51.2 EVERSON

PRESENT DAY

MAY 19, 2022

Sierra wrote me letters from August to October before she stopped. However, I have never replied to any of them. I went to the Meadow Woods Library after she mentioned it, which Archer also described in his account. Sierra was telling the truth. I spotted a bunch of adolescents hanging around there. I'm not sure why I warned those teens not to go there again. Maybe I just felt like they were invading the location that had been on television for months when Archer was discovered unconscious there, and ruining that place too. And also that location has something to do with Sierra's fake death. After that day, I considered doing something I had never thought I would.

I searched deeper about Meadow Woods Library and discovered the founder, but they were long gone, they never had children, and I couldn't identify any more relations. That library had been empty for decades, with no one in charge of it. I purchased the land title to secure my name in that location. I thought about restoring it and making it into an enchanted small house filled with books.

I remembered doing it for the woman who had caught my eye in class and later became a friend of mine. Her name is Annie, and she adored literature. We grew closer till she agreed to let me court her. I told Annie about my family history, my past, and my previous involvement with Archer and Sierra. I told her everything, flaws and all, because she deserved to know and I know how it feels to be lied to and I don't want her to feel it. 

Annie accepted me for who I was and who I am now. She never got mad at me when I wrote a book about Archer and Sierra. She allowed me to go on an interview because she knew how determined I was in telling the world the truth and how deceitful Archer and Sierra are. It wasn't about money; I just wanted to be brave and honest with the people for once. Annie and I are honest about our opinions and want to understand each other regardless of what we think. After five months of wooing her, she finally said "yes," and I felt like the happiest man in the world.

Sierra and Archer, on the other hand, never stopped bothering me, even after six months have passed. Archer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for three counts of attempted homicide against his ex-girlfriends, as well as the deaths of Kinsey and Maevis. After watching my interview, Kinsey's parents requested that the police examine Archer to see whether he had any involvement in their daughter's death. The process was quick since they were wealthy and paid more; the cops discovered Archer's DNA into Kinsey's body, and it was high evidence, even though Archer kept on denying that he killed his friend. Kinsey was shot, and her body was dismembered in the same way as the body previously known as Sierra. I can't help but feel terrible again. I was there that night before she disappeared and was found dead the next day, but I was unaware that Kinsey had gone into Meadow Woods Library as well; I believed that if only I had known, I could have done anything to save her.

To be honest, I never imagined Archer could conduct such awful atrocities, I know he's not mentally stable but I had never imagined he would go that far killing people. 

The unidentified body is currently being re-investigated too; they assume Leviticus' family murdered that person in order to conceal Sierra's death. There are still many unsolved questions in this sequence of atrocities, but one thing is certain: Archer Leviticus is responsible for his actions. He attempted to plead insanity, but the jurors refused. His father and brother will also face prison time for being his collaborators and giving threats to people. I also filed a complaint against Arthur when he compelled me to lie about my father's death; even though the accusation was minor, I persisted in pressing charges. Unfortunately for them, since the public, especially from Camden Town, rallied to stop their family from running communities in our country because of corruption, their whole wealth, net worth, and liabilities have been questioned and looked into.

After all those years of agony, I can finally breathe freely. Though I know that the Leviticus family will not stop until they make themselves clean, they will undoubtedly find openings to escape their wrongdoings even though their chances of doing that are very small. But now I put everything in the hands of fate, and I know that everything that happens has a reason. Even if this situation does not end this year, next year, or even in a few decades, I believe that the truth will always triumph and will most likely chase them away. I just know I'm getting close to the conclusion of this.

I sighed and put down my phone after re-reading Sierra's last email to me four weeks before Archer was sentenced to life in prison. I never replied to her again, but when I first read her message, I got chills all over my body. It felt as if I had jumped back in time to when I was so interested and desperate to learn the truth about her. I was about to transmit all of her emails to me to the police in order to speed up the search for her and also track where she is currently, but I recoiled and thought about it for a long time.

Six months have passed since I did the interview and published my book about them. And after those hectic schedules and fielding inquiries from skeptics, I finally realized that I needed to slow down. I'd lost track of time because I'd chosen to live with Sierra and Archer as my problems. I've exceeded myself, and Mom will be overjoyed if she sees me at peace with myself. So now I'm letting them go, since I had already done my part, which was to express the truth or my side of the story in public. I shouldn't care if people believe me or not, because I know the truth and have already fought for it.

I told myself that whether or not the police discovered the truth about Sierra's disappearance that night, I would accept it.

But then again, I received this last email from her. I won't deny that I was surprised to learn the truth, but I had expected it too. Archer has always been the bad guy, but I'll never deny that I thought it was Sierra at one point. 

I'm not sure where Sierra is coming from; her words are all over the place, but I feel like she's taking her own steps, and I didn't want to stop her because I could see she was intending to do something. Sierra is crafty and thinks beyond the box, as we all know. She must have expected me to approach her after sending me that email; she was probably simply baiting me or probably just wanted to let it all out. She's still a bit of a mystery to me.

