9:57 a.m.
Suburban Residential Community of Sunset Ridge
The Dr. Miriam Santiago Residence
After her appointment with Dr. Carson, Miriam had taken Amy to the grocery store and helped get all her shopping done. Both stops had put her nearly two full hours behind schedule, she knew she would have to bust her ass to get everything done on time. She could do it. She had to.
During the shuttle flight back, the rain had stopped, but the skies were still dark and gloomy. Even so, Amy was beginning to enjoy herself for a change. Trying to take Nora’s advice, she began talking to Miriam. At first, it was a conversation about Miriam’s roses, which were like a hedgerow that separated her property from Cord’s. Then Miriam got personal and asked about Cord, and then she asked how he treated Amy. Then Miriam specifically asked about the day he beat Amy senseless for using the words “no” and “fuck you.”
Amy had thought that beating was a secret, but Miriam had witnessed the entire event from her kitchen window. All the homes in Sunset Ridge were made of steel and glass. And anyone could see inside her home on the nights when the blinds weren’t closed. The community being so isolated and sparsely populated, there was no real need to lock doors. And Cord never worried about closing the blinds at night. And as she wanted Miriam’s help, Amy admitted to the beating. To all of it. She stood up to her husband. Cord punched Amy until she fell to the floor. Then, he straddled her and kept punching until she cried, bled, and pleaded with him to stop.
“I’m so sorry, Amy.” Then after a string of profanity directed at Cord, Miriam changed the subject.
The shuttle ride home was just enough time for Amy to decide she really liked Miriam. She would make a great friend. She didn’t judge Amy, she only tried to be supportive. And Miriam said she wanted to help her. Amy had never met anyone like her.
Just as Amy was feeling a sliver of hope, her heart sank as Miriam’s shuttle descended toward her shuttleport. Cord’s shuttle was parked in front of their home again.
“Oh god, no!” Amy cried out. “He’s home already! And I haven’t even started on my chores!”
“Settle down, Amy,” Miriam said to her. “I promised to help you and I will.” As soon as the shuttle landed on the ground, Miriam reached up over her head and switched off the engines. Then she turned in the pilot’s seat to face Amy. “Listen, I know Cord doesn’t like me, and I really don’t give a shit. I’m your friend. And I don’t like the way he talks to you. So, we’re going to take the groceries into your house, then we’ll put them all away, and then I’ll start dinner while you start on your housework. I don’t care what he thinks, we’re doing this together. And together, we’ll get everything done on time.”
“But, Miriam, you can’t. He hates you.”
Amy was just as afraid of what Cord would do to Miriam as she was about what he’d do to her. Taking Miriam into his home was simply a bad idea.
“So what?” Miriam shrugged. “As long as you live there, it’s your house, too. You have the right to have company.”
Amy grimaced. This was asking for trouble, but Miriam seemed to already know that. What more could she say?
Miriam smiled again. “I’d like to see Cord talk to me the same way he talks to you. I’ll bust him right in his foul mouth.”
Amy wanted Miriam’s help, but she also worried about the fallout from doing something that she knew would piss off her husband. She knew Cord well enough to know he’d definitely say something to Miriam, something hateful, but he probably wouldn’t hurt her. No, he’d save that for Amy after Miriam went home.
“I can’t,” Amy said. “I’m in enough trouble as it is. You’ve seen what happens when I make him angry.”
“Amy, this entire subdivision belongs to Guardian Securities. We all work in the same place, and we all have very high-ranking positions. So, he may think he’s a big shot, but so am I. He may not know it, but I actually work for the Department of Science, the government, and although I’m only a liaison to Guardian, he’s in for a nasty surprise if he wants to fuck with me. I’ll have the protectorate down here so fast he won’t know what hit him. He may think he’s all powerful and untouchable, but I assure you, he’s not. If he hurts you, he’ll get a quick education just how powerful someone in my position is. The protectorate won’t take kindly to the things that I’ve seen with my own eyes. There won’t be a hearing for him, nor a court date, nor an attorney present during his interrogation. He’ll vanish, perhaps one morning on his way to work, and after a very long disappearance, he’ll return home with a new respect for women.”
