Date Published: April 10th 2026
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
To Die For is a harrowing look into the life of a narcissist who refuses to take accountability for the damage she inflicts.
High school senior Dei Fields appears completely harmless, but she has a keen instinct for manipulation. When she first sets eyes on hot star athlete Mika St. John, she’s determined to have him … and Dei always gets what she wants. There are only three obstacles: Mika’s friends, his family, and his girlfriend. But Dei isn’t afraid to destroy relationships to satisfy her fantasies.
In a matter of weeks, she love-bombs Mika into thinking he has found his soulmate, but when Dei’s plans go awry, everything changes—including her identity. Will Dei get what she wants this time? Or will she finally get what she deserves?
“Why are you always spoiling
things? Why couldn’t you have just believed me?”
Then
the girl charged toward her, rage in her eyes. Marion had seen this before – it
was the bully on the playground, the mean girl at the gym – why are you
making me do this??
And
suddenly Marion knew that she was fighting for her life. Swinging the
flashlight she connected it with Dei’s upper arm, unbalancing her, if only for
a moment. As Dei staggered back, Marion glanced at the front door and knew that
she would never make it in time. Instead, she headed for the balcony and tugged
the glass door open with all her might. At once, the rain whipped against her
face, stinging like shards of glass, but she knew that Dei could feel it too.
And
then she began to scream. After all, they were only one floor up from the
boardwalk. Surely someone would see them struggling!
But
there was no one there. It was as if Naples had become a ghost town. There was
nothing but abandoned cars and boarded up windows – and rising water.
A
tiny, claw-like hand grabbed at her arm and twisted, but she wrenched free.
With Marion’s clothing soaked, it was harder for Dei to hold onto her, but she
stepped all the way out onto the concrete patio, now slick with rain.
“You
bitch!”
Marion
heard Dei scream behind her and turned to face her abuser but before she could
raise the heavy flashlight again, it slipped from her wet grip and clattered to
the floor.
Seeing
it fall, Dei kicked the flashlight under one of the chairs and then lunged at
Marion. Grabbing her by the hair she was
surprised to feel the old woman fighting back. They were both soaked, their
bodies slick with rain and debris carried in by the fierce wind.
Suddenly one of the chairs slammed
into Dei, hitting her back legs, and she lost her hold on Marion. As Dei staggered
back, Marion moved toward the door, intending to lock her out, but Dei caught
her by the wrist.
“No, you don’t!” she said fiercely,
propelling Marion towards the rail of the balcony. For one terrifying moment, Marion feared that
she would lose her balance and pitch forward over the ledge to the street
below. Instead, her core held -- and years of yoga and gardening paid off in
that moment, saving her life.
Pushing
herself away from the railing, Marion saw Dei rushing toward her like a
linebacker. She had youth and energy and agility, but Marion had one thing Dei
didn’t have in that moment – her wits.
As
Dei charged towards the railing, Marion waited until the last millisecond and
then stepped aside - the impact to Dei enough to knock the wind out of her.
Falling to her knees, she was now doubled over beside Marion, if only for a
moment.
But
that moment was all that it took for Marion to see the iPhone sticking out of
the pocket of Dei’s jeans. Adrenaline surged through Marion as her right hand
connected with the phone, and in one sweeping movement, she took it and flung
it over the balcony to the flooded street below.
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