Chapter 4 - The Lies We Tell
Alyssa froze in the hallway, holding a silver candlestick.
"What do you mean, in her name?" Alyssa snapped. "Gavin, you pay the utilities. You've always paid the utilities."
Gavin didn't look at his wife. He stared only at me. The bravado was melting off his face, replaced by the panicked realization of a little boy who had just been caught.
"Mom," he whispered, stepping closer. "Tell me this is a mistake."
"It's not a mistake," I said, my voice carrying clearly through the silent, dark house. "I canceled the automatic payments on Monday. Right after you told me you were tired of paying for my water and electricity."
Alyssa marched forward, her heels clicking aggressively on the hardwood. "You did what?! You vindictive old woman! You ruined my dinner party over a load of laundry?!"
"Alyssa," Gavin pleaded, holding up a hand. "Don't."
"No, Gavin!" She turned on him. "Why did she cancel it? You told me you took over all the household bills when we moved in to help her out! That's why we don't pay rent!"
Richard, the regional director, awkwardly cleared his throat from the dining room. "Alyssa, I think I should be going."
"No, Richard, please, just five minutes!" Alyssa begged, running back toward the dining room.
I looked at my son. "You told her you were paying?"
Gavin swallowed hard. "Mom, please. Turn it back on. I'll pay you back."
"With what money, Gavin?" I asked gently. "The money from the collection notices you hide in your briefcase? Or the money you were going to get by tricking me into signing away the deed to my house?"
He flinched as if I had struck him.
"How did you—" he stammered.
Before he could finish, the sound of the front door closing echoed through the house. Richard had left.
Alyssa walked slowly back into the hallway. The decorative candle in her hand cast dancing, angry shadows across her face.
"What deed?" Alyssa asked, her voice dangerously low.
Gavin backed up until he hit the drywall. "Alyssa, listen to me..."
"What deed, Gavin?!" she screamed.
"I lost my job!" he blurted out, the truth finally tearing its way out of him. "Three months ago! The company downsized. I've been living on credit cards. I needed to take out a home equity loan to cover the debts, but the bank wouldn't let me do it unless my name was on the deed!"
Alyssa stared at him, her mouth slightly open. The perfect, curated life she had built on my foundation was shattering right in front of her.
"You lost your job?" she whispered. "Three months ago? Where have you been going every morning at 8 AM?"
"To the library," he choked out, tears finally spilling over his eyelids. "Applying for jobs."
Alyssa dropped the silver candlestick. It clattered against the hardwood floor. She didn't say another word. She just turned and walked into the pitch-black master bedroom.
May you like
I looked at my son, standing in the dark, ruined by his own pride.
Suddenly, we heard a heavy crash from the bedroom, followed by a sharp cry of pain.
