Chapter Four: Before Midnight
1064 Words
I stared at my phone screen, my heart racing. “Who could this be?” My hands trembled slightly as I typed back. “What do you mean? Who are you?”
After hitting send, I waited for a response but I got none. I felt a chill run down my spine. The weight of uncertainty pressed heavily on me.
I glanced at the clock, realizing I needed to meet with Linda soon. I couldn’t let this distract me but the thought of what the stranger might know gnawed at me.
I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of dread. I needed to focus the wedding tomorrow, on Alexander, but now I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, teetering dangerously close to the unknown.
The familiar scent of roasted garlic and rosemary wafted towards me as I entered the restaurant. Linda was already there, her usual bright smile softened by a hint of concern as she saw me.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry. "You look a little... shaken."
I forced a smile, attempting to brush off my anxieties. "Just a bit stressed," I said, taking a seat across from her. "Wedding jitters, you know?"
Linda chuckled, "I know all about wedding jitters. You'd think after all these years, I'd be used to them."
We both laughed, the sound a little strained, and I knew she could see through my act.
"Actually," I said, taking a deep breath, "it's not just the wedding." I recounted a message from a stranger, the words echoing in my mind like a haunting melody. Linda listened patiently, her brow furrowed with concern.
"That's strange," she said when I finished. "Do you think it's someone Alexander knows?"
I shrugged, "I don't know. It's hard to tell. But it's made me question everything. All the doubts I've been trying to ignore, they're all coming back now."
"It's okay to have doubts," Linda said gently. "You're allowed to feel unsure, especially with everything that's happened."
"I just feel so lost," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I don't know what to do."
Linda squeezed my hand, her eyes filled with understanding. "We'll figure it out," she said, her voice firm. "But for now, let's just focus on getting you through tomorrow. What are your plans?"
"We're having a small ceremony at the courthouse," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Then a reception at a local vineyard. It's supposed to be a relaxed, intimate gathering."
Linda smiled, "It sounds beautiful. Just remember to breathe and enjoy the moment."
But just as I was about to respond, my phone buzzed on the table, the sound piercing through our conversation like a gunshot. I glanced down, my heart racing again. The screen lit up with a new message from the stranger. It was a message that sent a chill down my spine.
"I know something you’re hiding from everyone. Meet me at the Stratosphere Tower before midnight.”
I looked up at Linda, my face pale. "I think... I think I need to go," I stammered, the weight of the message pressing down on me.
"Go where?" she asked, confusion etched on her face.
I swallowed hard, my fingers trembling over the screen. "I don't know. But I have to find out what this is about."
The restaurant around us faded into the background as the urgency of the message consumed me. The words echoed in my mind, a relentless mantra of uncertainty. I felt like I was standing on that cliff again, teetering closer to the unknown, and I could see no way back.
I knew I should tell Linda everything, and share the burden of this strange message, but the words wouldn't come, besides she was already doing enough for me by taking care of Ella, my daughter.
I had Ella right after I finished college, It was an accidental one-night stand with my baby daddy–Wallace West. Just before he got to know about the pregnancy, he got involved in a fatal accident which still seemed like a mystery to me. With that, I decided to keep the baby, in memory of him and I couldn’t let my dad find out, or else he’d disown me. He believed having a child outside the circle of marriage would bring shame to the family’s name and legacy. So I hid the baby from him and everyone for years and kept the baby in Linda’s care.
"Linda, I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I'll explain later, I promise." I stood up, my legs shaky. I needed to get out of there, to figure out what this was all about.
Linda's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed. "Maddie, what's going on? Who is this stranger?"
"I don't know," I said, my voice a mere whisper. "But I have to find out."
I grabbed my purse and rushed out of the restaurant, heading straight to my car parked outside.
The night air was cool and crisp, the city lights twinkling like a million fallen stars. But the beauty of the night held no allure for me. All I could think about was the message, the unknown, the fear that gnawed at my insides.
I gave my driver the address of the Stratosphere Tower. It was a place of forgotten memories, a relic of a bygone era, shrouded in secrets and shadows.
As the car sped through the night, my mind raced. What truth could this stranger hold? What did they know about me, about Alexander, about our lives? Or could this be Lisa’s doing?
The Stratosphere tower loomed in the distance, a silhouette against the star-studded sky. The car pulled up, and I stepped out, my heart pounding in my chest.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I was about to step into the unknown, just when I received another text from the stranger. This time it was different. It was a message that left my blood run cold.
“I’ll see you at your wedding, Maddison.”
I felt a cold hand grip my heart. The stranger knew my name. They knew who I was. And they were playing tricks on me. The silence around me seemed to close in, suffocating me with its weight. I had to get away. I had to get outta there ASAP!
- Writer
