The Wife Stalker

by Liv Constantine

  “Yes! A stomp rocket.”

  Leo got on the floor with Stelli, and together they took it out of the box and set it up. Evie was exclaiming over the American Girl Crafting Kit, and I felt like my heart would burst from love as I watched. I’d been so determined that Stelli and Evie would never know the disappointment I’d had as a child, feeling unheard and uncared for. I made sure that they’d gotten every item on their list. I’d done the shopping on my own, of course. Leo was always far too busy.

  There was a pause in the video and then it picked up again. In the afternoon, we had taken the kids to the Beardsley Zoo, where Stelli had been especially entranced by the tigers, but Evie’s favorites had been the adorable little prairie dogs. We sat outside eating ice cream at one of the picnic tables, and as I filmed the three of them, they stuck their tongues out and made funny faces at me.

  Looking back, I would say it was one of the happiest days of my life. So different from the birthdays of my own childhood, when my mother was usually sick in bed and my father was out of town on business. Now, watching the video and seeing how happy we were together, I couldn’t wrap my head around what happened, how quickly I’d lost them. I decided I would call Janice later today. Maybe I could ask her to call Leo as my attorney and get him to let me see the children. She could explain to him how important it was for their well-being and get him to make the courts change their mind. I knew there was still a good man inside him somewhere. He’d have to see the light, wouldn’t he?

  29

  Piper

  The incessant ringing wouldn’t stop, and when Piper finally picked up, it was with a sigh. She held her hand up and motioned for Joshua to stop the recording of her latest podcast. Now they’d have to start over again from the beginning.

  “Pam . . . er. Piper Drakos.” Damn. She had to be more careful. It was one thing to mess up the last name, but she had to remember she was Piper now. Leo had been so happy when she readily acquiesced to his request that she take his last name. She didn’t care since she’d made up Reynard anyway. And she liked the idea of sharing the same last name with her husband and the children. It made them seem more like a family.

  There was a sound of throat clearing. “Mrs. Drakos? Don’t worry, Stelli is fine, but we need you to come to the school. There’s been . . . an incident.”

  She looked at her watch. “What sort of an incident?”

  “We’d rather discuss it in person. Can you come now?”

  She stifled a groan. “Yes, of course. Did you try to reach Mr. Drakos?” she asked.

  “Apparently he’s in court. See you shortly?” Of course he was, she thought, her annoyance growing.

  Pressing End, she rushed from the studio to her office to grab her purse. Her thoughts raced as she drove the few miles to the elementary school. This kid was going to be the death of her. High-spirited didn’t begin to cover it, though she understood that he was going through a tough time. With Joanna gone, he’d clung even tighter to Leo. Piper had tried, was still trying, to win him over, but nothing seemed to be working.

  Slowing the car, she pulled into the parking lot and took a deep breath before getting out. Stelli was sitting outside of the principal’s office, where the receptionist was reading him a story. She looked up as Piper came in.

  “You can go on in—Dr. Parker is waiting for you,” she said. Piper couldn’t read her tone.

  “Hi, Stelli,” she said before going in, aware of the other woman’s eyes on her, but he didn’t look up.

  Dr. Parker, a striking sixtyish woman with silver hair pulled loosely into a stylish chignon, rose from behind her desk and reached her hand out as soon as Piper entered.

  “Thank you for coming right away. Please have a seat.”

  “What’s happened?” Piper wanted to get it over with.

  Dr. Parker leaned back in her chair, and appraised Piper with cool, green eyes. “I’m concerned about Stelios’s frame of mind,” she said, using his formal name. “The mother of one of his classmates is in the hospital. She just had a baby. Stelios told the little girl that her mother would probably die, and she’d never see her again.”

  It felt like all the air had left her lungs. Piper opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She stared at the woman across from her for what felt like an eternity before she finally spoke. “It’s been a hard year for Stelli. I’m not sure what to say.”

  Dr. Parker raised an eyebrow. “Well, what I would hope you would say is that you’ll have him speak to someone. Clearly, he is very confused about what happened with his mother and still needs closure.”

  Piper saw a good opportunity. “I completely agree with you, Dr. Parker. He has had some anger issues at home, and you’re right—he is confused. His father and I have talked about getting him help, but Mr. Drakos thinks it may resolve by itself if given time.”

  “I’m very encouraged by your concern and desire to get some help for Stelios. Perhaps if I had a word with Mr. Drakos, it might help to get the ball rolling.”

  Piper gave her a grateful smile, seeing she had made an ally. “Yes, I think that would be extremely helpful. I don’t know if you’re aware, but my center has a specialist in grief recovery.”

  The principal’s stern demeanor had softened, and she looked at Piper with renewed interest. “No, I wasn’t aware of that. Stelios is fortunate to have you in his life. I’ll send a note to your husband urging him to take your advice.”

  Piper stood and reached her hand across the desk. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support.”

  “Thank you for coming in, Mrs. Drakos. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  Piper turned and left the room, pulling the door shut behind her. Stelli looked up from his book, his eyes wary as Piper crouched down next to him.

  “Hi, sweetie. Would you like to come home now or stay for the rest of the day?”

