I print the news clippings, scan them, and create an alias email. After typing in Detective Reed’s email, I write, “How well do you know Olivia Walters?” then attach the scanned files. Perhaps she already has it, but better to send it anyway. Liv can’t run away from the truth.
34
Day 17
Liv
My mother-in-law doesn’t stop blabbering about how much she misses David while I slice the onions for our dinner that evening.
My chopping gets more rapid, matching my heart rate. “There are things you don’t know about your son. He cheated on me.”
“Do you have proof of that? Maybe it’s just hearsay.”
Heaving a sigh, I dash upstairs to the box where I kept our love letters and pluck David’s journal. I rush downstairs and show it to her.
She reads the title, and her eyes fill with mist. “I thought you guys were happy.”
Happiness seems to be overrated nowadays. There’s a price to pay for it.
The doorbell rings, intruding our chat.
“I’ll get it,” she says.
Carrying my chopping knife, I follow her to the front door. “Let me.” I take a peek on the peephole and spot Christopher outside.
Opening the door wide, I greet him.
His mouth carves into a line. “Hello, Diana.” He nods to my mother-in law then faces me. “I need to speak with you.” His gaze darts to my knife.
Diana seems to sense the tension between us so she excuses herself. Christopher follows me to the kitchen.
“Can I offer you anything?” I set the knife on the chopping board, open the refrigerator, pull out a pitcher of lemonade, and set it on the counter.
“Patrick broke up with me.”
A sigh escapes from my lips. The bad news keeps coming, and I can’t seem to take it anymore. “I’m so sorry.” I wrap my arms around him.
He removes my hands. “That’s not all. Aiden’s sister came to see me.”
After pouring two glasses of lemonade, I hand Christopher his drink.
He ignores my gesture and raises his voice. “You don’t know how serious this is, Liv.”
I’ve never seen Christopher angry. In our years of friendship, not once did we fight.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry is not going to remove the stain of lies you’ve implicated on me so you better start talking.”
I knock down my glass, and it shatters to the ground.
Christopher is unmoved. “If you don’t tell me what happened, I will go to the police and tell them you asked me to lie for you.”
“Please.” I gesture, my hand in the air.
The odds are going against me and I need to work them to my benefit.
35
Day 18
David
I’m lying on my stomach with my eyes closed. Barely slept last night. My wound is healing slowly, but I can’t seem to find a way out from my situation. Am I a coward for not confronting this head on?
A tap on the window intrudes my thoughts. My throat constricts as I bolt upright and peep outside the window.
My heart sinks in relief when I spot Emily outside. I drag her inside then check to see if anybody followed her. Clear.
She wraps her arms around me, and we don’t say a word.
When Emily releases from our embrace, she plops into the bed, a pensive look on her face.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” The thought of that is enough to drive me insane.
“I’m sorry. I needed to get away from it all. If it’s not the detectives hounding me, it’s the press.”
I sit beside her and pull her against my chest. “Your dad must be so pissed off.”
Her eyes light up. “If there’s any consolation, the bar is always full.”
We both share a laugh and tickle each other like little kids.
After giggling and goofing around, Emily cups my face in her hand. “I never got to show you the mural.”
“Why don’t we go now?”
The smile on her face is replaced by sorrow. “I’m sorry, David. I don’t think I can see you no more.”
My heart sinks like a deflated balloon. “Are you breaking up with me?”
Covering her face with both hands, she weeps. “I love you, but this is just too much for me.”
I open my mouth, wishing I could erase the wounds from her heart. There’s not one thing I can promise her. In shame, I bow my head.
“Dad and I thought it would be best that I move east with my aunt, my mom’s sister,” she manages to get out between sobs. “I came here to say goodbye.”
A dagger stabs my heart. My wife tried to kill me, and now the woman I truly love is leaving me. I hate myself for being such a coward.
She rises and heads for the door.
“Emily.”
Raising one hand in the air, she blurts out, “Don’t bother. There’s no guarantees.”
“You know I love you,” I plead, but it’s like shooting empty bullets in the dark.
“The fear you have for your wife is more powerful than the love you have for me.” Emily closes the door behind her, and she’s gone like a wisp of smoke.
* * *
A cold gust of wind brushes through my cheeks as I finger the mural Emily made. I can taste the tears she shed while painting me when I was unconscious.
I have to fight for Emily.
36
Day 18
Liv
Voices whisper as my head throbs. Opening my eyes, I spot Diana and Christopher chatting and realize I’m at the hospital. The last thing I remember is Christopher threatening to tell the police about my affair with Aiden. Without hesitation, I collapse to the floor, my head landing on the broken glass.
My plan worked, and if I have to continue to lie and pretend, I will to save myself.
“Where am I?”
Diana rushes to my side. “Sweetie, it’s okay. You’re all right.”