And what if he kills me first?
With another smile, Miriam patted Amy on the leg. “Now, let’s get your groceries inside. If we don’t start soon, we’ll have to work even harder.”
“Miriam,” Amy muttered. “This is a very bad idea. Let me go alone. He’s already going to be mad at me, but he’ll be madder if you walk in the house with me.”
Miriam rose from her seat, then pulled Amy to her feet. “You may not realize it yet, but I’m helping you. You’ll see.”
“You don’t know what he’s capable of. You don’t have to live with him. I do.”
“Amy, today is the day he’s going learn that you’re a real person. You’re not his servant, his maid, and you are not his punching bag. I’m rather hoping he’ll start something while I’m there. I’m just the person who can get him to stop abusing you.”
“But, what if he waits until you leave?”
Miriam sighed. “If you have any more problems with him, I want you to come to my house. I’ll put you up until we can get you back on your feet. I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore. Okay?”
Amy still thought this was a bad idea, but everything Nora said was seeping into her consciousness. This relationship with Cord was bad and only getting worse. Although, if she had a choice, she would still rather fix everything with Cord. Perhaps Miriam and Nora were both right. He wasn’t going to change on his own. And the only way to prompt him to stop his abusive behavior was Miriam. If Miriam really would call the protectorate, perhaps they’d scare some sense into him.
Bravery was never one of Amy’s strengths. Yet, now she needed some. And she did feel safe with Miriam. After another moment of thought Amy decided that she could do this as long as Miriam was with her.
“Okay,” Amy said softly.
As soon as the shuttle’s side door opened, the shuttle filled with the pleasing scent of dampened roses; a sign that perhaps things had taken a turn for the better. After exiting the shuttle, Miriam filled both of their arms with grocery bags. And with Miriam trailing behind her, Amy began walking across the rain-soaked lawn toward her home. After the first couple steps Amy had quickly changed her mind.
This is a mistake, she told herself. This is a really bad idea. He’s going to beat the living shit out of me once Miriam leaves.
Then Amy froze in her tracks and a cold shiver ran down her back. She watched a blonde woman run out her front door. Dressed only in a white robe, she ran to the edge of the street, grabbed the mail from the mailbox, then ran back inside. As soon as the front door closed behind her, Amy dropped her bags of groceries on the lawn and tears instantly streaked down her cheeks. That was Amy’s silk robe the woman was wearing. That was Amy’s job to get the mail.
“Who was that?” Miriam asked.
“Does it matter?” Amy replied. “He’s already replaced me.”
With it still daylight outside, the glass walls of her home were all mirrored, and impossible to see inside. All Amy could do was face the truth, even if she couldn’t see it. Another woman had taken her place. And right now, she was probably doing everything Amy was told to do but shrugged off to go to her appointment. Amy’s legs gave out and she crumbled to her knees. And she could no longer hold in her pain. She sat back on her heels and cried.
After sitting her grocery bags on the lawn, Miriam knelt next to Amy.
“Who was that woman? And what is s
he doing in your house? Do you know her?”
“With your help, I would have had everything done on time. He didn’t even wait for me to screw up this time. He’s already got someone new!”
“Grrr.” Miriam sneered at the front door. “Now, I hate that fucker even more.”
“Now where am I supposed to live? I can’t even go home to get my things now.” Then Amy shouted, “She’s wearing my clothes!”
Miriam pulled Amy’s crying and reluctant body to her feet. Then she wrapped an arm around her waist and guided Amy toward Miriam’s house. Jealous, heartbroken, and unsure what she should do, Amy staggered along with her.
“I’m taking you to my place,” Miriam said. “I’m going to put on a pot of coffee, then we’re going to figure everything out. Enough is enough with this asshole.”
“Why?” Amy cried. “Why does he hate me? What did I do wrong?”
10:07 a.m.
