The Substitute Wife's Spectacular Comeback

tepped out, her wet shoes squeaking against the Italian marble floor. Rai

, rushed out of the kitchen, her eyes wide wit

oe brushed her off, her arm moving in a

ting at the fresh red stain seeping through the g

walked past Maura, her eyes fixed on the d

always been an unspoken rule. His space. Her space. The st

y by the ambient glow of the city outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She walked straight to his

he top draw

front of her. She pulled the second drawer. Locked. A

the center. She picked it up, feeling its weight. She was an architect. She unde

found a heavy-duty paperclip in the pen holder, straightened it, and af

back of her throat. Inside the drawer lay two items: a bla

d a woman stood on a dock, the ocean behind them. The man was Bentley, younger, his smile

as laughing, her head thrown back. She looked exactly like Chloe. Or rather, Chloe looked ex

steady herself. She dropped the photo and picked up

. &

turned the pages, her eyes scann

s the sand but loves the house. I'd

onight. I wanted to kill e

ing changed. It became jagged, the ink

couldn't find her. Blair

entry. The date was one

he's alive. But s

She was in her white gown, Bentley standing beside her, his hand on her waist. She had thought he looked so handsome, so proud. Now, looking at the angle of

ng her. She gripped the edges of the porcelain sink, staring at her reflection. The sa

mask. A stand-in. She remembered every time Bentley had touched her face, his fingers linger

the heavy crystal bottle of perfume sitting on the c

reflecting a hundred broken versions of her face. The

from outside the study door, panicke

oe screamed. "

o her finger. She looked down. A sliver of mirror had sliced her index finger. Bloo

red across the name B

up from her chest, high and unhinged

ne shattered the silence-Bentley's specifi

ow if he was stupid enough,

concerned. "I just got back t

lashing against the bat

ke sincerity dripping from every word. "It's raining here in

glass. "New York is raining too," she sa

he said gently. "I'll c

ka

ight,

ed the call and let the phone slip f

slowly, she pushed herself up. She picked up the photograph and the notebook. She

ll. The sadness in her eyes was gone. In its place was a dead, flat emptiness

e light and walke