“Who are you?” I push her away, my gaze darting to Christopher. “Who is he?”
They exchange glances.
Diana speaks up. “Liv, I’m your mother-in-law, remember?”
“Get away from me!” I yell. “My name is Red.”
A nurse comes rushing in. “What’s going on?”
“These people are conspiring against me. Who are they?” I wrap my arms around my legs as if I’m frightened.
The nurse tries to pacify me. “Mrs. Walters, you’re at the hospital. You had a bad fall, and your mother-in-law and best friend brought you here.”
“I’m married? Where is my husband?”
Diana bows her head down.
The nurse purses her lips. “You need to rest.” She signals them both to leave the room.
I spot the doctor approach them outside and read his lips as he says, “She could be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. After all she’s been through, she’ll need your support.”
Great, my plan seems to be working. As long as I play my cards right, they have no choice but to leave me in peace. Buying time equals temporary peace.
37
Day 19
David
I can’t believe Emily is gone, but I promise to come back for her. This will be over soon.
As I microwave frozen pasta, I channel-surf, hoping to get some update on the news. Looks like Liv came home. I need to do something bigger to startle her.
Liv’s face flashes on the screen. I turn up the volume to listen to the reporter.
“A leak has informed us Olivia Walters is now in the hospital due to post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Really, Liv? Couldn’t you think of something better?
An image of a man appears on the screen as the reporter continues, “Aiden Frascone suffered from a heart attack after extreme lovemaking with Olivia Walters’ best friend, Christopher Harris at her house.” An image of Christopher is displayed on the screen. “Mrs. Walters’ refuses to comment as she’s in the hospital resting now.”
/>
Oh my God. Aiden’s dead? How can these fuckers not put two and two together? She killed him, and now she’s dragging in Christopher. Oh, Liv, do you see how many people you’ve involved in your scheme? If only you just let me go.
“In the meantime, David Walters is nowhere to be found.”
The camera shifts its focus to a woman.
“We have here with us Ruby Frascone, Aiden’s sister.”
Ruby faces the camera. “My family and I are devastated about my brother’s death, but we request you give us our privacy to mourn him.” She curls her lip like she wants to share more information but doesn’t.
The reporter concludes the segment.
Wow! I don’t know how Liv is going to escape this. That’s most likely why she’s succumbed to her so-called PTSD.
* * *
I’m at the library to check my alias email. Detective Reed has responded to my email.
Would you like to meet? I will protect you.
I’m tempted to respond, but I need to think this through. There’s no way Liv will get away with this.
38
Day 19
Liv
For the first time, I’m able to sleep through the night with the Valium they prescribed me. Each time my mother-in law or Christopher comes near me, I fake agitation so the doctor advises them to come back in a few days.
For once, I have peace and quiet. I need to plot out my next point of action. David is still missing, and Emily is still out there. Ruby is plotting against me, and I’m sure David is aware I’m in the hospital. But for now, we’re even. You have to play this smart, David. I will find you.
I shut my eyes and sleep, the luxury I’ve missed the most.
39
Day 20
David
If I’m doing the math right, there are ten more days before Liv finishes her thirty-day wisdom project, which means ten more days till this nightmare is over. I wish I can call Emily and ask her to wait those ten days. I can live anywhere with Emily and not to mention my job. I have savings, but I can’t touch them, which is why I think I’m going to see Liv and strike a deal with her.
Today, I’m going to email the detective from my motel room so she knows I’ve been here all along. Then I’m going to go see Liv in the hospital and work something out. But I can’t do this alone, which is why I have a backup plan.
Ruby.
* * *
Ruby sits on the bench of the baseball field of Carfeld high school. We both agreed to meet at a public place where people won’t notice us. I recognize her—the tall, slim, attractive lady on the news—as she pretends to watch the baseball practice.
Approaching her, I blurt out, “The kids should be here soon.” The code we made up.
Lifting her head toward my direction, she nods and rises from the bench. We pace around the field, pretending to watch the high school boys practicing.
“So, it really is you?” She studies me from the rims of her glasses.
“Yep. Very much alive.”
She turns to see if anyone is watching and murmurs, “Potassium chloride.”
“What about it?”
“That’s what she injected on Aiden,” she mumbles.
“And couldn’t they trace it in his blood test?”
“Aiden suffered from renal failure. He was asymptomatic and healthy, but people with that disease contain high potassium levels in their blood, which is why the autopsy was consistent with the story of Aiden dying from a heart attack. She killed my brother and left no marks.”
“Liv’s a nurse. Look what she did with me.” I stroll along the field beside her, feeling sorry for Ruby’s loss and glad she’s helping me.
She stops in her tracks then faces me. “So what are you going to do?”
