Chapter 29

TWENTY-NINE

Tuesday August 3, 2010

Charlotte made a single phone call and Lyle rushed in like a white knight to her rescue. I heard her whispering outside my door, telling him how much I upset the girls with a supposedly unhinged rant. She even added in a little twist that I’d made Heath cry.

I didn’t even raise my voice, so unless Heath’s English comprehension skills expand to veiled insults, then she’s being manipulative. Again.

The absurdity of her claims don’t matter, because Lyle will believe her without question. The mere fact that she’s still here after poisoning me twice is proof that I’m not paranoid.

On cue, he entered the room, his gaze flicking to the crib as if he thought Heath’s life might be in danger from his deranged wife. Then he shot me a look of pity and fear that made my blood boil.

Lyle sat on the edge of my bed and sighed, his handsome face creased with worry. I waited for him to start a rehearsed speech, telling me my mental issues are getting out of hand. Instead, he looked into my eyes and asked what would make me happy.

I told him to get rid of Charlotte. If we can’t find a nanny, we can hire a housekeeper. He held my gaze, his expression unwavering, like he was trying to look into my soul.

Finally, he nodded, asking me to give him until the end of the week to find a suitable replacement. Every instinct screamed at me to demand that he send her packing immediately, but I held my tongue. The last thing I wanted was to appear unhinged.

My stomach rumbled, and he asked when I’d last eaten. I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. If I told him I was too frightened about being poisoned again, he would definitely think I’d lost my mind.

I muttered something about losing my appetite, and he walked out of the room. If I hadn’t been post-operative and weak with hunger, I would have followed him out into the hallway and down the stairs. Instead, I waited.

The girls tiptoed into the room, their faces pale and drawn. Dolly stepped in first, clutching Amy’s hand. Dolly asked if I was mad at her for loving Charlotte. The confirmation that she was under that bitch’s influence was like a blade to the heart.

Swallowing hard, I forced a smile, but I couldn’t hold back the tears. Pulling her into a hug, I whispered a string of reassurances. Amy stood a few feet away, her eyes wide with fear.

I beckoned her to come closer, and she hesitated for several seconds before shuffling forward. It was heartbreaking to see her look so insecure. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and whispered that everything was going to be alright.

Lyle came in shortly after with a bag of chips and a bowl of chili, swearing to God that he’d warmed it up himself straight from the can. Laughing, I let him place the tray on my lap, and the three of us picked from it like it was a feast.

When he picked Heath out of the crib and sat at the bedside, it was like a family picnic. Five of us together… without that blonde interloper.

Just when I thought my marriage had gone to shit, he brought us all together with a simple bowl of chili. That’s why I love him so fucking much.

We stayed together all night like it was a sleepover.

The next morning, Dolly found Charlotte in her bedroom, dead.