But I'm closing my doors to her now. Archer is now in prison, and it is up to Sierra whether she would turn up and pursue charges against Archer. I just have a feeling that if I give her emails to the police or mess with her business again, there will be more chaos.

So now I'll let Sierra do what she's terrified of doing all by herself.

"Hey! I'm sorry for being late again." The first words Annie said to me when she got out of her car, I smiled at her and opened my arms to greet her with my embrace. She then rushed toward me and hugged me before looking at the newly renovated Meadow Woods Library.

I didn't modify its name, and I also didn't change much about its outside aspect. I simply made it cozier and styled it with a mix of traditional and modern elements. It's still wooden and brown on the inside, but I've added two rooms on the second floor, a balcony with a ladder to the rooftop, and a spiral staircase that goes from the backyard with a mini pool in it, and it now has trimmed and pampered gardens of plants everywhere, making it more beautiful and serene. And every room in the house has bookcases in an astoundingly gorgeous traditional style.

"I'll never grow weary of coming here." Annie smiled, her eyes twinkling as she looked at it. 

The lights on the hanging lamps outside are turned on. It's only six o'clock in the evening, and there are still a few people around. We made it public for the residents of Camden because Annie requested it. They are welcome to come and stay on the first floor, where we have set up a sort of cafe library in the meantime, while Annie is still deciding whether or not we should move in here and make it our home.

"And I'll never get tired of seeing you every day." I spoke softly into her ear. She scrunched up her nose and delicately nudged my arm. I chuckled and held her hand. 

We walked toward the library, where people had stopped reading to greet us. After the interview and after they watched it, plenty of people from Camden apologized to me for saying hurtful words to me before and for believing that I was the one who killed my own father. But I have forgiven them now.

Annie and I had a quick conversation with the people outside before heading to the backyard for our date.

It's only our ninth month anniversary, yet it already feels like a lifetime. When I'm with Annie, I experience a level of comfort and happiness that I've never felt with Sierra or any other woman that caught my eye.

Every month, we celebrate here. She prefers basic things, which is one of the reasons why I like her. She has a kind heart, is understanding, and is kind. We're both grown enough to understand each other when we're exhausted and can't get to each other since we're both busy with our vocations in life. But as much as possible, we never forget to have time together and alone time with ourselves.

Annie comes from a middle-class family. Her father is a journalist. She has two older siblings who work as doctors. Her family accepts me for who I am, which made me a lot happier and appreciated, and made me feel like I had found my new family in them.

I just love Annie so much and I couldn't ask for more than this.

After an hour of talking and hugging under the moon, we decided it was time to go home. The library is now closed. For the library, we employed three people. We're always out, so we really need someone to take charge of the library.

I kissed Annie on the cheek just before we got into her car; I took a taxi here because I knew she'd bring her car with her. She advised me to come here first because she had a business meeting earlier.

"I love you." After we closed our doors, I told her She flashed me her biggest grin before saying the same words.

"Everything is all right now, Everson." She reminded me yet again. I nodded at her, finally at ease after Archer was imprisoned today. It's like the perfect gift for our monthsary.

"It's—"

Our phones both chimed at the same time interrupting what I'm about to say, and just as I was about to start the car's engine. We both looked at each other and smiled sheepishly at the coincidence before Annie grabbed her phone.

"Oh my God..." Annie got my attention when she suddenly gasped. When I looked at Annie, her palm was now covering her mouth, as if she was so surprised by what she saw on her screen. "Did you also get it?"

"What?" I nonchalantly asked.

I grabbed my phone and saw that one of our friends had provided a link to a live video in our group chat. And they're all blasting us with shocking messages.

"There's finally a clue as to who Sierra McCarthy is... she was also the one who revealed herself." Annie expressed her disbelief.

My heart starts racing fast and loudly after hearing her say those words, and I feel like it is about to explode.

I completely lost it when I heard Sierra's voice over Annie's phone.

"I am the real Sierra McCarthy, and I am alive. If you’re going to ask whose body they found on the lake—I have no idea who she was."

My world seemed to stop from the time Sierra's live video ended.

It was indeed Sierra McCarthy. I lived with her and am familiar with every feature of her face, and there's no way I would forget her voice. But one thing's for sure: I have no idea what she's planning now.

"Her live video was watched by three hundred thousand people, and the police are now on the lookout for her! This is such good news!" Annie exclaimed, looking at me, and she now appeared excited and joyful. But the fact that I stayed unblinking caused her to stop and question my reaction.

"Why? Aren't you relieved that, after all these years, she finally showed up and proved that she's alive and is likely to give the police the truth?"

I took a big breath, put my phone in my pocket, looked ahead of us, and switched on the music.

"Babe?" Annie called me three times, but I just started driving and didn't say anything, and my mood deteriorated.

Sierra has a different plan. She will not simply do a live broadcast to expose herself; she is astute and I noticed how she loves making moves in perfect timing; if she truly wants to tell the truth about herself, she will go straight to the authorities. There's no reason for her to hide any longer; she's now safe from the Leviticus family, and the entire community knows who she is. I'm not sure why she's doing all of this, but I'm sure she's thinking ahead of us.