CHAPTER 4
1205 Words
Catherine’s POV
Jason didn’t show up for the next five meetings.
The first time it happened, I sat in the front row, dressed even nicer than the last time. I had already decided how this was going to go. How far I would take it. Especially after what I saw last night.
‘Anytime now,’ I thought, as my gaze burned holes into the door, waiting for him to walk through.
After a few minutes, a short, chubby woman stepped forward instead and settled into the coordinator’s seat. A wide smile spread across her face.
I didn’t think anything of it at first. Not until she spoke.
“Good day, everyone!” she cheered with exaggerated enthusiasm. “And welcome. I’ll be your coordinator for today.”
My heart dropped instantly.
My eyes darted around the room, scanning for any sign of him, tucked in a corner or still arriving. Maybe he just wasn’t the one chairing today.
I didn’t see him anywhere.
I decided to stay regardless, hoping he might still appear somewhere between the session.
As the last words of the serenity prayer echoed in the room, I shot up, grabbing my purse. I could feel the hot rage rising in me, but I refused to let it show.
It was just one day, after all. He’d definitely show up next time.
I clung to those words at the next meeting.
And the one after that.
And the ones that followed.
Each time, I stayed till the end.
Each time, it was the same new coordinator.
By the fifth session, I’d had enough.
As soon as the room began to clear, I walked up to her, arranging my face into something pleasant.
“Hi, goodday.”
She returned it easily. “Hi. Gloria is it?”
“Yes. I actually wanted to ask something,” I said carefully. “I was hoping to speak with Mr. Donovan. Do you know when he’ll be around?”
She hesitated, lifting her eyes as if the right answer was hidden in the ceiling.
“Mr. Donovan will be away indefinitely,” she replied in a way that felt practiced. “He has a few things to handle.”
Her smile returned. “But you can always speak with me or the other coordinators. We can step into the office—.”
*Indefinitely*
The word drained the strength from my legs.
I turned away before she could finish.
“Ma’am?” she called out. “Ma’am—”
I didn’t stop.
My heart was pounding by the time I reached the door.
*What happened?*
*I thought we had some sort of connection.*
My hands shook as I tried to get my key into the car door, missing the slot twice before it finally slid in.
*The way he was with his wife. The distance. The tension. They were clearly not happy.*
*Or did he see me that night?*
I pulled out of the lot too fast.
*And Indefinitely. What was that supposed to mean? A month? A year?*
My grip tightened on the steering wheel as my foot pressed harder on the accelerator.
*I couldn’t wait that long.*
My body lurched forward as the numbers on the speedometer jumped.
120.
160.
200!
Panic turned into anger.
*How dare he?*
*I finally had him and he thought he could disappear?*
My vision blurred, the road dissolving into red as I slipped past cars without thinking. My hands clenched so tight my veins nearly popped out.
A piercing screech rang out as I drifted into the apartment parking lot.
I slammed the door hard.
“Catherine?” Mrs. Logan stared at me from her garden, wide-eyed. “Are you alright?”
I walked straight past.
Inside, I shoved the door open, and flung my keys without caring where they landed. I paced the living room back and forth, my head burning, my chest tight.
*I’d rather die than let Jason Donovan get away again.*
Then, from nowhere, I felt something take over me.
A high-pitched scream tore out and I grabbed my bedside lamp and hurled it against the wall. It shattered on impact. I swept everything off the table in one motion, sending it all crashing to the floor, makeup bursting open, pigments staining the tiles in messy streaks of color.
My legs finally gave way, the rush draining out of me all at once.
I dropped to my knees, chest heaving rapidly.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed the broken frame lying near my hand. Derek’s face stared back at me through cracked glass. I picked it up slowly, brushing the shards aside with trembling fingers.
“I’m so sorry,” I broke into tears, looking into his deep blue eyes. They always lit up when he smiled.
“I didn’t mean to fail you.”
Suddenly, a soft chime rang, interrupting the silence.
It was my laptop.
I turned my attention to it for a few seconds before it came to me.
*Of course!*
I crawled so fast I didn’t even feel the floor beneath my palms. One second I was on the rug, the next I was at my bed, hauling myself up just enough to reach the screen.
How could I have forgotten about the file?
I clicked on the email from the hacker. The attachment was still there.
**Mrs. Abigail Donovan.**
I opened it.
Everything was structured and precise. Lines of information stacked clearly on the screen. Address. Routine. Patterns. I scrolled, knowing exactly what I was looking for.
Then I saw it.
*Visits St. Matthew’s Fertility Clinic every Saturday at 12 p.m. Behind her husband’s back.*
Below it, a short line appeared in a different font color, one I hadn’t noticed before.
**Check your drawers.**
I reached over and pulled the drawer open. My hand dug beneath loose papers until my fingers closed around plastic. I lifted it out.
An ID card.
St. Matthew’s Fertility Clinic.
My face looked back at me.
But the name wasn’t mine.
**Nurse Felicia Martins.**
My lips curved into a knowing grin.
“Dave, you genius.”
I jumped to my feet so fast the card slipped from my grip and skidded across the floor. I bent to pick it up, then noticed something taped to the back.
**And behind your closet.**
I crossed the room and moved behind it, dragging out a small package. I pulled it free and tore through the paper, dropping it onto the bed.
A blue nurse’s dress unfolded, the St. Matthew’s Fertility Clinic logo stitched neatly into the fabric.
A disbelieving laugh escaped me as I lifted it.
This was all too good to be true.
I danced for a few seconds, humming away happily as I held the dress like a partner, moving to music only I could hear, before dropping onto the bed, the fabric falling over me.
I turned my face sideways and saw my phone lying close.
My hands reached for it and set an alarm.
**Saturday. 11:30 a.m.**
Then I lay there, smiling at my reflection in the dark screen, a satisfied breath leaving my chest.
“We’ll get our revenge.”
My smile faltered.
“And no one will stop us.”
- Writer
