Chapter 3 - The Golden Locket
The moment the heavy door latched shut behind Eric, Jenna pulled the guest chair directly against my bed rail. She reached out and wrapped both of her hands around my right wrist. Her palms were warm, her eyes brimming with what looked like pure sisterly devotion.
""He's such an amazing husband, Maya,"" Jenna whispered, shaking her head. ""I swear, seeing how he cares for you makes me realize I’ve been dating the wrong men my entire life. You're so lucky.""
A scream built in the back of my throat, but I swallowed it down until my mouth tasted like copper. I had practically raised Jenna after our mother died. I paid her college tuition. When she couldn't afford rent two years ago, I gave her five thousand dollars without ever asking for a cent back.
""Yeah,"" I forced out, staring into her wide brown eyes—the same eyes our mother had. ""He's very... devoted.""
""You need to rest,"" she cooed, gently pulling the hospital blanket up to my chin. ""I brought my tablet. I'm just going to finish some design work while you sleep.""
I pretended to drift off, letting my breathing slow into heavy, rhythmic sighs. Jenna sat quietly for twenty minutes, tapping away on her screen. Eventually, the room grew dark as twilight settled outside, casting long shadows across the walls. Believing I was deeply sedated, Jenna quietly stood up, set her tablet on the small table, and slipped out to the restroom down the hall.
My body screamed with agony as I shifted my weight. The pins in my femur felt like flaming spikes, but adrenaline overrode the pain receptors. I reached over toward the bedside table, snagging her designer purse that sat open on the chair.
I dug my fingers inside, past her lipstick and wallet, hunting for anything—a second phone, a bank slip, a key. My hand brushed against something small and metallic hidden at the bottom of the zippered interior compartment.
It was a delicate gold locket on a thin chain.
I recognized it immediately. It was the antique Tiffany pendant Eric had claimed he lost during our anniversary trip to Charleston three months ago. He had told me he dropped it down a storm drain near the marina.
With shaking fingers, I pressed the tiny latch.
The locket clicked open. Inside, set behind a clear plastic sleeve, was a photograph cut from a tiny photobooth strip. Eric and Jenna, kissing each other on the mouth, laughing beneath a canopy of fairy lights. On the opposite side of the locket, an inscription was engraved in fresh, sharp cursive: Forever Starts Soon. E & J.
My breath hitched in my chest. Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but they were not tears of sorrow. They were the cold, stinging tears of raw fury. They had planned this for months. They had mapped out my death, my funeral, the insurance payout, and their grand new life together while sitting at my Thanksgiving table, eating my food, and smiling in my face.
A floorboard creaked in the corridor outside.
I snapped the locket shut, jammed it back into the bottom of her purse, and threw myself flat against the mattress just as the door handle turned.
May you like
Jenna stepped back into the room, drying her hands on a paper towel. She looked over at me, pausing for a brief second to scan my posture. I kept my eyes closed, my mouth slightly slack, pretending to be lost in drug-induced slumber.
""Sleep tight, Maya,"" she murmured from across the room, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. ""You won't have to hurt much longer.""
