“The time has come to deal with this bitch. Julian should’ve been mine, but oh no, she just had to take him from me. She already one guy who wanted her, but that still wasn’t good enough. She needed them both.” Rebecca sneered as she stared at the mirror in front of her.

Tomorrow afternoon while Julian, Eve and the children were away, she was going to break into their home and set her plan in motion. At the end of the week, Eve and her children would be as good as dead and then Julian would be all hers.

Carlo was lying down in bed looking over at the picture he had of Eve. He traced the outline of her face through the frame before picking it up and bringing it to his chest. He closed his eyes and sighed. He was tired of not having her by his side, in his bed. He wanted, no…needed her now. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew that he was going to have her soon.

The following morning just as Eve said she would, she told Julian of her encounter with Carlo in her office. To say that Julian was furious was an understatement; he was downright pissed! Never before had he met someone as determined as Carlo was when it came to Eve. His determination even put TC to shame.

“So what time will you be home later baby?” Julian asked Eve as he buckled William in his car seat.

“I get off early today. I should be home at four.”

“Great, I’ll see you then.” Julian kissed Eve on the lips then walked over to his car.

Once Julian and Eve were gone, Rebecca, who was hiding on the other side of the garage, looked both ways before walking over to the side door. Reaching into the dark bag she brought, she pulled out her lock pick set and jimmied the lock on the door. After she was finished, she opened the door and walked inside.

Closing the door behind her, she took a few steps and surveyed the area. Walking over to the doorway, she turned the corner to the right and began looking for bedrooms. She stopped in front of the first room she came across to the left; it was William’s. Carefully, she sat her bag down, opened it up and pulled out this little vial. She walked over to the dresser and picked up his bottle of lotion. Opening it up, she slowly poured the contents of the vial into the lotion and mixed it up. After doing that, she walked over to her bag, picked it up and then walked over to the room across from it. That room was Kellen’s. Entering his room, she did the exact same thing to his lotion before she finally entered Eve and Julian’s bedroom. And just as she did with William and Kellen’s lotion, she did the same to Eve’s, but made sure to add a double dose.

“Well bitch, you’re time is up and so are those bastard kids of yours too.” Rebecca smirked when pure evil written all over her face.

Four o’clock rolled around so fast that Eve was stunned. Carefully she got out of the car and opened the back door to get William out of his car seat. Once he was out, she motioned for him to stand right next to her while she got Kellen out of his. Afterwards, she walked over to the side door with Kellen sleeping in her arms and let William in. Inside, William followed Eve as she lay Kellen down in bassinet and then left the room.

“Mommy?”

“Yes honey…” Eve said as she looked down at William.

“Juice.”

“So you’re thirsty huh?”

William nodded his head.

“Well then handsome, to the kitchen we go.” She smiled as picked him up and headed to the kitchen to get that juice.

A few minutes later, Julian pulled up in the driveway. Getting out of his car, a smile crept up on his face. ‘God it was good to go back to work.’ He chimed. Walking over to the side door and opening it, he noticed William standing next to the refrigerator and Eve bending over inside of it. Julian rubbed his hands together and smirked lustfully.

William turned around when he heard the side door open and saw is daddy standing in the doorway. Julian motioned for William to come over by him and when he did, he whispered into his little ear. After Julian finished, he watched as William walked out of the kitchen and headed for the living room. Julian knew bribing a two-year-old kid was wrong, but what kid two-year-old kid in their right mind would say no to candy? Julian just had to make sure that whenever a stranger offered him candy that he said no.

Eve was still busy in the refrigerator looking for that apple juice when she felt a pair of hands on her hips. She jumped up as fast as she could then spun around only to collide into the chest of a man. Before she could even react, his lips were on hers. Instantly she tensed up and just as she about to fight them off of her, she felt their hands gently circle her back and she knew who it was. Pulling away slowly, Eve looked up and noticed Julian looking at her smugly.

“Surprise.”

“You nearly gave me a heart attack.” She popped him on his arm hard. “You really shouldn’t scare a person like that. Besides, where is William?”

“I sent him in the living room to watch TV. And I’m sorry for sneaking up on you like that.” He kissed her on the cheek.

“Alright, you’re forgiven.” She smiled.

Later on that night after dinner, Eve fed Kellen and placed him in his crib. She then walked over to William’s room and found him and Julian wrestling on the floor. As soon as William saw her, he ran over to her and jumped in her arms. Julian got up off the floor, walked over to them and kissed them both before heading to his room. Once he was gone, Eve took William to the bathroom and gave him a nice bath. Fifteen minutes later, she walked back in her room and got ready for her own bath.

Julian was sitting up on the bed reading over some papers when he noticed Eve walk into the room.

“You getting ready for your bath?” he asked as he put the papers away.

Eve nodded.

“You wouldn’t mind having any company would you?” He growled playfully at her.

“Not at all lover boy.” Eve smiled seductively.

At the end of the week, Julian took notice that something was wrong with Eve and the boys. Eve would complain about how her head was throbbing and how it felt like every muscle in her body was strained, she could barely get out of bed by Saturday night. And whatever was wrong with Eve, it looked like she passed it on to William. He could barely keep his food down and now Kellen was all cranky too. Julian didn’t like that one bit, so he decided that he was going to take the boys to the hospital in the morning.

