The Wife Stalker(84)

“I don’t mean that. What do you know about my computer being hacked?”

“You’re really not that quick, are you?”

“Look, Joanna, I don’t want to play games here. I only came because your lawyer said you know what happened.”

I had to be careful what I said, but I’d prepared for this. I leaned back in my chair. “Well, first of all, you should be careful about opening attachments. You’re so fond of emailing your patients, but I guess you didn’t know that theoretically someone could add a little Trojan horse to one of the documents they send you and clone your whole computer. Not that I’m saying that anyone did that. But someone could.”

Her mouth dropped open. “All that confidential information was posted to my Facebook page. I’m going to lose my license, and I’m being sued.”

“What a shame. Although I must say, you’re a pretty shitty therapist, so it’s no loss to the mental health community.”

“You’re crazy. I don’t know why I didn’t see it—how I didn’t. You lied to me. You told me that Leo was your ex-husband, that Evie and Stelli were your children. You were never even married. I should have recognized that you’re delusional.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not delusional. I always knew he wasn’t my husband, you idiot. Of course I lied to you. But they are my children. Olivia gave them to me.” Now I was getting angry. I had to focus and get back to why I had wanted to see her. I leaned in closer. “Remember when I told you that my father had replaced me with another daughter?”

She looked confused.

“Putting the pieces together yet? Did you ever wonder why your stepfather was gone so much? Why he didn’t live with you full-time until you were a teenager?”

A spark of recognition appeared in her eyes. “No . . . I don’t . . .”

“Because he left my family for you and your whore of a mother.”

Celeste looked at me in shock. “My father is your father? I . . . I didn’t know. He traveled for work.”

“He was my father first. But he wanted to spare you and your mother the embarrassing truth of our existence. He didn’t give a shit about us. You wanted to know why I never told him how I felt—because he didn’t want me to be a part of his family, your family.” I laughed. “Couldn’t let your mom know he’d been cheating on his wife for years with her. Even though she had you out of wedlock, for some reason he thinks she’s a saint.”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know, Joanna.” She sounded like therapist Celeste for a minute.

“Yeah, well, too late for ‘sorry.’ He paid for your college and your graduate degree. That money was supposed to be for my education. I’d be a lawyer now if it weren’t for you. I guess now neither of us has the profession she wants.”

“You came to me purely for revenge?”

“Ah, for once you’re showing some insight.”

“You were never interested in therapy,” Celeste said, shaking her head. “You didn’t actually want help.”

“If I had, I’d have chosen someone who knew what she was doing. Tell Daddy I said hello.” Before she could respond, I called the guard and then turned to her. “You can go now.”

Finally, the playing field was leveled. If I had to lose everything, so did she.





55

Piper




Piper nestled against Leo as they sat on the sofa and watched the children work on a jigsaw puzzle together. Snow had been falling since late morning, and when she’d peered outside after sunset, there was already a five-inch accumulation, with no letup in sight. A wood fire crackled and gave the room a cozy glow on this wintry evening. She smiled and closed her eyes in pure contentment.

“Piper, look, we’re almost finished,” Stelli’s voice broke through the silence.

She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but excruciating pain shot through her shoulder, taking her breath away. Sweat broke out across her forehead, and she sat still for a moment. The doctors had told her that a shattered humerus would hamper the movement and use of her shoulder for a long time. She’d been lucky, though, that the bullet hadn’t severed an artery or hit the nerves in her upper shoulder. She might have bled to death or lost the use of her arm permanently.

She looked at Stelli. “Wow! What a great job. It’s fabulous.”

He grinned at her, and Piper was gratified by the happiness she saw in his eyes. So much of what had lain at the root of Stelli’s fears had come out after that awful day in Maine. Had it really been only three weeks ago? It seemed like years now, but she remembered the details with stunning clarity.

The night following Piper’s release from the hospital, the children had come downstairs in their pajamas, ready for bed, and Stelli had crawled onto Piper’s lap, careful not to touch her shoulder. Evie wiggled in between Piper and Leo.

“You saved me,” Stelli said, his big brown eyes staring at her.

She gave him a warm smile. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

“Are you going to stay with us forever, Piper?” Evie had asked.

“Yes, Evie, I am.”

“Mommy left,” Stelli said.

“Mommy didn’t want to leave, Stelli,” Leo said. “It was an accident.”