Chapter 20 - The Unfinished Story
|
Life settled into a beautiful, predictable rhythm. My accounting career flourished, Emma was thriving in high school, and the memory of Caleb became nothing more than a distant, faded nightmare.
I was happy. I was genuinely free.
But the past has a funny way of refusing to stay completely buried.
It was a late Friday evening. A violent thunderstorm was raging outside our apartment, the heavy rain lashing aggressively against the living room windows. I was curled up on the couch with a cup of tea, reviewing a client's tax file, while Emma was fast asleep in her room.
Suddenly, my cell phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table.
I glanced at the screen. It was an unknown number, completely devoid of caller ID. I usually ignored spam calls, but something about the persistent vibration made my stomach drop.
I picked it up and swiped the green button.
"Hello?" I asked cautiously over the sound of the thunder.
Heavy, frantic breathing echoed through the tiny speaker.
"Rebecca?" a woman’s voice whispered, trembling violently. "Rebecca, please don't hang up."
I sat up straight, my heart beginning to race. "Who is this?"
"You... you don't know me," the woman sobbed quietly. "My name is Claire. I found your number in his old files. He told me you were crazy... he told me you ruined his life."
The blood instantly drained from my face.
"Claire," I said softly, gripping the phone tight. "Who are you talking about?"
"Caleb," she choked out, letting out a terrified gasp. "I'm his new fiancée. Rebecca... please. I'm locked in the bathroom. He's outside the door, and he's so angry. I don't know what to do."
May you like
A massive clap of thunder shook the apartment walls. I stood up, my cane entirely forgotten, staring into the dark, rainy night. The cycle hadn't stopped. It had just found a new target.
"Claire," I said, my voice turning to absolute steel. "Listen to me very carefully. I am coming."