The following morning, Julian got up early and got the boys ready. He then went back into the bedroom and sat down next to Eve.

“Julian…” Eve whimpered out.

“How are you feeling?” He asked her as he ran his hand through her damp her. She was sweating badly.

“Awful. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“C’mon, let me help you out of bed and take you to the hospital with boys.”

“It hurts to move.” She whined.

“I can’t let you stay here like this. William and Kellen I guess caught whatever it is you have. Now, I’m gonna help get you out of bed and then you’re coming with us to the hospital.”

“I’m not going.” She snapped.

“Eve…”

“Just take the boys to hospital and see what’s wrong with them, I’ll be fine.”

“No.”

“Just do it!” She snapped again.

Julian had never saw Eve act this way before. She couldn’t be scared of hospitals because she worked for one, so just what in the hell was going on?! He reluctantly stood up from the bed and walked over to the doorway.

“Eve…I’m gonna ask Ivy to stop by and check in on you, since you refuse to come with me and the boys. I don’t like leaving you here like this.”

“All I care about is the well-being of our boys Julian. Don’t worry about me, I’m sure it’s nothing but some kind of flu bug or something. All I need is more fluids and rest and I promise you that I’ll be fine.”

Julian walked back over to her, kissed her softly on the lips then left the room. Once Eve heard the side door close and the car pull out of the driveway, she slowly got up out of bed and walked into the bedroom.

She was one of the fewest people that rarely got sick and when she did, she hated it. Even as a little girl, whenever she got sick, she could act so stubborn. Being married to Julian these last two years, never once had she gotten sick. Standing in front of the medicine cabinet, she looked at her reflection closely. These last few days, she felt fatigued, she had trouble keeping her food down, her head was constantly aching and she felt depressed. Even with all of the symptoms she was having, she couldn’t diagnose what was wrong with her.

Carlo stood in front of the Crane home just staring at it. When he arrived, he watched as Julian drove off with the children and then it dawned on him that Eve was home alone. He decided that now was his chance to get Eve away from Julian. He was tired of trying to get her to leave Julian; he was tired of her rejecting him. He was now going to take her with him today whether she liked it or not.

Walking around to the side door, Carlo decided that he wasn’t even going to bother picking the lock. He pulled a cloth out from his back pocket, wrapped it around his hand and punched the glass out of the door.

Eve snapped her eyes away from the mirror as fast as she could when she heard what sounded like glass shattering from down the hall. Moving as fast as her aching body would allow her to, she reached her room door just in time to see Carlo appear in the doorway.

“Carlo?!”

“Eve, you’re coming with me…” he demanded.

“The hell I am!” She spat weakly then tried to close the door but before she could, he was already in front of her.

“I don’t care what you say, I love you and I want you! I need you with me now!” He said viciously as he grabbed her forcefully by her arms.

Eve whimpered in pain as his hands gripped her arms tightly. She tried to struggle out of his hold but as she did this, her vision suddenly blurred and blackness surrounded her.

Carlo finally took notice that Eve looked deathly pale as her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped forward in his arms. His eyes grew huge and he began to panic. Carefully, he lifted her up in his arms and hurried out of the house. In his haste to leave the house with Eve, he didn’t notice the blood trail he left behind from the cut on his hand.

Julian sat in the waiting room with his face in his hands as he waited for Dr. Samuels to return. He even forgot to call Ivy too. As soon as he arrived at the hospital, he rushed to the nurse’s station and asked for Dr. Samuels. When Dr. Samuels arrived, Julian explained to him all of the symptoms William and Kellen were experiencing. Dr. Samuels, having been a doctor for more then ten years, instantly became concerned. The symptoms that Julian was explaining to him sounded awfully similar to mercury poisoning, but he wasn’t absolutely sure. He then told Julian that as soon as he found out what was wrong with the boys, he would let him know.

That was two hours ago. Julian stood up from his seat and walked over to the window just as Dr. Samuels appeared.

“Mr. Crane.” Dr. Samuels called out.

Julian quickly ran over to him.

“So doc, what’s wrong with my boys?”

“Mr. Crane, when you first explained the symptoms to me that William and Kellen were having, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was mercury poisoning but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Now I am.”

“So what are you telling me?” Julian asked, panic evident in his voice.

“You’re boys have high traces of mercury in their system. It’s a good thing that you brought them here. Mercury is extremely dangerous for little children.”

“Oh my god.” Julian’s face turned deathly pale. “Eve.”

Dr. Samuels looked at Julian curiously.

“Has Eve been suffering the same symptoms?”

“Yes. Oh god, I have to get home now!”

“Mr. Crane!” He called out to him but Julian was long gone.

Julian ran back to the car, hoped in and drove home. On the way back home, he finally phoned Ivy and told her everything and that he needed for her to go to the hospital and stay with the boys until he returned with Eve.

As soon as he pulled up in the driveway, he noticed that the side door was jarred open. He jumped up out car, leaving the door open and ran inside to find Eve.

“Eve! Eve!” Julian frantically called out to her, but got no answer.

Now he really started freaking out. He looked in the living room, the dining room, all three bedrooms and still no Eve. He ran back into the kitchen and for the first time noticed big red drops on the floor by the door. As he moved closer to inspect the site by the door, he failed to realize someone standing behind him before it was too late as he was suddenly knocked to the floor unconscious.

“I’m sorry pookie, but I had to do it.”