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But she could not ignore it. She could not ignore the fact that someone had been in her car. How did they know which car was hers? Had they watched her arrive? She tried to remember who had been here when she parked, but there were too many people, and besides, half the town knew what car she drove.

She shivered. Were they watching now? She looked out of the windows, searching for someone lurking behind a tree or sitting low behind the wheel of a car.

Nothing, and no one.

She locked the car doors, and began to read.

Starting to Understand

She will now be starting to understand. As she reads the note she will see that this is not something passing, not a temporary state of affairs. This is real.

This is now her life. What is left of it, that is.

This – although she does not yet know it, does not yet see the full extent of what is happening – is a total dismantling of her life. Piece by piece it will be taken away, stripped bare, with the precision and skill of a master surgeon.

She will feel as though it is an escalation, but it is not. It is all part of a plan, each step perfectly laid out.

And there is an end game: her destruction.

Not only her. There is one other who will suffer the same fate. They do not yet know they are in the frame but they will find out, in time. It will be a shock to them. They will find it unfair, will wonder why them. How did they get dragged into this?

But they have been part of this since the beginning. Since the very beginning.

In fact, they are the cause of it all. Had they not done what they did none of this would have needed to happen.

But they are ignorant of this, for now. They will find out, when the time comes, and they will understand how badly ignorance can hurt someone.

Hurt them.

Poor Mary Jordan. She will pay the ultimate price, although she merits no sympathy. Who cares about her? She is collateral damage. A price that must be paid.

It is the other person who must be removed; she is merely the means.

And when it is done, finally, after all these years, things will be as they should have been from the start.

It has been exhausting, carrying this cruel burden for so long. Why it fell to you to have to do this is a question you prefer not to ask. But it will be – soon, and eventually – worth it.

It has to be. Or all this will have been for nothing.

Ask Him Why He Married You

Hi! It’s been almost twenty-four hours since I said hello, but I hope you can forgive me?

Great game, by the way – Otis is quite the athlete. He’s a good kid, I think. At least from what I can tell from afar. I hope to get to know him better some day soon.

I know, I know: my tone is different. But we’re friends now, right? Anyway, here’s the thing – there’s a reason for all this. I mean, you’ve been wondering yourself what it is, right?

Well, here goes. I don’t want to be the one who tells you this, but your husband is not who you think he is.

Not at all.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Just ask him two questions.

Ask him to tell you about Sandra.

And

Ask him why he married you. Why he really married you.