Part 2
I walked back into the sterile hospital room,
my heels clicking against the linoleum,
the sound was precise,
it was rhythmic,
it was the sound of a closing trap,
Daniel stopped pacing as I entered,
his eyes scanned my face,
searching for a hint of suspicion,
searching for a glimpse of the truth,
I offered him a mask of perfect,
wifely concern,
my eyes were soft,
they were vacant,
they were the eyes of a woman who knew nothing,
"The billing department was quite thorough,"
I lied smoothly,
"they have everything they need for the trust,"
Daniel exhaled,
his shoulders dropping two inches,
he let his guard down,
he was a fool,
he was arrogant,
he believed his own lies,
Marissa was staring at the floor,
she was picking at her cuticles,
she was nervous,
she was unraveling,
she looked pathetic,
I walked past her,
I brushed her shoulder with my own,
a deliberate,
chilling touch,
she flinched,
I sat in the chair next to the bed,
I reached out,
I took Lily’s small,
limp hand,
"She looks peaceful,"
I whispered,
my voice was a velvet blade,
"doesn't she,
Daniel?"
He hesitated,
he cleared his throat,
"Yes,
Claire,"
he said,
his voice strained,
"she has always been the light of this family,"
the irony hung in the air,
it was suffocating,
it was delicious,
I held the recording device in my pocket,
I felt the warmth of it against my thigh,
it was my weapon,
it was my judge,
it was my jury,
the hospital room felt like a stage,
the play was beginning,
the tragedy was written,
and they were the lead actors,
heading toward their doom,
I looked at the monitor,
the steady,
bouncing green line,
the rhythm of life,
it was the only real thing in the room,
everything else was fake,
everything else was a fabrication,
a web of deceit,
a house of cards,
I was the wind,
I was the storm,
I was the one who would blow it all down,
"Is there anything else the doctor said?"
I asked,
keeping my gaze on the sleeping girl,
refusing to look at their guilty faces,
I knew what they would say,
I knew the script,
I knew the lies,
I was writing the ending,
and they had no idea,
they were walking into the dark,
they were blind,
they were lambs,
and I was the wolf in designer clothing,
my time was coming,
it was coming fast,
May you like
it was inevitable,
it was glorious.