  “I want to go back and play with my friends.”

  “Okay. Rebecca will pick you up at two then.” She leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek, but he pulled away. She felt her face flush in embarrassment, and she stood up. “I’ll be going now.”

  She was humming as she drove away.

  Stelli had barely glanced at her when she got home from the center that afternoon, clinging instead to Rebecca. Evie, on the other hand, had been a darling. She’d joined Piper at the pool, reading her Nancy Drew book while Piper tried to concentrate on her own book, The Happy Stepmother.

  “Excuse me, Piper. There’s a delivery truck here. Did you order some furniture?” Rebecca called from just inside the sliding doors. Piper had, but she’d completely forgotten, and she jumped up, threw on her cover-up, and walked inside and upstairs to the front hall, Evie following behind her.

  The decor in Leo’s house was traditional and, in her mind, boring. The house itself had good bones, wonderfully high ceilings, and great light, but the floral fabrics and heavy wood furniture did nothing for it. She liked a modern look, with vibrant colors and cleaner lines. Besides, she wasn’t about to live with furniture another woman had chosen.

  As soon as Piper instructed the moving men to remove the existing furniture from the living room before bringing in the new items, Evie turned to her, her eyes wet with tears. “Where are they taking our sofas?”

  “They’re going to donate them to charity. We’ve got brand-new furniture coming right away to replace them. Won’t it be nice to freshen things up?”

  Evie ran into the room and threw herself on the sofa. “No. Mommy picked these out!”

  Piper felt a pit in her stomach. She hadn’t considered that the children might be upset. They never even sat in the living room. She crouched down so that she was eye level with her stepdaughter.

  “I’m so sorry you’re upset, Evie. I was just trying to make the house more cheerful. I really think if you give the new furniture a chance, you’ll like it.”

  “What are you doing?” Stelli came running in, with Rebecca behind him.
>
  Piper looked at Rebecca helplessly. “I didn’t think—”

  “Clearly,” Rebecca interrupted her. “Children, come with me.” She led them from the room with a disapproving backward glance.

  The blood pounded in Piper’s ears, and she wanted to scream. She looked at the men, who were standing around, waiting for instruction. “I’m afraid there’s been a mistake. Please take the new pieces back. I’ll call the store and straighten it out.”

  She sat for a moment and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down before she went to speak to the children. Was she really supposed to get their approval before she made any changes in the house? It was her house now, too. But obviously they still regarded her as nothing more than a guest. She looked up as she heard footsteps approaching. Rebecca stood in the doorway.

  “I canceled the delivery.”

  Rebecca nodded. “A wise decision. The children are going through a lot, and you just can’t do things like that with no warning.”

  “Pardon me?” Piper raised her eyebrows, ready to tell Rebecca what she could do with her opinion, but Rebecca put up a hand.

  “I know I’m not family, but I’ve known the children since they were babies. I love them and want only what’s best for them.”

  “And you’re implying that I don’t?” Piper asked, incensed.

  “Of course not. I’m only suggesting that you be a little more sensitive to the fact that they’re still grieving. They miss their mother. I know you’re eager to make this your home, but you have to think of them first.”

  Piper stood up. She was not going to sit here and be lectured by the help. “You’re right, Rebecca. You’re not family. And if you ever try to tell me how to behave again, you won’t be taking care of them any longer.” She walked out before Rebecca could respond. She would speak to Leo tonight. How hard could it be to find a new nanny?

  At a little past five Leo phoned to tell her not to hold dinner, as he’d be working late again. He’d warned her before they got married that he worked long hours, but she hadn’t counted on his practically living at the office. The three of them—Piper, Evie, and Stelli—sat down to a dinner of chicken curry that Rebecca had made earlier. As Rebecca served, Piper was chilly toward her and told her to take the rest of the evening off. After helping the children with homework and reading a few bedtime stories, Piper tucked them into their beds and went to her office down the hall to work on her blog while she waited for Leo.

  Around ten, she heard the chime of the door opening and shut her laptop. She found Leo in the kitchen, rummaging in the refrigerator.

  “Didn’t you eat?”

  He shook his head and walked over to her, pulling her into an embrace.

  “I didn’t have time. I’m so wiped I don’t even know if I have the energy to now.”

  “Sit down,” she commanded him. “I’ll make you something. You have to take better care of yourself.”

  She filled a glass with filtered water and handed it to him. He sat at the kitchen table and looked through the mail while she threw together a veggie omelet and toasted a slice of whole wheat bread. After she put the steaming plate in front of him, he wolfed it down, giving her a grateful smile.

  “Thanks. I was hungrier than I thought.”

  “You have to stay nourished.” She cleared her throat and put a hand on his arm. “Listen, I know you’re tired, but I need to talk to you about something.”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “I got a call from the principal today about Stelli.”

  A concerned look came over his face. “What happened? Is he okay?”

  Piper nodded. “He’s fine, but I think he’s still having a hard time processing what happened. He told a little girl that her mother was never coming home from the hospital, that she would probably die.” She arched a brow. “She just had a baby.”

  Leo’s eyes widened. “Oh no. What did you say?”

