I’d been gone long enough to be missed, but that was not my concern. My job was done. If all goes to plan, the blubbering mess I’d seen on the screen after the rats, her biggest fear had attacked, would either end up in an asylum or she’d be locked away in a room somewhere for the rest of her life.
SEBASTIAN
What do you mean gone? Gone where?” As I listened to the housekeeper over the phone my heart and mind started to race. Had something happened to her? Or had she left because of the time spent in my bed? “How are the girls?”
“They’re fine, they don’t know that anything has happened. I didn’t realize until the chap from the garage in town brought the car back. He said she paid and asked him to bring it back here once he was finished.”
Something about this didn’t make any sense. She’d been fine when I left her this morning, in fact more than fine. I’d watched her sleep in my arms part of the night and had felt so much joy that she had come into my life now.
“I’ll take care of it.” I hung up the phone not knowing where to start. I called the number she’d given but it said the number had been disconnected. That was the first clue that there was more than met the eye here.
It wasn’t long before I was calling the head of my security team. After giving him the pertinent information, I sat back and tried to remember everything.
An hour later I was beyond pissed. So she had been after something after all. I knew it of course, after the first time we fucked, but I still have no idea what that something was.
After finding her to be a virgin, I’d let myself be blinded to everything else. Now this shit. I vacillated between anger and worry while twiddling my thumbs.
All I had was a name, and a phone number that no longer worked. And when my guy came back with the news that Sydney Becker did not exist, I almost lost my mind.
It took three days, three long harrowing days when I broke out in cold sweats whenever I thought of the fact that I’d let this woman into my home with my children.
Then at night I’d remember her feel, her touch, her scent and I’d convince myself that she wasn’t a criminal. I’d given my guy permission to wipe the room she’d stayed in and that’s how we found her.
Only finding her had only left me with more questions than answers. Sydney Michelle Carter! At the end of those three days I knew who she was, where she came from, and more importantly, why she’d come into my life.
It was a lot to take in, a lot to digest and I had to dig beneath the anger to find understanding. As if that wasn’t bad enough, just when I’d made up my mind to go after her the phone rang with more upsetting news. “What the fuck, are you saying?”
“That’s all I’ve got so far. She’s been admitted, but she’s not cognizant. They found her wandering the streets out of her mind and someone called the cops.”
Sydney! It had to be. But how, when? That was my security guy calling to tell me that my ex-wife had been admitted to a mental institution. Just what the fuck is going on?
I had no choice but to go see what was what. And what I saw was fucking horrific. She didn’t even look like herself. When she looked at me there was no life in her eyes. “Is she drugged?”
“There was no need, when they brought her in she was pretty much catatonic. It looks like she’s been bitten by some sort of rodent, maybe that’s what caused this?”
I looked at the doctor like he was nuts. “Last time I saw her she was on her way to the airport for a trip to Bermuda.” What the hell? I filled out the necessary papers because even though I’d divorced her, she was still the mother of my children. Then I contacted my lawyer who assured me that this changed nothing.
I might feel a little sympathy for her, but I have no intentions on going back on my decision. Now to deal with Ms. Sydney. I knew where she was and was heading there now. I want answers and I’m going to get them.
I read the report once again as the driver took me to her place. She’d been a child when my ex had an affair with her father that ended in his death and her mother’s insanity.
I could understand why she’d done what she’d done. Not that I agree with it, but I could see how something like that could’ve influenced the young girl to take the drastic steps she had.