Part 9
Marissa was on her feet now,
she was hovering,
she was frantic,
she was looking at the phone on the floor,
she was looking at us,
she was realizing the ship was going down,
"What are you talking about?"
she demanded,
her voice trembling,
"what is happening?"
"what audit?"
"what charges?"
she grabbed the phone from my hand,
she looked at the screen,
she began to scroll,
she began to read,
the color drained from her face as well,
it was a domino effect,
it was a chain reaction,
it was a beautiful collapse,
"Oh my god,"
she whispered,
"oh my god,
Daniel,"
"you're finished,"
"we're finished,"
she looked at me,
her eyes wide with terror,
"Claire,
you have to help us,"
"you have to fix this,"
"you have the money,"
"you have the influence,"
"you have to save us,"
I looked at her,
I looked at the woman who had stolen my husband,
I looked at the woman who had played the role of the sister for eighteen years,
I looked at the woman I had once loved,
and I felt nothing,
I felt absolute,
total detachment,
I felt the cold,
hard satisfaction of a task completed,
"Save you?"
I asked,
my voice soft,
my voice dangerous,
"why would I do that?"
"why would I throw good money after bad?"
"why would I invest in a sinking ship?"
"because we're family,"
she cried,
she was sobbing now,
she was desperate,
she was clawing at the air,
she was a drowning woman,
"We are not family,"
I said,
my voice low,
"we are acquaintances,"
"acquaintances who have outlived our usefulness,"
"acquaintances who have become liabilities,"
"acquaintances who have become enemies,"
Daniel stood up,
he was shaking,
he was enraged,
he was a cornered animal,
"You bitch,"
he hissed,
he lunged at me,
he reached for my throat,
he was out of control,
he was a violent,
broken man,
I didn't flinch,
I didn't retreat,
I stood my ground,
I was ready,
I was waiting,
I had a taser in my pocket,
I had a plan,
I had a backup,
I had a lawyer on speed dial,
but before he reached me,
the door opened,
the security guard stepped in,
the hospital police had been called,
by me,
ten minutes ago,
"Is there a problem?"
the guard asked,
his voice authoritative,
his voice calm,
"Yes,"
I said,
my voice steady,
"this man is harassing me,"
"this man is unstable,"
"this man is a threat,"
"please remove him,"
"please remove them both."
The guard didn't hesitate,
he stepped forward,
he took Daniel by the arm,
he took Marissa by the arm,
they were being escorted out,
they were being removed from the scene,
the scene of their crime,
the scene of their confession,
the scene of their end,
I watched them go,
I watched them struggle,
I watched them disappear,
and I was left alone,
in the quiet room,
with the sleeping girl,
May you like
with the beating heart,
with the future I had stolen back.
