Читать книгу Just Try to Stop Me - Gregg Olsen - Страница 22

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Brenda Nevins appeared on the screen. She’d adjusted her hair and makeup, possibly because there’d been some unkind remarks about her appearance in the comments section of her last YouTube posting. It was also possible that she’d flitted about the Internet and seen examples of other video blogs—especially those with young women suggesting makeup tips—and thought she could up her game.

“Hi all,” she started. “Me again! So much has been happening that I wanted to come back on here and talk about some of the things that people have been saying about me. I want to set the record straight because I know how words hurt. I want to talk about my baby, Kara. Some people are saying mean things about what happened. I just want everyone to know that while I can take responsibility for what I’ve done in life, I will not have that one hanging on me. Do you know what it’s like going to prison and being known as a baby killer? You probably don’t. I do. It was awful. It was particularly awful because that’s not me. I mean, not intentionally me. What happened with Kara was an accident. It really was. I loved that kidlet. I really did. I didn’t know she was going to be home. I thought she was at day care,” she said as she glanced at her computer screen and lost her train of thought. She’d obviously learned to talk directly to the pinprick of light that was the camera on her laptop, but couldn’t help but look at herself.

She stopped recording. When she started up again, her mascara had been reapplied.

“Day care,” she said. “That’s where I expected my husband to take her. I thought if she were there, she’d be safe. Really I did. I know some people don’t quite get that. I’ve seen the comments online and they are extremely evil. Nasty. I really blame Joe. If he’d done what he was supposed to do, Kara and I would be safe. People would have understood that I’d done what I had to do to save myself and my child.”

She stopped and pointed to her eyes. “I don’t know if you can see this because no one is helping me shoot this video, but I have a tear coming down right now. People say I don’t have feelings, but they are haters and don’t want to understand. They want to judge. That bitch Kendall Stark and her pal Birdy Waterman are at the top of the list of judgers. None of what happened to Janie would have happened if they didn’t pounce on me for things I didn’t do. I was pushed. I needed out. I needed to tell the world that I was innocent and that people should just back the hell off.”

She produced a tissue and mopped her eyes. She’d thought of everything.

“Kara was everything to me,” Brenda said. “They had it all wrong at the trial. They didn’t put on any of the witnesses that could have helped me. My lawyer was a moron. I fell for his idiotic strategy. I fell for him. God, help me. I was stupid and desperate enough to let another man manipulate me. I’ve been used and abused, but no more. Never, ever again. I’m not going to be the girl who just sits back and pretends to be enjoying whatever some moron is doing to me. Not anymore. From now on, I’m the doer. I’m the one with the control. I’m the one controlling the shots. Baby killer? Don’t push me. Don’t even try. You’ll regret the day you ever hurt me because my hate for the world is the armor that protects me. I’m bulletproof. You’ll see.”