The Stranger in the Mirror(81)

“You brought me joy, too, Addy. So much joy. I’ll leave now, but when you’re ready, I’ll be here.” Gabriel touched her lightly on the arm and kissed her cheek before he stood and turned to go.

Blythe felt an immense flood of relief. She’d done all she could to find the truth about Addison. She’d fought for her, but she believed now more than ever that their marriage would have been a troubled and difficult one. She rose from her chair and turned to Ed. “I know you and Gigi will want to stay. Gabriel and I can take a car to the airport and fly home.”

“I’m happy to drive you to the airport, Blythe,” Ed said.

She waved her hand. “No, no. You need to find a hotel and get settled. I know Addison will be happy to have you here.” She looked at Addison. “Goodbye, Addison. And good luck.”

Addison stood and embraced her. “Thank you, Blythe. You were always kind and generous to me. I’ll never forget that. You taught me a lot about what a mother should be—loving and protective but knowing when to let go and support your child’s dreams. I hope I’ll do as good a job with Valentina.”

Blythe looked at the young woman standing in front of her and wished that things had turned out differently. She was glad that the truth had finally come out, though. She took Gabriel’s arm in hers, and they walked out the door together. It was time for a fresh start for all of them.





??63??

Amelia




“It’s time, Amelia. I believe you’re ready.” I’ve been seeing Dr. Anita Pearlson for six months, and she looks at me now in encouragement.

“I . . . I’m not sure I am,” I tell her. “It feels like I’m standing on the edge of a mountain, and if I take a step I’ll fall off. And keep falling.”

Her face relaxes, and I see understanding in her eyes now. “I promise you that this step will only take you to firmer ground. The more you remember, the less you will fear.”

I close my eyes. Dr. Pearlson takes me back to that day a little over two years ago, and we begin.

I remember leaving the aquarium alone. I was going to surprise Julian by coming home early and leaving Valentina with a friend for the night. I see it so vividly—the quiet and empty rooms when I entered the house and the basement door ajar, which was unusual. I descended the stairs to the wine cellar to find another opening into a small room, one I’d never seen before. Julian was sitting there, his back to me, facing the wall, talking in a quiet voice. He didn’t know I was standing behind him, listening, but I heard everything he said, every shocking word.

My darling Cassandra, I miss you every minute of every day. I will never love her the way I love you. But she’s good to Valentina, and she tries her best. You will always be my truest love, but she needs me. Was sent to me, I believe, to fill in the huge hole you left. She suffered trauma just like you did, only it was at the hands of her own father. Oh, Cassandra, we would still be together if only you hadn’t gone looking at something you shouldn’t have. We could be sitting together right now, drinking wine, listening to music, talking, flirting, laughing. But you left me no choice.

I couldn’t stop looking at the enormous wedding portrait of Julian with a different woman. It didn’t make sense. Who was she, and why was he calling her Cassandra? And then I heard him say he’d never meant to hurt her, that it was an accident. He begged her forgiveness and said he was sorry that he’d had to bury her in the backyard. I stood rooted to the ground, trying to stifle the scream that was surging to a crescendo inside me. And Julian kept talking, as if the woman in the picture was going to respond. When he turned to me with a sudden jerk, his eyes blazing, I realized that the scream had burst forth from me. I was wailing and sobbing, my body shaking, as he came toward me. I backed up, gasping for breath, and all I could think was Run, run for your life.

I turned to the door and felt his hand trying to grab my arm. Something said Don’t look back, don’t stop. Keep running. When I reached the top of the stairs, I slammed the door behind me and heard him curse as he crashed into it. I ran blindly through the house, feeling like my legs were made of lead, wondering if I’d ever reach the front door. And then finally my hand closed around the handle. I flung the door open and flew down the stone steps to the driveway.

“Stop running!” Julian shouted. “You don’t understand!”

I stumbled at the sound of his voice, scraping my palms on the gravel as I righted myself and continued running along the driveway. All I had to do was cross the road and get to the thick woods on the other side, and I’d be safe. It would be impossible for Julian to find me in the woods. My sides ached, and my lungs were on fire. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep running.

Then I heard a car horn, screeching brakes, and a loud thud. I stopped and turned to see a car stopped in the middle of the road. The driver opened his door and ran to the body lying in the road. Julian. For an instant I debated whether to go back and see how badly he was hurt, but I knew I had to get to the police and tell them what he had done.

The adrenaline pumping through my body began to ebb as I slowed to a walk. My hands stung where the gravel had bitten into them, and my face was caked with tears and dirt. I’m not sure how long I walked through the woods before I finally came to a hill that led down to a dark empty street. I turned my feet sideways, moving slowly and carefully down the steep slope until I reached the side of the single-lane road. No cars passed for what felt like an eternity. When finally I saw headlights coming toward me, I got a little closer to the road and stuck out my thumb. To my relief, a red pickup truck slowed down and stopped. The driver slid over and rolled down the passenger window. “Need a lift?”