Lucy x
Even after reading it a fourth time, it still hurts to know that in the midst of all the chaos, Ari is the one caught in the middle. There were so many times I wanted to reply, just to know how she was, and maybe to somehow still be part of her life. But seeing her would only remind me of Lucia’s betrayal, and the fact that I am not her real father.
I owe it to myself to let go and finally move forward, which was the only reason I decided not to respond.
I click out of my email and open a new tab. After logging into Facebook, I immediately start searching for Adrian Turner. I once swore that I’d never look into Lucia’s lover again. He was never worth the time or effort to begin with.
But now, I find myself wanting to know more about the man who could just so easily abandon his own flesh and blood while continuing to deceive his family.
Typing his name into the search bar, I’m instantly met with a flood of Adrian Turners. Not wanting to go through each and every one of them, I try his wife’s name next, the one I remember from the file my private investigator handed me months ago. I have no image to anchor her to. Bryan had only given me photos of Adrian and Lucia together, so I’m not even sure what I’m looking for.
With a steady breath, I press the search button and let the page load.
Seconds later, several Hope Turner profiles appear on my screen. I scroll through them slowly, studying each one carefully. Some display nothing but pets, children, or animated characters. But then one photo makes me pause.
It’s a picture of a couple. A tall, lean man with dark hair stands behind a woman, his face hidden in the curve of her neck; one arm draped protectively over her chest. The woman, of average height and gracefully curvy, has the most striking shade of auburn hair—long waves that spill almost to her waist. She’s facing the camera with her eyes closed, smiling as though his touch is something that soothes and comforts her.
And then I see it—the gold band glinting on her ring finger as her hand rests affectionately on his forearm. She’s married, presumably to the man standing behind her.
Something urges me to click on her profile.
As soon as it loads, I scroll down her page and notice that only a few things are made public—quotes, random photos of plants and scenic places, nothing that reveals much about her personal life.
It isn’t until I click on one of the plant photos and open the comments that I find more than half a dozen people discussing that one particular plant, and I can’t help thinking,who on earth fusses over plants this much?Clearly this woman does.
My thumb keeps scrolling through the comments until one suddenly makes me stop.It’s from a man going by thename “Mr T.”—complete with a profile picture of the actual Mr. T. His comment reads:
‘Honey, I think if you bring home one more plant, our house will start to rival the Amazon jungle.’
Curious, I click on his picture, and it immediately opens his profile.
Lo and behold, he barely has any public photos either. Yet the last one is all it takes for me to know exactly who this person is. The image is old, showing a man in a black wetsuit standing on a beach, a surfboard propped beside him.He looks younger, probably in his early twenties, but there’s no mistaking it—I’d recognise those intense blue eyes, dark hair, and eyebrows anywhere.
I’ve just come across Adrian Turner’s profile.
Now that I’ve found him, and his wife, I can’t help but wonder: what would happen if, one day, he woke up and his whole world had been ripped away? If his picture-perfect life were destroyed in an instant?
I know I’ll probably never find out the answer. But part of me can’t help thinking… I’d damn well love to find out.
Chapter 6
Hope
It’s a little past five in the evening when I pull into the driveway of our three-bedroom rental. The sun is still out, but the porch light is already on, something Adrian does every night while he waits for me to get home. I know it’s his way of looking out for me. The neighbourhood is rougher than what we’re used to, and he only wants to make sure I make it back safely. It’s sweet of him, and I love how caring and attentive he’s been lately, especially after we uprooted our entire life in Sydney to start a new life here on our own.
Needless to say, it hasn’t been the best experience for any of us. Moving to the coast had been an absolute nightmare from day one. The rental house we rushed moving into is falling apart, thick with the stench of stale cigarettes and dog urine, and the neighbourhood feels seedy and unwelcoming, the kind of place where walking alone at night isn’t just unwise, it’s unthinkable.
I’m not trying to sound ungrateful. I’ve always been open to new opportunities whenever they’re presented. I just don’tunderstand why we had to move when our life back home was perfectly fine.
When Adrian announced back in February, that he’d landed a job at a promising new school north of Sydney, close to pristine beaches and national parks, I admit, I was a little shocked at first.
It felt so sudden, especially since he’d never mentioned he was even looking for another job, let alone one in a completely different town. But when he explained that the lifestyle would be more relaxed and far more affordable than the city, it sounded like a great opportunity for our small family. And so, we packed up everything we owned, loaded it into a rented truck, put our house up for lease, and drove two hours away towards our new life—all in the matter of two weeks.
But the moment we arrived into town, I genuinely wondered if we’d taken a wrong turn. It looked nothing like the idyllic photos on the website; if anything, I could’ve sworn I’d seen this place featured in a true-crime documentary. Even their so-called pristine beaches were a little underwhelming. We’d only been there for five minutes, and already I was having serious doubts about the whole thing.
“We need to give it a chance, babe,”I recall my husband saying right after we stepped out of the car and onto the driveway of our new home. Even our eight-year-old son, Zac, wasn’t too impressed. But out of respect for Adrian and all the effort he put into getting us here, we decided to suck it up and give the place a shot.
And now, here we are, in the small coastal town of Sandy Vale, with a population of just 2,230, where we know not a single soul in sight.Give it a chance, Hope. Just give it a chance.