I tell her my plan, and that if all doesn’t work in ten days, then she can come in the picture and do what she has to do. “I’ll tell her she should just kill me on my own terms since I’m slowly dying, that a brain tumor manifested after my coma. I’ll convince her I’ll be a liability, and my life insurance will take care of her. I’ll record her and get her to admit she killed Aiden and that she tried to kill me. We’ll put hidden cameras in the house so you can send the footage to the cops.”
“You’re going to make a deal with the devil?”
“Pretty much.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not that simple, especially since she wants you.”
I grin. “Maybe you know someone who can give you a fake doctor’s note indicating I have a brain tumor. Then I’ll throw the question back at her. Why would she want to spend all her years taking care of an unhealthy person like me? The medical bills would spike, and we would be miserable. She’ll make more money from the life insurance. I’ll tell her I don’t want to wait till the tumor consumes me.”
Her eyes beam, and her body shakes in excitement. “Boy, you’re good.”
“Strategy.” I avert my gaze to the baseball soaring in the sky.
“How long will this take?”
I look at her straight in the eye. “Ten days. That’s all I ask.”
“As a matter of fact, I have a good friend who can write a fake doctor’s note for you.”
A grin plays on my lips. “I knew I could count on you.”
* * *
Back at the motel, I pack my clothes and dispose my trash then send an email to Detective Reed. I will need you to trust me first. Don’t bother Olivia Walters for now. Give me ten days, and I promise you’ll get to the bottom of this case.
As soon as I send the email, I lay down on my bed, pretending to be unconscious again. It’s only in this position where I can think straight. What if Liv says no? She can’t. Failure isn’t an option. I have to coax her. She has to trust me again. I have to win her pity.
40
Day 20
Liv
Although I slept peacefully last night, I can’t stop thinking about David. Where did he go? Has something bad happen to him, or is he just faking this? Why can’t he come home? Doesn’t he love me anymore?
My mother-in-law pops in with a paper bag. “Good morning, Olivia. I hope you were able to get a good night sleep.”
I stare at her with empty eyes. Although I pretend I don’t remember her, I’m grateful she’s taking care of Wilma our cat. The doctor has prohibited the detectives from bothering me during this time. So unless David comes home, I’ll stay here.
“I brought your wedding album to help you remember David.” She hands it to me.
I take it from her and flip through the pages. We had dreams and hopes for a beautiful life, and I believed David could help me erase my past. But I learned now that no matter how you try to forget, your past will always come to haunt you.
A wave of anxiety crashes on me. Closing my eyes, I hear the familiar voices I’ve tried to erase.
“You’re stupid. I told you to lock the door,” my foster mother said.
“I told you she was stupid,” my foster father added. “Don’t know why you agreed to keep her.”
Stupid became such a common word, I couldn’t count how many times they told me that.
She rolled her eyes then faced me. “Next time you do that, Olivia, you’re sleeping in the barn.”
I stared at them blankly.
“Did you hear what I said?” she yelled.
I didn’t blink and cursed them under my breath. Let’s see who’s stupid now.
Later that evening, while they were sound asleep, I poured the house with gasoline, lighted a match, and rushed to the barn.
As the flames danced, I covered my ears, refusing to hear their wails, repeating, “Nobody calls me stupid,” over and over again.
I continue to peruse the photo album then set it aside on the nightstand.
Diana removes David’s Armani perfume and positions it near my nose. “They say scents can stimulate one’s memory.”
Shaking my head, I face the other direction. I have to give her credit for trying. No moth
er would want to lose their child and see their daughter-in-law not remember a thing.
The doctor knocks on the door and circles around my bed. “Good morning. How did you sleep last night?”
“I’ve had better days,” I lie.
He nods. “I need to run some tests.”
I start shaking. “I just want to rest.”
“All right, you get some sleep.” He eyes Diana and leaves the room.
Diana clears her throat. “Sweetie, you just need to let me know what you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
Great, Diana replaced David.
What can I do that will make David come home? I can’t lose him to that slut. Nobody comes between David and me. Maybe I can entice him. I have to give David what he wants. That’s the only way he’ll return to me.
But what does David really want? I want to be with David alone, so it would be best if Diana goes back home. Boy, I’m tired of her.
David is mine.
41
Day 21
David
At the crack of dawn, I march down the streets of San Francisco, leaving my sanctuary behind. Nobody knows my plan except for Ruby. I practiced stuttering, limping, and twitching all night and also didn’t shower nor comb my hair. Wearing soiled clothes, I want to show Liv what a pathetic loser I am.
Although Liv is Ms. Fix-It and the woman who can take care of all, I’m going to prove to her the man she loves is unfixable, that she should just terminate me―an assisted suicide. I will be so needy she won’t like it. She’ll agree to my terms because if she can’t have me, neither can Emily. She’ll still win.