A Few Hours Earlier
"Really Lila?" Cara knew Lila was vain, but she was being so picky about her outfits.
"Rachel is going to be there. I have to look my best."
Cara smiled. She heard the stories from the twins. Their friend Rachel Grant was more wealthy than Lila. Her mansion when she first moved to town was bigger than Fowler Manor. They were friends, but were more frenemies than Lila and Jessica. Jessica mentioned how relived Lila was when she moved away. But when she heard of Rachel's own grades in college, she studied her ass off at SVU to take over Fowler Enterprises. Plus to promote her app she created in college. Cara and Jessica laughed when Lila accidentally got enrolled in a tech course instead of accounting. Lila couldn't get herself out of it, every business class was full, with a mile long waitlist. That course was the best thing that ever happened to Lila. All her life she scoffed at computers and anything tech related, but when Lila was forced to take it, she discovered she inherited her father's knack for computer knowledge. For her project that counted for a third of her final grade, her professor gave them a assignment. Create a app that can attract a wide audience. Back then, apps were still brand new and were unknown. Lila was stumped, she knew nothing about apps, or smartphones. Back then smartphones were a new technology. She asked her father for advice. All he said that create what she knew.
At first Lila created a shopping app. It was alright, but many of her classmates were already doing it. So she went back to the drawing board. While attending a Theta sorority meeting, she was racking her brains for ideas. When the then President, Denise Waters announced there was a charity dating auction, Lila had her lightbulb moment. She immediately starts writing down her idea.
What if instead of blind dates, or even dances or meet ups, women that joined the app used that to recreate themselves. Become the Desirable. The Wanted. Become the Best version of themselves, while seeking love. She and her dad worked on it, with Lila doing 90% of the work, it was her project. Before she submitted it, her father made sure it was patented. He saw a billion dollar idea when he saw it. Luckily he did, there were many copycats, none that matched up to Lila.
Long story short, Lila got a A+, plus a offer from her professor to buy it. Lila refused. Instead, she used her spare time to perfect it, with her Theta sisters as the guinea pigs. She didn't stop there, she also sent free memberships, to the other "lesser" sororities and social groups. It was a great success, when her father saw the results, he and many of his business partners threw money at Lila to launch it worldwide. It took Lila four years, but when it was featured on that reality show, Real Housewives of Sweet Valley, her app skyrocketed to number one in every app store there was for dating.
Lila had many offers, some offering to partner with Lila. Lila thought about it, but she didn't want to work for another competitor. Especially when she decided to work with her father's company, Fowler Enterprises. She knew of her father's heart attack, she and Grace wanted him to step down from work.
Now with Lila being successful in her own right, she finally was equal to her rival. Rachel herself was a major player in her own father's company. WeGrant was a very well known advertising company.
"Lila. You are engaged to the man you love. You have a baby on the way. You are set to inherit Fowler Enterprises. Rachel has nothing on you."
"True." Rachel was single and childfree. Lila was engaged and expecting. She held up a dress. "How's this." She holds up the first outfit she bought.
"It's good! C'mon! We are an hour late." Cara hated missing a good party. She set down her curling iron.
"Vicky? Janet? Don't worry about the mess. Clean it up tomorrow." Lila presses the white button on her wall. "Ow!" She jumped when she saw a spark.
"Lila?'' Cara saw Lila jump.
"I keep telling Daddy to fix that intercom. Ugh." She bites her finger. "Hope the baby is alright." She picks up her purse. "Let's go." They walk out to Lila's Mazda Miata.
"I cannot believe you still have this car." Lila had that car since high school.
"This car was always my good luck charm. You heard of the green leaf clover, mine is this car. Besides, why break what's not broken." Lila was determined to keep it till it dies. Whenever that was. They drive away.
The figure in the car down the street was watching with binoculars. There she was. He had his orders. He started his car.
Both Lila and Cara were singing along to Johnny Buck.
"Rollercoaster love to my heart!" They sing. That was Johnny's final number one hit before he quit showbusiness. It won him a MoreMoreMusic Award for that music video. Lila remembered inviting most of her fellow classmates at SVMS to witness that ceremony. They all cheered when Johnny won. Who would have thought Johnny would be her future cousin in law? He laughed when he saw Lila's scrapbook of that night. He was working in politics now, he used his former fame for his political campaigns.
"Where's Bruce?" Cara knew he was supposed to pick up Lila.
"At his company. Reggie still not well enough to work yet. Until that day comes, I won't see Bruce for awhile." Lila hated not seeing her fiancé, but she understood why. She herself was getting ready to take over Fowler Enterprises. "Wonder what's the old gang doing?" She couldn't wait. She was wearing her engagement ring. Bruce was going to be there, whoever Rachel's date was, she was going to be green with envy seeing Lila with Bruce.
''Yes. She is in position." He saw that green car. A simple car crash. Good thing his own vehicle was well steeled. He already took out the brakes of the boyfriend's car, he was planning to send a spoof phone call to the guy. Once both were in position, start speeding. He knew how spooked Cara was. Shame about her friends, but his target needed to be eliminated. Two car crashes, no survivors, especially Cara. He got ready.
They were almost there when Cara noticed a car following them. Cara didn't think much of it. But after a few minutes, tapped Lila.
"What you need to pee? Me too." Lila saw a fast food restaurant down the road.
When the car got closer, Cara got nervous. She screamed when the car shined their lights on them.
"Lila!" Both women started screaming when their car got bumped.
The guy puts down his phone. He was on his way, he saw the tracker on his tablet. It was time.
"Hold on!" Lila silently thanked her dead husband for his private driving lessons. He was a huge racecar fan. He signed himself and Lila up for private lessons from famous European racecar drivers, plus taught Lila how to drive in Italy's old school roads. "Cara, close your eyes." Lila prayed her baby was going to be alright. "Here we go!"
"Dammit!" The green Miata maneuvered away. "You want to play that, so be it." He made sure that car went towards that Porsche. It was almost there. Once the accident happens, he drives away into the night no witnesses surviving in either car.
Cara had her eyes tightly closed. She prayed that they made it, she felt Lila trying not to crash.
Bruce was driving towards Casey's at Sweet Valley Mall when his phone rang. He knew not to answer it, but Lila kept calling and hanging up. He was determined not to answer it, but when it kept ringing, Bruce looks away to pick it up.
Both Cara and Lila scream when they saw the black Porsche. It was right in front of them, and it was going fast.
"What the...shit!" Bruce's couldn't brake. The last thing he saw was that black truck.
Lila managed to maneuver out of the way, the last thing she heard was a crunch of two vehicles. She wanted to stop to check if they were alright, but when they saw the truck chasing after them, Lila stepped on the gas.
"Call 911!"
Before Cara could dial, she saw a police car. The black truck drove down another street with its lights off. Cara knew that was for her. She begged Lila to keep driving.
"What about that other driver?" Lila was too frightened to remember who that truck drove into.
"Not now. We have to hide." Cara never been so scared in her life. Karl was serious. He honestly thought Cara had evidence against him.
"Fine." She and Cara drove towards a bridge and threw their phones into the river. "Now what?" Lila knew they had to ditch this car.
"I don't know. But we can't stay in Sweet Valley." Cara felt terrible. She prayed Lila's baby was okay.
The driver of the black truck watches as his stolen truck was sinking into the ocean. He lost his target, but no matter. He already had a tracking device on the Miata.