Sheryl (Laura Soltis) is the main villainess of the 2006 Lifetime film Double Cross.
History[]
As a child, Sheryl's father left, resulting in her mother beginning a string of abusive relationships. This led to Sheryl having numerous psychological problems, even requiring her to be placed in mental hospitals at some points. Later, Sheryl became involved with a stock broker. When he decided to end things with her, Sheryl had a breakdown and destroyed many of his things, even burning his clothes. Later, she married controlling businessman James, which turned into a loveless marriage that Sheryl was trapped in due to a prenup. She was co-workers and best friends with Kathy Swanson, who comforted her when James announced he was divorcing her. Sheryl also comforted Kathy when she suspected her own husband Dean was having an affair.
Events[]
While the two are having wine together, Sheryl proposes that the two of them take care of each other's problems (with Sheryl killing Dean and Kathy killing James). Kathy agrees, assuming Sheryl is simply joking. But one night, after confronting Dean and realizing he hadn't cheated on her, Sheryl shoots Dean to death while he's outside smoking. Later on, after viciously rejecting a settlement from James, Sheryl confesses her crime to Kathy and tells her she has to kill James to complete their deal. When Kathy refuses and threatens to call the police, Sheryl threatens to name her as a co-conspirator, having recorded their "deal", if she doesn't kill James within a week. After being interrogated by the police, Sheryl tricks Kathy into thinking she'd boiled her kitten alive and sends her a copy of their recorded conversation to scare her into complying with her sick demand.
Kathy's friend Suzanne dug into Sheryl's past, finding out about her past and deducing that it had caused her to hate men. After being questioned by the police again, Kathy returns home and finds Sheryl waiting for her. Before she can run, Sheryl chloroforms Kathy and plants her fingerprints on the gun she used to kill Dean, calling her the next morning to announce that she can use the gun to frame her. As a way of appeasing Sheryl, Kathy follows James and gets photographic evidence that he is having an affair. She calls Suzanne to show her, but when she arrives, Sheryl tries to run her over, putting her in the hospital.
Kathy approaches James and blackmails him with the photos she took, revealing the situation and offering to help James. Sheryl stalks Kathy during this time, approaching her in a parking garage to pressure her to get the job done. A day later, Sheryl meets with James, where he announces he's frozen her credit cards and accounts and that she has 24 hours to sign his previous settlement or she'll lose everything. When she gets home, Sheryl announces the change in plan, saying she now has until the next day to kill James. The next night, Kathy calls Sheryl from a factory, where she is holding James captive, claiming that James has evidence of their deal. Sheryl goes to the factory, armed with a gun, and taunts James before ordering Kathy to shoot him. When Sheryl realizes Kathy was recording her, she holds the two at gunpoint. After trying to shoot Kathy and shooting James, James tackles her and tries to strangle her. The evil Sheryl fatally shoots James, kissing him goodbye before going after Kathy, blaming her for her marital problems. Suzanne arrives and hides as Sheryl prepares to kill Kathy, having found and chased her down. Suzanne hits Sheryl with a shovel before she can shoot Kathy, allowing her to knock her out. She is then arrested as she desperately tries to blame Kathy for all of her crimes.
Trivia[]
- Laura Soltis also portrayed the evil and greedy Andrea Fleming from the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film Framed For Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery.
- Sheryl is similar to fellow Lifetime movie villainess Melanie (from The Killing Pact), as both women devised murder pacts with the main protagonist to get rid of the people plaguing them, with the protagonist taking the "pact" as a joke. In addition, both villainesses not only committed their murders, they expected the protagonist to "hold up their end of the bargain." A difference between them is that Melanie targeted her aunt, while Sheryl was targeted her husband.