Epilogue
Four years later.
I sat on the couch under a blanket, looking out the window at the snow falling to the ground quickly. I had set my laptop on the coffee table to take a break; the deadline for my book was quickly approaching, and I couldn’t shake off the anxiety. I had written a fictional version of my life including the good, the bad, and the ugly. It felt cathartic in a way but also extremely exhausting.
I stared up at the clock that read 2:15 p.m. Jack was putting Jenny down for a nap; she was fighting them lately, and being at the house in Lake George, away from home, made her even fussier. But he always seemed to have the magic touch. She was definitely a daddy’s girl. She wanted to play in the snow and watch daddy strum his guitar while he practiced some new music. Two had been a fun age so far, except for her learning to say “no” to everything I said and repeating “fuck” every time Emily was over.
“She’s out,” Jack whispered as he walked into the living room, tip-toeing his steps with exaggeration.
I laughed. He was exactly the dad I had hoped he would be. He was patient, silly, loving, and kind, and he spoiled her rotten. He even refused to be away from home for more than a few days at a time when he and Adam were touring. We had to tag along during their European tour when Jenny was only a few months old because Jack refused to go if we didn’t.
“Let’s see how many times we can fuck before our spawn wakes up.” He grinned as he sat next to me before nuzzling his lips to my neck.
My phone began to vibrate on the coffee table. Jack and I glanced at each other when we realized it was the correctional facility where Michael was incarcerated. He got five years—five fucking years—in prison. The other women who came forward decided not to press charges—I had a feeling that Michael somehow got to them with money. Jackie’s testimonial turned to shit based on her “instability.” So it was all on me. Michael’s lawyers made me look like an insane, slutty, unstable woman, and I’m sure my sobbing at the trial made me look guilty and unreliable and not like the actual victim that I was. It also didn’t help that I admitted to trying to kill us both with the car crash. His charge was reduced to second-degree kidnapping, the court deciding there was no proof that he had sexually assaulted or abused me since we had a “dominant/submissive relationship.” That was a real shocker to the court too.
He had never attempted to contact me before this. My heart started to pound in my chest while I shakily attempted to grab my phone. Jack quickly swooped it off the coffee table and held it in his hand.
“You are not answering that,” he stated bitterly.
I only nodded. Why did I think it was a good idea to answer in the first place?
Jack stared at my phone until it stopped buzzing.
“He’s leaving a voicemail. Let’s see what this fucker has to say to you.”
I bit my lip, trying not to cry. I didn’t want to waste any more tears on the monster.
“Let me hear it.” I held my hand out for the phone.
Jack eyed me, chewing on his bottom lip. His chest rose and fell quickly; I’m sure his blood was boiling with rage. He finally decided to hand it to me, albeit very reluctantly.
“Put it on speaker,” he demanded, the scary Jack emerging
It didn’t happen often anymore—he reserved it for certain sexual times, but sometimes it happened when he got angry. He never took his anger out on me anymore, thank God. I wouldn’t have stayed if he did.
My hand shakily hit the button to listen to Michael’s voicemail. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my throat.
“Hana,”his voice started. “It’s Michael.” He cleared his throat, and I couldn’t help it—I began sobbing. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m getting out early on good behavior. I know the trial was messy, but there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I don’t think of you. I hope you can forgive me.”
Jack shook his head bitterly as the voicemail continued.
“I know you’ve probably moved on. I know you’re still with Jack. But Hana, I’ve got eyes on the outside. I hope you’re enjoying your time in Lake George. Just know that we will be together again someday. Someday very soon.”