The Dr. Miriam Santiago Residence
With Amy in non-stop tears, there was nothing for them to talk through. Amy’s marriage was over. There was nothing left. Her world was crumbling around her and there was nothing she could do about it but cry.
Miriam continually tried to distract Amy with coffee and conversation. And after a long period of tears, Amy started listening. Miriam’s attempts were working to a degree. When Amy wasn’t focused on Cord and his new woman, she caught herself talking with Miriam about books, her childhood, or her dreams. Amy admitted that she had always wanted a kitten, but Cord would never allow it.
Talking to another woman, or having a friend, wasn’t something Amy had much of a chance to do in the last twelve years. She liked talking with Miriam. She seemed to understand what Amy was going through, even though she was also sure Miriam had never been in the same position.
But, as much as Miriam tried, Amy’s thoughts never strayed too far from the woman living in her house, wearing her clothes, doing her chores, and probably eating at her table with her husband. Would they also be sleeping together tonight?
Miriam insisted that Amy’s groceries be put to use. So, after a lunch of half-eaten sandwiches, they worked together to prepare and cook the roast that was meant for Cord.
As the day went on, Amy tired of the conversation. Then all she could do was obsess over what was happening next door. There was a lot of pacing, a lot of looking out the kitchen window at her home across the rose bushes, and even though Miriam continued to talk, all Amy heard was distant strings of gibberish. Until she figured out what to do, she was stuck in an endless loop. Pace around the kitchen, look out the window, pace again, look out the window, pace some more...
5:47 p.m.
The Dr. Miriam Santiago Residence
After dinner, Miriam stopped serving Amy coffee. Miriam said she was jumpy and nervous enough and didn’t need any more. And when Amy insisted she still needed something, Miriam filled Amy’s coffee mug with hot chocolate instead. And although Amy’s tears had stopped, her eyes were still swollen and red and her chest and stomach ached with grief. With an unending series of sniffles, Amy resumed her pacing, but this time clutching her mug of chocolate.
Soon, the sun began to set. Amy couldn’t wait. Once the sunlight reached a low enough light level, the mirrored glass walls of her house would become standard glass. And that meant if Cord hadn’t changed his routine, their blinds would be open and Amy could see inside her house again. She needed to know what was happening over there.
Miriam pulled Amy into her bedroom and let her pick out some comfortable clothes to wear for the evening. Amy was fine with wearing a pair of Miriam’s gray sweatpants and a white tank-top; the same type of clothes she would’ve worn back when she was single and living paycheck to paycheck in her old apartment. She no longer cared about wearing the clothes Cord bought for her. She didn’t feel wealthy anymore and didn’t care to pretend she was anything but the loser she once was. Then it was back to the kitchen for more pacing.
At 9:33, the sun had sunk beneath the distant palm trees on the horizon. Amy stopped at Miriam’s kitchen sink and peered next door. The mirrored glass walls across the lawn faded away and Amy could see inside her old home again. Cord was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t unusual. He would usually be found in his office on the lower level, making conference calls. And he’d be there for several hours before he went to bed. Cord may not have been seen, but the woman was still there.
Cord’s kitchen faced Miriam’s, and that’s where Amy spotted the woman. She stood at the kitchen sink, washing dish after dish and stacking them neatly beside the sink. Precisely how Amy would do the dishes. And she was still wearing Amy’s white silk robe. And then she noticed something that was an even bigger slap in the face. The woman wore a wedding ring on her finger, just like the one Amy wore.
Miriam walked up and stood beside Amy, handing her another mug of hot chocolate. “Sweet, Jesus.” Miriam said, as she got her first glimpse of Amy’s replacement.
“I know,” Amy said. “He’s having an affair and doing it right in front of my face. Why?”
“That’s an easy question to answer. He’s a fucking asshole.”
“I don’t understand, Miriam. She’s even wearing my clothes. Does he want her to look like me or something?”
“No, she’s not meant to look like you. She’s meant to be you.”
“Huh?”
