10
“What are you doing here?” Laurel’s innocent eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on me.
“A friend’s attending a conference nearby. I figured I’d take a stroll while I wait,” I replied, my voice steady.
She ran her fingers through her messy hair, studying me with unsettling intensity. “You’re lying,” she declared. Her eyes gleamed with something unspoken and she added, “I saw you walk in with a guy. Quite the looker, isn’t he?”
Then, as if she couldn’t hold it in any longer, she burst into hysterical laughter.
“Does it make you happy, seeing me like this?” she said, gesturing at herself with a manic grin.
I remained silent, my steps cautious as I inched closer to the stairs, hoping to put some distance between us. Her laughter faded, replaced by a bitter expression. “Why is your life so much better than mine?” Laurel’s voice cracked. “You graduate from college, land a good job, have a caring boyfriend with money and everything just works out for you. Why not me? Why not my life?”
I met her eyes, my tone calm but detached. “And where did that get me? Brian and Jordan both ended up loving you, didn’t they?”
Laurel’s lips twisted into a smile–a laugh that sounded more like a sob. “Love? You think they loved me?” she
said, her voice dripping with disdain. “That’s the funniest thing you’ve ever said.”
Her words caught me off guard, leaving me unsure how to respond. I stayed quiet, watching as her expression
contorted with anguish.
“So you don’t know??” she said, her voice hollow. “You don’t know what Brian did to me after you died?”
I shook my head, suddenly dreading what I might hear.
She laughed again–this time, it was jagged, raw. “He hired three women for Jordan and tied me up in a closet
so I could watch my own husband having sex with them! Do you know what that’s like? To have your heart shredded
while the world laughs at you?”
Her pain was palpable, but her anger was like a storm brewing, ready to explode. I tried to soothe her. “Laurel, I
understand-”
“Understand?!” she cut me off, her voice rising to a scream. “How could you possibly understand? Everyone thought I had it all because I ‘stole‘ your man. But the truth is, I lost everything. Brian, Jordan, their love–if you could even call it that. I was the butt of every joke, a woman who stole but couldn’t keep what she stole!”
Her words hit like daggers and I saw no reasoning with her in this state. I tried to placate her. “Laurel, calm down
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she shrieked. Her voice rose to a fever pitch. “None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for you! Even after you’re dead and Brian still can’t forget you. Why should you have everything while I have nothing?”
Her next words came like a hammer blow. “You don’t deserve to live!” she yelled, pulling a bottle from behind her back”
My blood turned cold. “Laurel, what are you doing?!” I backed away, panic creeping into my voice.
She removed the cap from the bottle, her movements eerily steady, her laugh chilling. “Don’t run, Angie! Let’s end this together, once and for all.”
“Laurel!” I shouted, my voice trembling. “This is a crime! You’ll go to prison!”
“Prison?!” she screamed, her eyes wild. “Whatprison? I’ll be dead. And so will you!”
10:35 AM
Love Like an Abyss
She charged toward me, the bottle in her hand. I turned and ran, but my foot slipped on a loose stone and I crashed to the ground. Pain shot through my body as I scrambled to get up, but Laurel was already closing the
distance.
The liquid spilled through the air and I braced myself for the burn. But instead of agony, I felt the heavy weight of someone shielding me.
“Brian?” I gasped, my voice breaking.
He stood between me and Laurel, his face contorted in pain. Despite the raw agony he must have felt, he reached out and gently touched my cheek. “Angela,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. “I won’t let you die again.”
Laurel froze, realizing what she’d done. Her eyes widened in horror as the bottle clattered to the ground. “No! I didn’t mean to hurt you! It wasn’t supposed to be you!”
Her cries and the commotion drew the attention of nearby staff, who rushed to the scene. Brian collapsed and
the medics rushed to carry him away, while Laurel was swiftly detained by the authorities.
Alastair arrived in a panic as soon as he heard the commotion, his face pale, his eyes scanning me urgently.
“Irene, are you hurt?”
I shook my head, still frozen in place. My mind was a mess, thoughts colliding in a chaotic blur. The image of Laurel almost ending my life, followed by Brian’s sudden appearance, replayed over and over in my head. Brian had just saved me–did that mean he still cared? I blinked, trying to shake myself out of the daze and grabbed Alastair’s
hand.
“I need a favor. Find the best doctor for him, will you?” I sounded desperate.
Alastair’s jaw tightened, but he nodded without hesitation. “We’ll make sure he gets the best care, Irene. Don’t
worry about that.”
I nodded in return, but my mind was still spinning. Alastair must have seen the dazed look in my eyes because he gently guided me back to the hotel.
The next morning, Alastair knocked softly on my hotel door. “So,” he said gently, “Brian’s out of danger now. Do
you want to see him?”
I rubbed my tired eyes. “Yeah,” I answered quietly.
“I’ll take you there.”
