Chapter 2

Jeremy had been acting so out of character these past couple of days that I had absolutely no idea what he was going to do next.

It felt like picking up a book I knew by heart, only to find a few pages suddenly blank. That kind of uncertainty made me anxious.

Suddenly, his phone on the living room table started buzzing nonstop with notifications.

I walked over. The screen kept lighting up with new messages.

The moment I saw them, I was stunned.

[Babe, why haven't you been at work these past few days?]

[Babe, that old hag didn't catch on, right?]

[Miss you.]

I couldn't unlock his phone to see the picture, but I already knew what it was.

I put the phone back where I found it.

When Jeremy came out, I was sitting on the couch, tweaking my project plan.

"Did you go to work today?" I asked.

Jeremy flicked water from his hair, and a spot on my laptop screen instantly got wet. "Yeah, what's up?" he replied.

I wiped the water off the screen and said, "Nothing, just curious."

That night, I tossed and turned, unable to get any real rest.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was lurking in the darkness, watching me.

Early the next morning, I drove straight to the hospital.

The doctor explained, "Looking at your test results, all the toxins have been completely cleared out. So there's no way they'd cause any hallucinations."

The doctor asked, "Have you been getting enough rest lately?"

Maybe that feeling of being watched was just in my head.

"I haven't been sleeping well lately," I admitted.

The doctor said, "No big deal. Just make sure you get some rest, and be careful with what you eat from now on. Food poisoning can do a real number on your health."

As I walked out of the hospital, my phone rang. It was someone from Jeremy's studio.

"Hi, Mrs. Lawson. Mr. Lawson hasn't shown up at work these past few days, and I can't reach him. A few documents are waiting for his signature. Could you help me get in touch with him?" the staff member asked.

He hadn't been at work? Where could Jeremy be? He treated that studio like it was his baby. This kind of thing had never happened before.

I decided to head over to the studio and check things out for myself.

Terence Carroll, the vice president, was waiting for me at the door.

"Mrs. Lawson, I need to head out for a client meeting. This is Darcy Stewart, Mr. Lawson's assistant. She'll take you to his office," Terence said.

I replied, "Alright, you do your thing."

Jeremy hated it when I meddled in his work, so I hadn't been here in ages. Everything around me felt strange and unfamiliar.

Darcy expertly entered the code and unlocked Jeremy's office door.

"Mrs. Lawson, feel free to look around. I'll go brew you some coffee," Darcy said.

Jeremy's office was spotless, and there was a whole row of succulents lined up on the windowsill, looking healthy and thriving.

I looked through his things, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That was, until I opened the top drawer.

A tube of lipstick was sitting in the most obvious spot, as if someone had deliberately placed it there.

My expression darkened as I closed the drawer. I didn't find what I was looking for in Jeremy's office.

Darcy walked in with a cup of coffee.

"Let me take the documents, I'll get him to sign them," I said.

Darcy hesitated for a moment.

She said, "Mrs. Lawson, there are a lot of details in these documents that still need to be confirmed with Mr. Lawson. You're not too familiar with these, so it'd be better if I deliver them myself."

I looked at her for a moment and replied, "Alright, just come by whenever it's convenient for you."

Before leaving, I stopped by the bathroom.

Sitting on the sink, a familiar diamond ring caught the light and sparkled.

I'd just seen it on Darcy's finger. But I was the one with the payment record for that ring on my phone.

I blinked, then slipped it into my pocket without a second thought.

*****

I sat down on a park bench and took the envelope from the man next to me.

I opened it, skimmed through the papers, then handed it back.

"This should be enough. Give it directly to the lawyer," I said.

The man asked, "So, am I done here?"

I paused, thinking it over. I then replied, "No, keep an eye on him."

Jeremy was acting way too strangely lately. I couldn't let my guard down, and I didn't want any surprises before the trial.

The man nodded. "You feeling better now?"

I replied, "Yeah, I'm fine."

He said, "Just be more careful with what you eat from now on."

Yeah, I should be careful. But if someone really wanted to harm me, all the caution in the world wouldn't help.

Suddenly, a husky slipped out of its leash and, ignoring its owner's frantic calls, bounded right over to me.

I reached down and scratched its head.

The man turned to me and asked, "You like dogs? How come you don't have one?"

I replied, "I used to. He's a shepherd dog. He's majestic, incredibly smart. That dog actually saved my life once."

The husky's owner hurried over, kept apologizing, and dragged the dog back.

The man looked a bit taken aback. "So, where's your dog now?"

I replied, "It died. Food poisoning."

The man fell silent for a second, probably wondering how careless I must be.

"That's really a shame," he said.

Yeah. My dear Rocky. It was such a shame.