gold-digger who only want him for his money, and she almost broke him", Stephanie Stevenson told our reporter. According to Stephanie, Craig was so blinded by her seduction and lust, that he believed they were really in love.

Their relationship went public, and Kennedy was the most envied woman in all of Vegas. She got everything she asked for in a matter of weeks. Soon, she would be living in the most expensive penthouse in the entire city, shopping everyday, and would be seen on Craig's arm every night. Their relationship was completely publicized when Stevenson announced their engagement. Many people cringed at their nearly ten-year age difference. But Craig assured any negative viewers that they were in love, and were happy. So happy that he agreed to a marriage without a prenuptial document to protect his fortune.

It would all come to an end when pictures of Violet Kennedy were leaked onto the popular website Facebook. The pictures spread all over Vegas, bringing high embarrassment to the Stevenson family. The family denied having to do anything with the pictures, implying that Kennedy had been seeing another man. "Craig was never like that with her. He was sweet and caring. He would never make her model in such a provocative and trashy way," Stephanie told us.

People would also learn that on top of seeing a new mysterious man, who remains anonymous to this day, that Violet's expenditures added up to nearly six million dollars. Within their short ten-month relationship, Stephanie claims that Craig spent six-million buying her everything she asked for. As news spread fast, Kennedy's reputation went downhill.

Last week, embarrassed from the scandal, Kennedy left without any word to Craig or the rest of the Stevenson family. "That crushed him the most. He wanted to try and work things out still, and she ran because she wouldn't get what she wanted. It just proves that she doesn't have heart. She's never cared about anyone other than herself. She'll do what ever it takes to get what she wants, and she doesn't care who she hurts along the way" Stephanie stated about Kennedy.

The current whereabouts of Violet Kennedy are unknown. The family, including Craig, have had no contact with her. Rumors claim she ran off to California, but nothing has been confirmed. But we can assume that Violet Kennedy will never return to Sin City ever again.


"Holy fuck," Matt finished reading. His eyes scanned the page before he clicked on another link, revealing the seductive photos of Violet.

He felt betrayed as he look at at the girl in the pictures. This girl was completely different that the girl he knew. Violet stared up at him, a lust-filled look in her eyes. He couldn't believe this was the same innocent girl he knew, dressed in expensive lingerie. This was a girl who hates clubs and rarely even drank. Yet here she was, a temptress in disguise.

The first thing Matt felt was anger. Complete utter anger towards her. How could she put his family in danger? How could she continue this lie, not caring that his wife was approached by Craig?

And Zack? Matt suddenly realized. Violet works for Zack. She practically controls Vengeance University when Zack isn't looking. She had all of his assets in the palm of her hands, and he didn't even realize it. They trusted her.

"She's using him," He whispered and he felt his blood boil. Here she was, an innocent girl, pretending to be the victim. And now that she manipulated Zack into loving her, just like she had done to Craig, she would leave soon just like she did before. She would leave him crushed, and she didn't even care.

Matt wished he never knew the real Violet Kennedy.