Chapter 2 - The Erased Existence
I waited until Julian fell asleep on the couch before I quietly spat the white pills into the trash.
I spent the entire night wide awake, staring at the ceiling and formulating a plan.
When the sun finally rose, Julian announced he had to go to the university to teach a morning seminar.
He locked the condo door from the outside, assuming I would just sleep through the day.
He had severely underestimated my resourcefulness.
I used a metal coat hanger from the closet to jimmy the sliding glass balcony door.
I climbed down the fire escape and walked three blocks to a cash-only rental car agency.
My heart pounded as I drove the cheap sedan down the highway toward our Boston townhouse.
I needed to see my real home with my own eyes to understand what Julian had done.
When I pulled onto our familiar, tree-lined street, my stomach plummeted.
A massive red sign was firmly planted in the middle of our front lawn to indicate the house was sold.
I parked the car and walked up to the front porch, my hands shaking as I tested the doorknob.
It was locked, and my old house key no longer fit into the cylinder.
I peered through the living room window, pressing my face against the cold glass.
The entire house was completely empty.
Our velvet couch, my grand piano, the wedding portraits on the walls were all completely gone.
It looked as though I had never lived there at all.
Suddenly, a sleek black Mercedes pulled into the driveway right behind my rental car.
A woman in a sharp gray suit stepped out, holding a clipboard and looking at me suspiciously.
"Can I help you?" she asked, adjusting her designer sunglasses.
I recognized her face from the local real estate billboards scattered around town.
"I used to live here," I stammered, trying to keep my story straight.
"I was just wondering when the owners decided to move out."
The realtor offered me a sad, sympathetic smile.
"It is a truly heartbreaking story," she said, lowering her voice.
"The owner, Mr. Sterling, had to list the property immediately."
I held my breath, terrified of what she was going to say next.
"His wife tragically passed away in a horrible car accident last week."
My legs instantly turned to jelly, and I had to grab the porch railing to keep from collapsing.
Julian had not just sold my house in secret.
He was legally claiming that I was dead.
I thanked the realtor and quickly walked back to my rental car before she could ask my name.
I pulled my cell phone out and opened my mobile banking application to check my accounts.
A bright red error message flashed across the screen.
My accounts had been permanently frozen due to the account holder being deceased.
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I swiped to my email and found a newly forwarded document from a life insurance company.
Julian had just filed a claim to collect a five-million-dollar payout on my accidental death policy.
