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Chapter 6
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Sharing a Car, Losing a Child Chapter 10
I stood across the street and watched him for a few seconds, then turned and walked away without looking back.On the plane, I sat by the window and stared at the clouds, and my mind drifted back to that rainy night five years ago. Adrian had shown up at my door soaking wet and kissed me, his eyes red-rimmed.I'd believed he actually cared about me. It took me years to understand that he'd just needed a stand-in, and I'd played that role for five years.When the plane landed, I turned on my phone and found a message from yet another new number. It was still Adrian."Go. I won't chase you anymore. But I meant what I said. I'll wait for you, even if it takes the rest of my life."I deleted the message, blocked the number, and called Mom."Mom, I just landed. I'll be home soon.""Get back safe. I made pot roast for you.""Okay."I hung up and took a cab home. The city outside the window was the one I'd grown up in, familiar and strange at the same time.Mom was standing at the e
Sharing a Car, Losing a Child Chapter 9
"Adrian's not here to see me," I said. "He's just visiting."Bernie pursed her lips but didn't push it.The rest of Sloane's story came to me in pieces over the following weeks. After Adrian filed the police report, the investigation revealed that she'd embezzled over 800 thousand dollars during her time at the company.Combined with her previous debts, the total came to nearly three million dollars. She was ultimately arrested and held in custody. Thomas said she was likely facing at least three years in prison.Her house, her car, and everything else she owned were seized, while her parents were left buried under the crushing debt from co-signing her loans. She had nothing left. Everything she'd schemed so hard to get was gone.I was watering the bougainvillea tree in the yard when I heard the news. Magenta petals covered the ground like silent rain. I set down the watering can and stood there for a while.That night, I had a dream. I was standing in a room so dark that I could
Sharing a Car, Losing a Child Chapter 8
Adrian walked in and sat down across from me."Your shop girl posted some photos of the store online. I recognized the alley in the background."I was quiet for a moment. The alley was distinctive enough. What he said made sense."You've lost a lot of weight," he commented."So have you."He looked at me, and his eyes held something complicated, caught somewhere between guilt and worry."Iris, are you doing okay?""I'm fine." I poured him a cup of tea. "Are you?"He didn't touch the cup. He just looked straight at me."No," he said, his voice low. "Not at all."I didn't say anything and waited for him to go on."I looked into the contract situation. Sloane was the one who altered it. While she was at the company, she used her position to siphon off money. I've already filed a report with the police."I picked up my own cup and took a sip. "Adrian, what are you actually trying to say?"He looked up, his eyes red. "I'm trying to say that I miss you, Iris."I stared at him.
Sharing a Car, Losing a Child Chapter 7
Adrian stood in the hallway for a long time. I could hear the front desk staff come out to ask him to leave. His footsteps faded down the hallway, only to stop, turn around, and return. It happened over and over, until the hallway finally went quiet for good.I unlocked my phone and saw one last message from that same unknown number."Iris, I'll wait for you. However long it takes."I deleted it and blocked the number.I stayed in Clearwater Beach for five days. During the day, I walked along the water. At night, I read at the hotel. It was quiet, uneventful living.On the second day, my lawyer, Thomas Keane, called."Ms. Whitmore, there's something you should know." His voice had an odd edge to it. "It's about Sloane Hartley.""What about her?""She's in serious debt. Credit cards, personal loans, payday lenders. I pulled her credit history and it adds up to around two million dollars. Apparently that's why her ex-husband divorced her."I paused. It was no wonder she'd been s
Sharing a Car, Losing a Child Chapter 6
The ceiling was above me, blank and white. Then I touched my belly that was now flat and empty. Just yesterday, there had been a heartbeat there. I closed my eyes and tears slid sideways into the pillow. Still, I didn't make a sound.The next morning, a knock on the door woke me. I opened it to find someone from the front desk."Ms. Whitmore, there's a Mr. Lockwood downstairs asking to see you."I froze. How had he found me? But the answer came almost immediately.It was probably with my ID, or my credit card transactions. If he wanted to track me down, he had the means.I hadn't planned on hiding forever. I just didn't want to see him again."Tell him I'm not here," I said.The young woman looked uncomfortable. "But he's already—"Before she could finish speaking, rapid footsteps echoed behind her. I turned and saw Adrian at the end of the hallway.He was wearing a wrinkled white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, his face drawn with exhaustion, dark circles carve
Sharing a Car, Losing a Child Chapter 5
Adrian's breath caught in his throat. Over the phone, he asked, "What did you say?"His voice came out low and raw, barely forced out. I didn't repeat myself. The light turned green and the car behind me honked.I glanced in the rearview mirror at the city I'd spent five years in, hit the gas, and headed toward the airport."Iris, talk to me!" His voice shot up, edged with a panic I'd never heard from him before."What the hell do you mean the baby's gone?""Exactly what it sounds like. I had the procedure yesterday. The confirmation form is right here. Do you want to see it?"Something crashed on his end, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps."Where are you?""It doesn't matter anymore.""I asked you where you are!" He was practically shouting now.I let out a quiet laugh, so faint that it didn't even sound like me. "Adrian, you didn't even know how far along I was this morning. What's the point of asking where I am now?"He went quiet. All I could hear through the ph
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