2
When I entered, Mom was doing her makeup. I rushed in and locked the door behind me.
She stared at me, looking completely bewildered.
“Scarlett, what are you doing here? You didn’t even call ahead!”
“Do you have some good news for me?”
Then she gave me a mischievous grin, her eyes darting to my stomach.
I shook my head repeatedly, pulling up my shirt for her to see.
“Mom, what are you talking about? You know Julian and I have been married all this time, and we’ve never even shared a bed. I don’t even know what color his boxers are.”
Mom gasped in disbelief.
“How can that be? Didn’t I tell you to buy some lingerie and things to spice things up? Julian didn’t fall for it?”
At this, I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I burst out crying.
“Julian’s cheating! He’s a total scumbag. I don’t want to be with him anymore.“”
I’m still so young, I can’t just throw my life away on him, right?
If Julian won’t touch me, I refuse to believe no other man will want me.
Before Mom could ask anything else, I pressed on.
“Not only that, but he’s got an STD. If I stay with him, I might not see next year’s sun.””
Seeing how heartbroken I was, Mom suddenly lowered her head too. “Scarlett, I’m actually in a similar boat.” I quickly asked, “You mean Richard… he has an STD too?”
Mom waved her hand dismissively.
“No, not that. It’s just… I often see him and the housekeeper whispering secretly in his room. Their relationship is definitely more than just professional.”
“And he’s always staring at pictures of his ex–wife, lost in thought. He probably still can’t forget her.“”
“Even though I’m older, I still have needs, you know? But Richard… he’s like he’s impotent. No wonder he and Julian are father and son!”
So Mom wasn’t doing much better than me. Typical. Turns out, not a single man in that Richardson family was any good.
Mom then asked me, “Are you really sure you want out?”
I nodded emphatically, wishing I could rip my heart out and show it to her.
But we both knew, marrying into the Richardson family was easy, leaving it? Not so much.
Our families had been close for generations, and after my dad’s accident, the Richardsons, fearing we’d be left helpless, came up with the idea of us marrying in. It was meant as a way to “take care” of us, honoring my dad’s memory.
The wedding was a huge public affair, but a divorce? The media would tear us apart forever.
“Then let’s run away.
I never thought Mom would have the same idea! But how exactly would we escape? We needed a solid plan.
Then it hit me. There was probably only one way to truly fool both Julian and his dad.
“What about faking our deaths to escape? The kind where they can’t even find a body.”
Mom loved the idea. If we weren’t happy in the Richardson family, why shouldn’t we find another way out?
Though, this escape route was a bit extreme.
