The time Lucas gave me to leave the manor was almost up, but I had one last trick up my sleeve.
Wearing my lingerie and night robe, I adjust my ring. I wanted to make Luke remember our bond—what
we shared, physically, emotionally and sexually. This was the only way I knew how to. I leave my
bedroom, with aunt Ruth and Lydia rooting for me.
I enter Luke's room. It was my second time being in his bedroom. I'd never gone there before, because
we mainly made use of my bedroom and the study. I was always curious about his room, but never
thought to satiate my curiosity.
The room is too dark. I can still see, but it is extremely dark. His room is huge, way bigger than mine.
The room is almost empty, except for the bed, a few paintings I recognize as Van Gogh's. There stood
a tall library by the far corner of the room. I move there. I don't have the time to carry out an inspection,
I just needed to find Luke. I take out my phone and dial his number, and as I do so, it rings, but he
doesn't pick. I try again, and he doesn't pick. Luke was a business man, always with his phone, so if he
wasn't taking my calls, it was definitely intentional. I needed to convince him that I had nothing to do
with Rocky. I needed to save my marriage.
I dial his number again, and he still ignores the call. I dial it again, but this time, it's unavailable. I sigh,
as I slowly kneel in defeat. My hand hits something on the shelf and I turn back, as I hear a loud noise.
The library had opened up in half, a secret passage. I gasp, as I'd never have imagined there would be
a secret passage in the house. I enter inside, and it's even darker. I can't see, so I turn on the flashlight
on my phone. I find the light switch and I turn it on.
Suddenly, my heartbeat increases as my heart begins to palpitate. "What the hell is this?" I ask, not
expecting an answer from anyone. There are pictures pasted all over the wall, boards and on the desk.
I walk closer to the desk and pick up some pictures. They were my pictures. Pictures of myself and my
family, but mostly pictures of me. I keep scanning the room as I remember the events behind each
pictures. A picture of me eating ice cream on the steps of Dubois C, pictures of me leaving the church,
pictures of my mother socializing, pictures of my father, pictures of me hanging out with my friends—
why where there so many pictures of me? I go over to a board that's covered with a cloth. I remove the
cloth and instinctively, my left hand goes over my mouth immediately. The board is labeled with
'Targets', and it had pictures of my parents, pictures of myself and the pictures of a few others I could
swear I'd seen sometime back in my home. Our faces were marked with red. I'm unable to control the
tears rolling down my eyes as I stare at the board. This was the reason behind the marriage. He
planned it all. It was for revenge. It had to be.
"No, no!" I wail, another wave of sadness hitting me. I needed an explanation for everything. I had an
explanation for everything I'd just seen in my head, but I so badly wanted to give Luke the benefit of
doubt. He would give me a more logical explanation if I just asked him. I sprint out of the room and
head downstairs. I see Laurel.
"Where's my husband?" I demand. She rolls her eyes at me. "I'll ask you one last time, where the hell is
my husband?!"
"If you can't find him, it means it's because he doesn't want to be found. You caused all this, you wicked
thing!"
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda