Chapter 6
I saved the number in my phone.
I labeled it [The Barrett family].
After saving it, I sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought for a long time.
My mom had been gone for twenty-three years.
In all that time, I'd never heard a single word from her side of the family.
I wondered, 'Why did she show up now?
'And what was the Barrett family all about?'
I didn't have the answers to any of these questions yet.
But there was one thing I was sure of.
I wasn't totally trapped in this family.
At noon, William came back for lunch.
During lunch, he answered a call. After hanging up, he told Amelia, "Lock the storage room upstairs and give me the key."
The storage room.
It was the same one I'd seen just a couple days ago that was filled with Fiona's things.
He must've realized I'd gone in there.
"Why are you locking the storage room?" I asked.
"There's a lot of stuff in there. I don't want anything to get knocked around," he replied.
"Mess up her things?" I pressed.
He stopped mid-bite, chopsticks still in his hand.
"Violet," he said.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Can you keep things quiet for a few days? Our fifth anniversary is coming up in a month. I'll host a dinner and make it official that you're back. Until then, just stay home and don't wander around."
Our fifth anniversary.
He finally remembered he was married.
"So, who did you spend our third and fourth anniversaries with?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
But I already knew the answer.
He grabbed his coat and walked out.
I was the only one left in the living room.
Amelia was in the kitchen, tidying up the dishes, her phone on speaker playing a voice message.
A woman's voice, gentle and soothing, came through.
"Amelia, I might not be back this week. Could you switch out the diffuser in the bedroom? He likes the white coffee scent," the voice said.
Amelia replied, "Sure, Mrs. Bennett. I'll get it done in a bit."
Even now, she still called Fiona Mrs. Bennett.
I wasn't even allowed to touch the coffee pot at the table.
A week before our fifth anniversary party, things started to feel off.
William was leaving earlier and coming home later every day, and every night he'd be on the phone in the master bedroom for at least half an hour.
He thought I couldn't hear him all the way from the guest room.
But this house wasn't as soundproof as he thought.
He said, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her.
"Yeah, just be there for the dinner.
"She's not going to find out."
Those were the words I overheard while lurking around the corner in the hallway.
William said, "Just be there for the dinner."
Fiona was coming to our fifth anniversary party.
I sat in the guest room all night, trying to make sense of it over and over.
Fiona had been pretending to be me for three years, and everyone in our social circle thought she was Mrs. Bennett.
Now the real Mrs. Bennett was back.
At the fifth anniversary party, there'd be two Mrs. Bennetts in the room.
'How is William going to handle this mess?' I wondered.
The next day, I finally got my answer.
When William came home, he set a document down on the dining table.
"Take a look at this," he said.
I opened it.
The first page was a medical report template, stating: [Due to prolonged coma, brain function has been impaired.
[It is recommended that the patient continue to rest and avoid high-intensity social activities.]
The second page was a draft statement. [This is to declare that, due to health reasons, Violet Bennett's social affairs will be temporarily handled by a relative.]
The third page was a power of attorney.
In the principal's column, it read: [Violet Bennett.]
In the agent's column, it read: [Fiona Bennett.]
Authorized Matters: [To represent the principal at all Bennett Group external events.]
"You want me to sign this?" I asked.
"It's just temporary. Once you're fully recovered..." he said.
"William, are you seriously asking me to sign this and just give up my place to her?" I demanded.
"It's not giving it up. It's just authorizing her," he said calmly.
"And what's the difference?" I pressed.
"The difference is, you're still Mrs. Bennett. She's just standing in for you," he replied.
"Three years of her standing in for me isn't enough? You want to keep this up?" I shot back.
He pulled the document back toward himself.
"If you don't sign, that's fine. But then you can't come to the anniversary party," he said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"You're not fit to be seen in public right now," he said.
"What's wrong with me?" I shot back.
William said, looking at me, "You're way too emotional. If you go out like this, everyone will think you've lost your mind."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"What's the real problem, William? Are you afraid I've lost my mind, or are you scared I'm thinking too clearly?" I shot back.
He picked up the document and headed upstairs.
At eleven o'clock that night, I heard someone come in downstairs.
The footsteps were so light, like someone was deliberately keeping quiet.
Then I heard Darcy's voice.
"Is everything ready?" she asked.
"Yeah, the dress, jewelry, and place cards for the anniversary party, everything's just the way you wanted," someone replied.
"Has the dress been delivered to Fiona yet?" Darcy asked.