Chapter 1 - The Hidden Timeline
I waited until the bathroom door clicked shut and the shower water turned on.
My hands were shaking violently as I stared at the kitchen island.
This condo did not look like a temporary medical shelter for a dying woman.
It looked like a permanent, lived-in home.
I walked over to the small wooden desk tucked into the corner of the living room.
The top drawer was locked, but I found a small silver key hidden beneath a potted plant.
I slid the key into the lock and turned it slowly to avoid making any noise.
The drawer slid open to reveal a stack of financial documents and a thick leather binder.
I pulled the binder out and flipped it open on the desk.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was a professional wedding photo album.
Julian was wearing the exact same tuxedo he had worn on our wedding day.
Clara was standing beside him in a breathtaking lace gown.
They both looked incredibly young and ridiculously happy.
I pulled the official marriage certificate tucked into the back pocket of the album.
The date printed on the bottom right corner made my blood turn to ice.
They had been legally married exactly five years ago.
Julian had married me two years after he was already legally married to Clara.
I was not just a forgotten wife in his twisted new reality.
I was the other woman in my own marriage.
The sound of the shower suddenly stopped.
The bathroom door creaked open, and Julian’s heavy footsteps moved toward the living room.
I desperately shoved the album back into the drawer and locked it.
I threw the key back under the plant just as Julian stepped around the corner.
He was wearing sweatpants, drying his hair with a towel, and staring directly at me.
"What are you doing over by my desk, Jessi?" he asked, his voice entirely devoid of emotion.
I forced a blank, confused expression onto my face.
"I was just looking for a pen to write down a list of things I need from my apartment," I lied smoothly.
Julian took a slow step toward me.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, unlabeled orange prescription bottle.
"You do not need to worry about any of that right now," he whispered.
He poured two heavy white pills into his palm and held them out to me.
"The doctor said you need to take these sedatives immediately to help with your amnesia."
I reached out and took the pills, pretending to swallow them while secretly tucking them under my tongue.
Julian smiled, finally looking like the loving brother he was pretending to be.
He turned around to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.
My cell phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket with an urgent notification.
I pulled it out and saw an automated text message from my real estate lawyer.
May you like
The message congratulated me on the successful sale of my Boston townhouse.
My husband had just secretly sold my actual home while I was sitting in a hospital bed.
