Chapter 2

Things started to spiral out of control three months after Hailey moved in.

That day, I went to the bank to take out money from our account. The clerk looked at her screen and said something that made my stomach drop.

She said, "Mrs. Johnson, your husband changed the phone number and password on his account here last month. Did you know about that?"

I gripped my phone tightly. "What? What did he change it to?"

The clerk shook her head. "I can't tell you that, but if there's any issue with your account, you can request an inquiry."

Daniel changed the details on his own bank account, which meant he didn't want me to know where his money was going each month.

When I got home, I kept quiet. I checked the fridge and saw we were almost out of food.

There were still ten days before the next pension came in.

My pension was one thousand. After utilities and groceries, almost nothing was left.

Daniel got 1.3 thousand every month. It mostly went to his own expenses, but at least some of it still helped with household costs. Now, his money vanished like it never existed.

*****

That night, Daniel didn't get home until after nine. He smelled like food, but it wasn't the kind of food we had at home.

I asked him where he had dinner.

He said, "At Hailey's place. She made a whole table of food and couldn't finish it, so she shared it with me."

Share? What a nice way to put it.

"Where's your pension money this month?" I asked.

Daniel's expression flickered for a moment, then he quickly pulled himself together. "Why do you care? Can't I decide how to use my money?"

"We're out of food."

"Then go buy some yourself. Don't you get your own money?"

"After paying the utilities, there's barely anything left."

He went quiet for several seconds, then opened his mouth.

I could already guess what he'd say.

He said, "You can't stop talking about money. I've told you so many times, you can't be so petty. What's wrong with me helping Hailey out?

"If you don't want to help, that's totally fine, but why do you always stop me?"

"Enough," I cut him off. "You're right."

I picked up my phone from the table and texted Mia. [Could you send me another 300 dollars this month?]

Mia called back right away. "Mom, what's wrong? Are you short on money?"

"Yeah, things have been a bit tight lately," I said.

"Is Dad spending money on that woman again?" Mia asked.

Mia knew more than I realized.

I didn't reply. That silence said everything.

There was a long pause on the line, then Mia said, "Mom, I'll come home this weekend."

*****

Before the weekend rolled around, an unexpected visitor showed up.

It was two in the afternoon when someone knocked on the door. I opened it and saw a man in his mid-thirties.

He had a deep tan, was solidly built, dressed in a black leather jacket, and had a cigarette hanging from his lips.

He looked me up and down, then flashed a smile that instantly made my skin crawl.

"You're Louise Johnson, right? My mom asked me to come by," he said.

"Your mom?" I was confused.

"Hailey Clayton. She lives next door. I'm Gary Clayton, her son," he replied.

He barged right in without waiting for my permission, marched straight into the living room, and dropped himself onto the couch, legs crossed. "Mrs. Johnson, I think we need to sit down and have a real talk."

I stood there in the entryway, watching him.

He didn't care how I felt and kept going. "You know about my mom and Mr. Johnson, right? They're pretty tight these days."

He took his phone out of his pocket, scrolled for a moment, then turned the screen toward me.

It was a photo, showing Daniel and Hailey sitting side by side on a park bench, Hailey leaning on his shoulder, both of them grinning.

An eighty-year-old man and a fifty-five-year-old woman? Well, I gotta say they looked perfect together, but it made me sick.

"So?" I replied, keeping my face blank.

Gary put his phone away and grinned. "Mrs. Johnson, you're a smart woman. Let's not beat around the bush.

"Mr. Johnson wants to be with my mom, but he's got a family, so it's kinda difficult. That's why he gave her a written promise."

He took a piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to me.

The crooked handwriting on it was unmistakably Daniel's.

I knew that handwriting better than anyone. I'd seen his signature countless times over the past sixty years, so I knew his handwriting like the back of my hand.

The paper basically said Daniel promised he'd marry Hailey when the time was right, and that he would give her the downtown property to make sure she'd be taken care of.

At the bottom was Daniel's signature, along with a seal.

I read every word on that paper, slowly and carefully.

Then I handed it back to Gary.

He was waiting for me to break down, to cry, to lose it, but I didn't.

I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. Carrying it back to the living room, I sat across from him and took a sip.

He finally started to look uncomfortable. "Mrs. Johnson, aren't you going to say anything?"

I looked at him and replied coolly, "I already knew."

Gary's smile froze. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Footsteps sounded outside, and Daniel walked in. The moment he saw Gary, his face went pale.

Then he looked at me, looking nervous and guilty. "Louise, I can explain."

I picked up my coffee and took another sip, not bothering to look at him.

"No need to explain. I've already read your letter. You put more effort into that than the love letters you used to write me," I said.

Daniel's face flushed red, then turned pale again.

Gary stood up and brushed off his jacket as if there was dust on it. "Alright, Mrs. Johnson, give it some thought. Mr. Johnson has made it clear. Maybe you should step aside."

Then he left.

The moment the door clicked shut, Daniel sank onto the couch. "Louise, I—"

I set my cup down and stood up. "I'm going to buy some food."

"Louise," he called out.

I opened the door and walked out without looking back.

As I walked down the hallway, I could hear his hurried footsteps behind me, but I didn't stop.

He couldn't catch up. When someone was feeling guilty, they didn't move with the same confidence.