SHE'S MY WIFE

Chapter 33: Dubiety

Emilia hadn't thought Gwen was capable of being so angry and lashing out. She was the kind of person who followed what others told her to do. Lisandra had manipulated her so easily because she saw the best in people. Maybe that was the reason she'd never held a grudge against her. Most of the time, she didn't know what was going on until the last minute then she played along just to support her mother or best friend. But the Gwen that had told off Genevieve was a different person. For the first time, she had acted like a grown-up and spoken her mind.

It was true that they'd all abandoned her. Granted they were all grieving for Zander but still, she was the one who'd woken up alone in a hospital room. Now that Emilia thought about it, the past two years must have been hard for her. The trauma of being shot must have taken a toll on her. She'd read about how victims of traumatic incidents needed assistance, both professional and personal, to overcome their fear and anxiety. She could take some of the blame because she hadn't given Gwen any thought. It wasn't just Genevieve who was selfish, they all were.

Therefore, she had every right to be angry with everyone. Ever since she left, Genevieve had locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Emilia wasn't heartless enough to wish the woman would drown in sadness over what her daughter told her but it was good to know she was at least suffering. Hiding Zander from them and letting them think he was dead was unforgivable. Nothing she did could ever make up for that.

And she'd done it for two years. No one would ever know just how much she suffered thinking her son was dead. The pain she'd felt every time she woke up in the middle of the night from her son's screams. The helplessness she'd felt knowing she hadn't been able to save him. The anguish she had gone through for two years was enough to last her a lifetime. If Genevieve had brought back Zander sooner, maybe they would all be in a different place. But she hadn't. Two years was just a long time.

"Hey Mom, can I go out with Mel?" Zander asked stopping in front of her. She looked at him and thought she'd never get used to hearing him calling her mom. Every time he said it, her heart skipped a beat because there was a time she thought she would never see him or hear his voice again.

"Where are you going?"

"To the store in town to do grocery shopping. And she said she would introduce me to Doug the handyman"

Chewing on her lower lip, Em wondered if it was okay for him to go out. What if someone saw him and reported it to the police? Lisandra could go free. Actually, she was already free. What if she saw him and kidnapped him again? That crazy woman could kill him for real this time. No. She couldn't risk it. But then again, was she going to lock him up forever? She knew a thing or two about feeling suffocated. Back when Genevieve had threatened her, she had been forced to stay indoors out of fear of running into her. Not being able to come and go freely, always on the lookout for people following her. That wasn't what she wanted for her son.

He was almost a teenager and what teenagers hated most was having their movements being restricted. Could she say no and actually get away with it? She'd never denied him anything as long as it was reasonable. Going grocery shopping with Mel was something she wouldn't have even thought about. If he'd asked that two years ago, the answer would automatically be a yes. So why was she overthinking about it?

"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore," he said, his voice a bit skeptical.

"I didn't say you were honey" he was a grown-up who now noticed her hesitancy.

"You're just like grandma. Worrying every time I say I want to go out. If it makes you feel any better, I'll call Mark and tell him to go with us"

"Mark?"

"Yes. Grandma's bodyguard"

Distracted, Emilia replied "Okay. That will make me feel so much better" twenty minutes later, she was having a mini-meltdown. If she'd known who Mark was, she wouldn't have agreed so easily "Absolutely not. You're not going anywhere with that man"