Chapter 5
FIVE
SIX MONTHS BEFORE OUR ANNIVERSARY CELEbrATION
Laura
Jack tells everyone he purchased this house for me.
It’s a lie. He bought it as a status symbol and tells everyone that will listen it was because it belonged to my uncle and I wanted to live here.
I never have, but I keep up the story to make him happy.
I spent some time here as a child and it was spooky then and hasn’t changed.
I swear I’ve seen a face looking from a window that doesn’t exist. I’ve searched for it and found nothing.
Strange things happen here and when I speak to my fast-dwindling circle of friends they figure I’m joking.
They’re jealous of the house but don’t know how difficult it is to live here.
Honestly, I look at the carved wood, marble and priceless antiques and my skin crawls.
Each day my home is invaded with people, cleaning and making noise with vacuum cleaners.
They have that smell, you know, that dusty old-ladies’-house smell, which wafts around for hours once they’ve been through, and then there’s Ruby, Jack’s PA.
Miss Super-Efficient, I call her, with her tight tops and chinos and perfume that closes my sinuses.
I understand he needs someone to do all the grunt work for him but I wish he had a male PA.
I’m a jealous woman and I admit I don’t enjoy him spending so much of his time with her.
Jenny, the nanny, and Sue—the housekeeper—are plotting against me.
I swear they keep moving my things. I’m forever looking for my phone.
I put it down for a second and it grows wings and moves to another part of the house.
I make requests and, when things aren’t done, they insist I never asked them.
I figure they’re trying to make me look bad in front of Jack.
I’m isolated in this house, no car, no visitors.
I’m a prisoner in my own home. I only get to see people when Jack takes me with him to spend time on the yacht.
Early in our marriage we threw many dinner parties and he escorted me to his business lunches and socialite parties but things changed when I had Ava.
Although during that pregnancy I was allowed to visit my friends and go shopping alone, not so with Noah.
From the moment Jack knew I carried his son, my freedom and most of my friends vanished.
The staff watch me now as if I might turn into a monster and kill them all.
I hear them whispering when I move around the house, sending secret messages to each other as they follow and likely record my movements.
Am I paranoid? Most people would love the lavish surroundings, enjoy having the most handsome and rich husband in town, but every day something else happens to make me question why I’m here.
My babies hardly know me, Ava allows me to brush her hair and chats to me, but Noah screams and holds his arms up for Jenny.
When this happens, Jack sends the children away and tells me not to become upset.
I want my babies—I’m their mom, not Jenny.
I can never discuss anything with Jack. He works most days and when we are at dinner, his PA is at the table.
He treats her as if she’s one of the family and I often wonder if she is having an affair with Jack.
They are always together, even though they leave in different vehicles each morning, her office at his company is right next door.
She organizes everything for him right down to what he should wear for the next meeting—all the things a wife should do.
I need to do something and take my chance after dinner as Ruby stands to leave.
I touch Jack’s arm and lean into him. “I’d like to talk to you. I’ll refill our coffee cups.”
I stand and go to the buffet where the coffee sits in a large pot beside the fixings.
The aroma of the fresh brew fills my nostrils and reminds me of the time we sat at a little café in Paris.
We held hands and he hand fed me spoonsful of lemon gelati.
I believed it when he said he loved me. I sigh; life never turns out as planned, does it?
As I fill two cups, I glance into the pink tinted mirror running above the buffet.
I swallow hard when a distorted face looks back at me from behind my own reflection.
My heart pounds as I turn but no one is peering into the dining room.
Is Ruby spying on us? I beckon Jack over. “Jack, come and see this.”
He reluctantly gets to his feet and I point into the mirror but of course the other person has vanished. “I’m sure I saw someone in the reflection behind me. Can you see anyone or is my imagination playing tricks on me again?”
“I see you and me, Laura.” He stares into my eyes, his expression concerned. “What do you see?”
I laugh, what else can I do? He already believes I’m losing my mind. “Oh, I’m sure I saw Ruby peeking around the door. She doesn’t like to miss out on anything involving you, does she?”
“That’s because she needs to know everything about me, so she can assist me in my work.” Jack takes his cup and sits down at the table. “She is excellent at her job, that’s why she lives here, Laura. She takes the extra work from you.”
He doesn’t understand that saying things like that cuts me to the quick. I swallow hard and stare at him, trying to keep the hurt from my expression. “What do you mean by that?”
“Most wives of CEOs enjoy organizing and hosting dinner parties. I know you hate doing that kind of thing, so that’s why I need a PA.” He gives me one of his condescending looks as if he’s placating a small child. “Ruby makes sure I’m dressed for the occasion, and organizes my day.”
You know that look someone gives you when they figure they’ve won?
The small confident smile? It doesn’t work for me.
It just makes me angry and I slam my fist on the table.
My coffee cup tips over and spins in the saucer, spreading brown liquid over the pristine white linen tablecloth.
I love the look of horror in his eyes as he fixates on the spreading brown stain.
“Does she take my place in your bed too?”
“I won’t dignify that with a reply.” Jack leans back and lifts an exasperated gaze at me. “I’ll make an appointment for you to see the psychiatrist. I believe your meds need adjusting.”
Seething, I grip the edge of the table to prevent me from slapping his smug face. “There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m just sick of sharing my meals with the help. I want you to fire her.”
“That’s never going to happen.” Jack places his cup in the saucer and stands. “The meals, well, I’m sure she’ll understand because as sure as hell, I don’t want any of the staff witnessing your violent episodes.” He grips my arm. “I’ll walk you back to your room.”
We mount the stairs and the musky old smell of the house suffocates me.
At least my room overlooks the ocean and I can open the window and smell the salty brine.
As we get closer to my prison, the portraits of people I don’t know and don’t give a damn about stare down at me in judgment.
I can hear them whispering. “Laura’s been a naughty girl again.
” I straighten my shoulders and walk tall, not saying a word.
I’m not complaining but I refuse to comply.
He takes me inside, sits me down and hands me my medication.
I push them into my mouth, pretending to sip water and swallow.
The moment he leaves, I run to the bathroom and spit them down the toilet.
I’ll wait a few minutes and sneak into the nursery to see my babies. My heart breaks as the click of a key turning in the lock dashes all hope. There is no escape from this nightmare.