“It’s fine,” I say after Alex hangs up.
It’s for the best. I’ll certainly enjoy my dinner more without her in the same room. Keeping my distance from her keeps me, and in turn my baby, safe from her poison.
I also need time alone to adjust to the idea of life with a mother-in-law who despises me. Alex said it won’t be for long, but every second with her in our lives feels like a lifetime.
I thought once he was released, we’d leave the past behind and start over, but now I can imagine Marcy causing so much pain in our future.
Alex rubs his forehead in frustration. “It’s not right of her to ask that of me. You’re my wife. She needs to accept that.”
I shake my head. “Don’t. Don’t complicate things. That’s what she wants. You did say we should give her what she wants in order to get what we want, right? Go and have dinner with your mother without me.”
Alex kisses me. “I want you to remember that this is only temporary. Tomorrow we’ll move to a new place and live a better life. She’ll still be in our lives, but we won’t live under the same roof.”
It baffles me that Alex is still acting so normal after nearly going to prison for murder. He’s acting as though nothing happened while I’m still trying to erase the mental images of him behind bars.
To stop himself from going crazy, he must have made a conscious choice to leave it all behind. If only I could do the same, to snap back and start picking up the pieces.
I’m still reeling from the blow that had been dealt us. Having his mother around makes it that much harder.
“Go on.” I force a smile. “I’ll see you later. Enjoy dinner with your mother.”
A part of me is secretly jealous that my own mother refuses to get in touch. The last time I contacted her was a year ago. The moment she heard my voice, she dropped the phone and never picked up again.
Sometimes I miss her so much that I imagine seeing her on the street while out running errands. It often happens when I’m at my lowest, like after losing a baby. I suddenly get an overwhelming feeling that she’s with me. But of course, she never is. She never wants to see me again.
Left alone in the suite, I decide to enjoy the luxury at Marcy’s expense. She owes me.
I take a quick shower and wrap myself in the softest bathrobe I’d ever worn. Then I order room service—sage-roastedlamb rack with sweet potatoes and a simple green salad.
I sit back on the bed, leaning against the tufted leather headboard, and switch on the TV. Out of habit, I find myself flicking through the news channels.
Alex is still the topic of discussion, but the story has changed. He’s innocent.
I lean into the pillows and listen to the news that’s good for some and devastating for others. Alex’s release means the murderer is still out there.
“Due to insufficient evidence, charges against Alex Watson have been dropped, and he has been released from custody. Watson was arrested earlier this week for the murder and rape of Brittney McLaren. According to the police department, they’re following other leads.” The reporter glances behind her. “Let’s find out how the Aston locals are reacting to this new turn of events. We’ve been getting some mixed reactions so far.”
A woman with a stooped back steps forward. “They made a mistake by releasing him,” she says before she’s asked. “He’s guilty as hell if you ask me.”
Several other people share the same opinion. The venom in their words eats at my stomach lining.
I switch off the TV and close my eyes.
It will be a while before we can leave it all behind.
When my food is brought up, I don’t have an appetite anymore, but I need to eat.
After a few bites, I call Lavinia. She sounds relieved to hear my voice.
“Are you okay? I couldn’t reach you, so I was a little worried. I mean, there’s probably nothing to worry about. Alex is out. You must be so happy.”
I smile. “I am. I really am. It was quite a surprise. He just called me out of the blue and told me it’s over.” I lean back against the pillows. “His mother is here. She hired an expensive lawyer to represent him.”
“I know. We saw him giving interviews on TV. I had no idea you two were way out of our league.” She chuckles.
“I’m just happy he’s out. Now we can try to leave the nightmare behind us.” I twirl a lock of hair around my finger. “But first, I have to deal with the mother-in-law from hell.”
Lavinia knows how I feel about Alex’s mother. I’ve already told her everything.