  She shrugged. “Dr. Parker was pretty adamant that he needs help. I told her that you and I have discussed getting help for him and looking into some naturopathic therapies. She thought that was an excellent course of action. In fact, she’s probably going to tell you that herself.”

  Leo stood up, his expression inscrutable. “He’s young. We just have to do a better job of making him understand that she’s not coming back.”

  “Leo, it’s not enough to talk about heaven. That just confuses him. He doesn’t understand why she can’t come home.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, his voice rising. “Okay, I get it.”

  “There’s one more thing.”

  “What?”

  “It’s Rebecca.” She filled him in on what had happened that afternoon. “She’s overstepping. I think we should consider looking for a new nanny.”

  His expression turned dark. “Aside from me, Rebecca is the one stable force in the children’s lives right now. We can’t replace her. It’s not fair to them. They’ve lost enough.”

  “But, Leo, she practically yelled at me and tried to tell me I wasn’t being a good mother. I’m trying so hard, and she’s making me feel like a failure.”

  “Of course you’re not a failure. But you really shouldn’t have decided to redecorate a room without checking with me first.”

  Her heart began to beat faster. “I wanted to surprise you. I thought you’d be happy. You told me you never liked that furniture.”

  He sighed. “Yes, but . . . look, you have to understand. The children need time. You can’t just spring these changes on them.”

  She began to cry softly and turned away. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to do something to show you I feel like this is my home now.”

  He came up behind her and put his arms around her. “Don’t cry, darling. Everything will be okay. And you and Rebecca will work things out. It’s just going to take time for everyone to adjust and figure out their boundaries.”

  That hadn’t gone the way she’d hoped. Sighing, she trudged up the stairs, her mind working overtime. Although this didn’t really qualify as a fight, it was the first time he’d been obviously frustrated with her. It was far too soon in their marriage for this kind of conflict. When she came out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth, she saw he was already in bed, rolled onto his side, eyes closed. Throwing off her robe, she slid in next to him and pressed her body against his. Her lips found his neck, and she gave it some feathery kisses. He rolled toward her, his eyes opening.

  “Are you too tired?” she asked, her hand caressing his chest.

  “Never too tired for you.” He pulled her on top of him, running his hands over her body. “You’re in control tonight, baby. Go for it.”

  That’s exactly what I intend to do, she thought.

  The next morning, she decided not to go into the center and slept in, letting Rebecca get the kids off to school. It was a little past nine when she finished getting dressed and went to her home office to go through emails and check the blog. A wonderful massage therapist she’d discovered a few weeks ago would be over at eleven, and then she was going to spend the rest of the day reading by the pool. But first, a little admin work had to be done. Piper logged on to the blog and started reviewing comments to approve them before they went live. As soon as she read the comment under the latest blog entry, “Putting Your Own Oxygen Mask On First,” her hand froze over the mouse. It was clear whose handiwork it was. Her voice was unmistakable—and clearly recognizable by her choice of words. Bitter and jealous. It was Joanna.

  You have some nerve! Life is not an airplane ride. In real life, you have to put the children’s needs before your own. That’s what I’ve always done with my children—the ones you stole from me. You don’t care at all about anyone but yourself, and you know nothing about parenting. Maybe that’s why you don’t have children of your own—you only go after ones who belong to other people.

  Pulse racing, she hit the Spam button and drew several deep breaths. She could not let this get to her. What the hell was it with th
ese women? Didn’t they know when to quit? Piper’s hand hovered over the mouse while she debated the wisdom of emailing Joanna. But no, it would only fuel the fire. Best to ignore it and move on.

  She thought back to the last time she’d seen Ava, about a year ago, right before she’d moved east. Piper had been shopping at Neiman’s in San Diego when she turned and saw her late husband’s ex watching her, a look of pure hatred on her face.

  “Well, if it isn’t the black widow!” Ava said with a laugh, then more loudly, “Have you found your next victim yet?”

  Piper had spoken in a low whisper, conscious of two women nearby staring at them.

  “Ava, please, not here. Why can’t you leave me alone?”

  Ava had arched a perfect brow. “What, you think I’m following you? I’ve been shopping here for years. You’re the one who doesn’t belong.” She glanced at the Hermès bag in Piper’s hand. “You can buy designer clothes until you’re blue in the face, but it won’t change who you are inside. They will never cover up the monster you are underneath.”

  Piper bit her lip. There was no point in arguing with her. Things would only escalate. Ava had never cared if she made a scene; in fact, she thrived on it. So Piper turned and walked away as fast as she could, her face hot. When she opened the door, a screeching alarm sounded, and she realized she’d forgotten to put back the purse. “Shit!” she swore under her breath. Turning around, she walked over to the counter to set the bag down.

  Ava called over to her. “Honestly, Piper. You don’t need to steal. Oh, but that’s right—stealing is what you do best. Other women’s husbands . . . children. Until they’re no good to you, and then you kill them.”

  Placing the purse on the counter, Piper strode out as calmly as she could, holding her head up high. She wasn’t going to let Ava and her unhinged rants get to her. But she’d known then that, once again, it was time for her to make a fresh start.