I know what he’s done.
I gave birth to twins. And my daughter – my other daughter – she’s disappeared.
She didn’t know. She wasn’t in on it.
Tears pool in my eyes. I don’t know why I’m crying. This changes nothing. I don’t give a shit about Ainsley Malloy. From everything I read in Mackenzie’s diary, her mother could be just as cruel, just as evil, as Howard. I was theluckyone to be sold to the Augusts.
But I can’t wipe the tears away fast enough. I have to blow my nose on the corner of the sheet before I can read the next page.
Howard sold my baby girl.
I don’t have any proof. Nothing that I can use to go to the police. But my baby is missing and he’s dancing around the house, talking about a deal that will make our fortunes.
I want to scream. I want to smash his face in. But I can’t do a thing. He won’t hesitate to kill me.
But I won’t let this stand.
I will never forgive him.
I’ll bide my time, but I’ll get him for this.
I turn the pages with trembling fingers. The entries here are spread over several years. They’re numerous but short – a couple of lines of jagged handwriting peppered with exclamation points. Sometimes she presses the pen so hard it tears through the paper.
…Mackenzie broke all my nail polishes…
…Mackenzie threw my Versace gown into the swimming pool…
…Mackenzie puked in my purse…
…we took her to Disneyland and she told Mickey Mouse we kidnapped her, so the police dragged us off the Jungle Cruise ride with all those people watching…
…I can never show my face at the club again, and it’s allherfault…
…I hate her. I hate my own daughter. She’s ruined my life…
…Howard sold the wrong child. He got rid of my precious angel and left me with a demon.
Like father, like daughter. The Malloy house is a toxic hellhole. I check the date on the last entry, my heart stuttering as I see it was written only a couple of weeks before Mackenzie murdered her family.
Howard’s been talking about this deal for weeks, unknowingly letting little details slip. He thinks I’m too stupid to understand what he’s talking about, but I’ve been waiting for this chance for years.
Biding my time.
Letting every attack from his little she-demon go unpunished.
Letting them both think they’ve won.
Howard thinks I don’t care where his money comes from, as long as I have my perfect house and my dream husband and my little girl.
He underestimates me, and it’s cost him everything.
I did it.
I made my plans so carefully. He didn’t suspect a thing. Tonight, I waited until he got the call to go to the docks. The she-demon was at cheerleading practice, so she couldn’t see me get in my car and follow him. I parked a little way away and hid in my pre-designated spot. I watched him load the box onto the ship – the payment he received for our daughter all those years ago. I don’t know what’s inside, but I know that he uses it as collateral for his deals.
My husband’s treasure travels all over the world, but it always returns to him, like a boomerang.
Not this time.
