The breeze rippled through Taylor's hair as she approached the door of Houston Regional Mental Institution. Once she passed through security, she walked up to the nurses station. "Where can I find Jessica Thompson?" The stocky nurse behind the desk pointed down the hall. "Rec room. She should be there." Taylor thanked her, then walked down the gray hall to the rec room. Jessica sat at a table by herself, absently toying with her shirt sleeves as she distanced herself from the other patients.
"Jessica?"
The blonde looked up and broke into a smile when she saw Taylor. "Taylor? I'm so glad to see you!" She went to hug the redhead, but Taylor stiffened, and Jessica's smile faded. "So you too, huh? First John Ross, then Uncle Bobby, then Mama, and now you. I get stripped of my dignity, my brother won't even register me in this nut house under my real name, for God's sakes! I miss my dad too, Taylor, and I want to help find his killer. Please, just give me the chance to help find out what happened, and to help solve this mess." Taylor's face went stony at Jessica's plea. "Listen, Jessica, you're here because you're insane. Do you really think that me, your brother, your mother, or your uncle would let you out of here to come and try to help solve this 'mess'? Newsflash, it's not a mess, Jessica, it's a fucking crisis! Figuratively speaking, this family is on the Titanic and we're quickly going under. And right now, I don't have time to worry about you. At least while you're here, you can't try to overdose in your bathtub." Jessica snapped, jumping up from her seat and flipping the chair back. "Shut your damn mouth! I'm not insane! All I want is to be home with my family, Taylor! But I'm sure you don't understand that, since your parents wanted nothing to do with you!" Taylor hauled off and slapped Jessica, tears coming to the blonde's eyes as all the anger drained out of her. "Let me tell you something, you ungrateful little bitch, I can make sure you're in a lot worse place than this. Don't you ever speak about my family again, understand?! Now you're forbidden to write to me, to speak to me, or to make contact with your brother." As the redhead turned to walk away, she scoffed. "It's a shame those pills didn't work faster."
Jessica wrapped her arms around herself, tears starting to run down her face. First John Ross, and now Taylor. Her only friends in this world were gone, just like her father was gone. It wasn't fair, that they had everything, while she had nothing. Once, she had been set to become the new queen of Dallas, but now she realized that John Ross had never had the intentions of letting that happen. He had planned all along to toss her aside and have Taylor as his counterpart. Jessica had never been anything more than a pawn to her family, and that thought sent her spiraling even farther into her depression.
Returning home that afternoon, she walked into Ewing Energies, feeling like she was walking on air. Her silky hair blew out behind her as she strode confidently across the lobby and into her office, barely having time to sit her purse down on the desk before John Ross was in the room, a smirk on his face. He immediately took up residence in her leather office chair, so Taylor perched on the edge of her desk. "So I'm assuming from that devilishly sexy smirk that you took care of my sister?" The redhead laughed a little, leaning over and putting her hands on his shoulders, her face close to his. "Babe, let's just say she won't be bothering us for a very long time." John Ross laughed evilly. "That's my girl." As they laughed, the phone on Taylor's desk began ringing. Picking it up, she pressed the flashing red button for line 2, composing herself. "Hello?" "Yes, is this Taylor Clayton? This is Aurora Jones, from Houston Regional. I have some very important news for Mr. Ewing, and I couldn't reach him." Taylor immediately switched the phone to speaker, letting John Ross in on the call. "Go ahead, Miss Jones." There was a pause before the nurse spoke again.
"Mr. Ewing, your sister is dead."
John Ross didn't even flinch as he adjusted in the chair. "How?" The nurse sounded sorrowful and confused, unsure why John Ross cared so little about his sister's death. "She was found by a guard just a little while ago. Apparentley she hung herself with the sheet from her bed. I'm so sorry, Mr. Ewing." John Ross abruptly hung up the phone. "It doesn't matter. They can bury her in Houston, they always do that for patients when their family doesn't show up." Taylor placed a hand on his knee. "John Ross, are you sure?" He nodded. "I just want her to be gone so I can get what my father wanted me to have. Not her, not my mother, just me." He then retreated into himself, walking over to gaze out of the window of her office.
Taylor sat down in the chair, her eyes dropping to the floor as she smirked a little.
Checkmate, Taylor. You just won the title of Queen.