With a hand on Amy’s shoulder, Miriam turned Amy to face her. “I’m not exactly sure I’m right yet, but... As crazy as it seems, I think I know what’s going on.”
“What? Tell me.”
Miriam gazed at Amy for a long moment, before she replied. “I’ll need you to help me figure this out, but not now. In the morning.”
“But—”
“There’s nothing we can do tonight, Amy. And you can’t just go storming over there. What would you do? Scream? Shout? Swear? What would you accomplish other than pissing off Cord?”
Amy didn’t reply. She didn’t know what to do.
“Emotions are high right now,” Miriam continued. “It’s been a long day. You’re tired and you’re a nervous wreck. And I’m so angry right now, I can’t think straight either. We need to get some rest, so we can think clearly. We’ll need to put our heads together in order to figure this out, but not tonight. In the morning. When we’re rested.”
“I won’t be able to sleep,” Amy said. “I can’t.”
“I guess if it were me, I would find it hard to sleep, too. But, in order to be sure this is what I think it is, well, I’m going to need to ask you a lot of personal questions. And I’ll need your undivided attention. So if you want my help, just lie down in my guest room for a few hours. Let’s clear our heads.”
Reluctantly, Amy nodded. She trusted Miriam. She was her friend.
Amy couldn’t picture herself sleeping. Not when she knew that woman was still next door. But, she did want help. When Miriam pulled the coffee mug from Amy’s hands, she didn’t resist. When Miriam grabbed her hand, she let her. Then Miriam walked Amy to her guest room. Amy would at least lie down for a while and try to get some sleep.
IV
Tuesday, 2:48 a.m.
The Dr. Miriam Santiago Residence
Unable to sleep, Amy left Miriam’s guest room, exiting by the sliding glass panel that led to the back of the house. The wooden deck stretched the length of the house, and was decorated by flower pots, wooden lounge chairs, and covered by a matching wood awning. It faced Miriam’s brightly lit swimming pool. A sight Amy would rather not have noticed.
She picked the closest chair to her room and dragged it to the end of the porch. It was the closest she could get to Cord’s house without leaving the deck. After turning her chair to face her old home, she sat down and stared at the darkened glass wall where her bedroom should be. Where a stranger slept beside her husband. Where Amy should be lying at this very moment.
The nightly rain showers were depressing, but it was offset by the smell of roses and chlorine from the pool. While s
he could do without any reminders of swimming pools, the pleasing scent of roses was something she’d always liked about Miriam’s place.
Amy sat there for several long minutes, sniffling, just like she had all day long. From where she sat, if the lights were on, she would have a clear view of the bedroom. Then again, Amy didn’t need to see inside to know what was going on. She could picture the scene. Cord was sleeping, snuggled up behind his new girlfriend. And probably had an arm wrapped around her, too. Like he used to do to Amy after they were first married.
Then Miriam’s patio door slid open. Miriam walked out wearing a blue terry-cloth robe, tying it around her waist before closing her patio door. She grabbed a lounge chair and dragged it beside Amy’s. As she sat down, Amy spoke before Miriam could say anything.
“How long do you think he’s been having an affair with that woman?”
“I know this is hard on you, but you really need to get some sleep.”
“How can I sleep? He’s having an affair. In our bed this time.”
“Amy...” Miriam paused to sigh.
“If I had any guts at all, I’d march right over there and confront her. That’s not her husband. He’s mine.”
“Not any more, he’s not.”
Amy couldn’t argue the point. Clearly, Cord didn’t seem to believe he belonged to Amy anymore. And it was also obvious marching over there wouldn’t change a thing.
“Why don’t you go back to bed?” Miriam asked. “We can talk about this in the morning.”
“You can go back to bed. I’m okay. Really. I just want to sit out here for a while. If I get tired, I’ll go back to bed, too.”
“I can’t sleep knowing you’re out here.” After a yawn, Miriam continued. “Since you’re awake, you feel like talking? Answering some questions?”
Amy nodded. “Okay.”
“Alright then. I’m going to need some coffee first. Want some?”
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