CHAPTER 154: A WOMAN'S WEAPON
The four women sat together in the parlour, thinking hard about how to hatch their next plan.
"Roberta, what do we do now?" Jasmine asked, exasperated.
So far, Roberta seemed to be the leader of their new conspiracy group. Being the eldest among the sisters, and with the way she held all the cards, it only made sense.
Roberta exhaled slowly and pulled out her phone. She dialed a number and waited.
"Yes, hello. How's it going?"
The person on the other end laughed snidely. "I still have everything under control. Nothing he does passes me by. I know his every move and I'll be making my own move soon. So you can rest assured."
Roberta smiled and shook her head slightly. "I'll leave it to you then. Make me proud."
"Of course, my love," the person responded smoothly.
The person she was talking to was none other than Timothy Hutchkins.
"So… when am I seeing you again?" Timothy asked, his voice lowered.
Roberta blushed like a schoolgirl and responded in a small voice. "Soon, I hope. Just text me, and I'll deliver."
Timothy smiled, obviously satisfied, and ended the call.
The sisters all looked at her expectantly, especially curious at the way she was smiling to herself. It was Jessica who finally asked, "So… are we expecting good news?"
"Yes, we are. Very soon." Roberta answered confidently.
"But in the meantime, we can't sit on our hands and do nothing," Margauex chimed in.
"Well, Jasmine, I think it's time you called Cassandra," Roberta said. "She needs to start using whatever tricks she has left."
"Hold on," Belle suddenly cut in, surprised. "Did you just say Cassandra?"
"My dear daughter," Jasmine sighed. "There's a lot that has happened, things you have no idea about."
Jasmine then quickly explained to her daughter everything that had happened between them and Cassandra up until this moment.
Belle looked at her mother and aunties in disbelief.
"Aunties… I can't believe y'all would do this to me. Is it that I'm not as capable as Casy?"
"Nonsense," Jessica said, patting Belle's hand gently since she sat close. "Is it not better for an outsider to do the dirty work? That way, when something backfires, it lands on them and not us."
Belle paused, her mind ticking. Then she smiled and shook her head.
"Well, Mom, when you call her, make sure you rope me into the plan," Belle said with a shrug. "Even if I don't take part, I wouldn't mind enjoying the show from the sidelines."
Jasmine nodded and quickly reached for her phone.
"Hello Aunty Jas," Cassandra called out sweetly from the other end of the line.
Belle smirked at the way she addressed her mother.
"Casi, sweet girl! How are you doing?" Jasmine responded warmly.
"I'm doing alright, ma."
"Well, no time to waste, what move have you made against Diana?" Jasmine asked, cutting straight to the point.
"Well, I've already made the first move," Cassandra said, her voice holding a teasing lilt. "The next one will be more... drastic."
"Then don't stand on ceremony. Tell me already," Jasmine said, her curiosity piqued.
"Well, in a few weeks, she'll start putting together decorations for her big and elaborate party. I plan to make my move during that time while she's distracted with all the fuss. You know, Aunty," Cassandra chuckled, "that bitch loves doing things herself. I can't wait to watch her so-called perfect plan crumble."
Jasmine laughed out loud and shook her head vigorously. "Who knew you could come up with such an intelligent plan, Casy?"
"Thank you, Aunty!" Cassandra replied brightly from the other end.
Jasmine smiled, then ended the call, giving the women in the room a firm thumbs-up. "The plan is well underway."
Unknown to them, James stood silently, watching the women as they talked and schemed. He couldn't hear what was being said over the phone, but he didn't need to—not yet.
He'd keep watching.
They would reveal everything soon enough.
**************************************
Present Day
Back at the Higgins household, Belle sat with her mother Jasmine in the living room. After the humiliation she had suffered at the shopping mall that day, she had rushed straight home to her mother, leaving her so-called boyfriend behind. Of course, Jasmine had been beyond furious. She had hurled every kind of insult at Diana and James, and immediately began trying to fast-track her plans to destroy them.
Now, as Belle sat in frustration beside her mother, she fumed openly.
"Mom, it's been close to a week now and nothing! We haven't even heard a whisper that something bad has happened to Diana yet. Are you sure Cassandra is really that capable? Because if her plan is so solid, then why hasn't it worked already?"
Jasmine raised her eyes from the book she was reading and shot her daughter a hard stare.
"Belle, you'll have to learn to be patient!" she snapped. "I've told you Cassandra's plan is solid. We just have to trust her."
Belle scoffed and folded her arms. "Well then, why won't you at least tell me what the plan is?"
"Because you have a big mouth, Belle," Jasmine berated sharply.
"And who would I even tell, Mom?"
"I don't know for you," Jasmine hissed. "You might just see Diana on the road and because you hate her so much, you'll either spill the whole plan or hint to her indirectly that she's being plotted against."
"Well, that's actually true," James muttered dryly from behind the curtains as he continued watching the scene unfold.
Belle's tone turned sharp. "So that's it, right? That's why you don't plan anything with me? You've chosen your sisters and Cassandra over your own daughter?"
Jasmine threw the book aside, frustration etched in her face. "Don't be unreasonable, Belle. Every single plan I've made has been for your sake! You should be more grateful instead of fighting me."
"Why should I be grateful, Mom?" Belle yelled, standing up. "You gave birth to me, yes, but you've always made me feel like I'm secondhand goods."
Jasmine let out a bitter laugh. "Well, pray to the gods then, Belle. Pray that they bless you with half of my brain and sharpness. Honestly, I always knew I never should've married your father. That man was useless to the core. Thank God I left him before he dragged me down further."
Belle stood frozen for a moment, stunned.
"Wow, Mom. Just wow," she said, her voice low with disbelief. "You just keep getting better and better at spewing nonsense. So this is your response to how you've treated me all my life? And you think you're living a better life now since leaving my dad? No, you're more miserable than ever!"
Jasmine was too stunned to speak as her daughter stormed out of the house.
Belle got into her car, her hands trembling as she turned the ignition. She didn't know where she was going, she just drove, her eyes wet with tears, her throat raw from screaming her frustration into the emptiness around her.