Natalie could admit, it was a good plan. She never considered herself a killer. Even Detective Sanchez vouched to do the deed for her. If she only wanted to the deception part, he didn't mind.
But this was also the first time Natalie had ever felt anger so much that all she thought about was vengeance.
To try to kill her and take her boys - her husband deserved to pay.
And his death was the only way she could feel some peace.
Natalie bit her lips so hard, she could feel blood running to the surface. It was taking everything in her not to kick the gravestone as she imagined it was her husband's skull.
She let out a heavy sigh.
In due time, she thought.
In due time.
Turning away, Natalie starts walking across the well-kept grass to the exit of the cemetery. Just as she entered the parking lot, she stopped short, noticing a familiar face coming toward her with flowers.
Taking off her shades, she recognized the familiar face as her ex-fiance from college, Owen Waters. The only other man she'd loved besides her husband. And the man she'd never fallen out of love with.
They might have broken up and married other people. But they always talked on the phone or texted every once in and while. Just to check up on each other.
Natalie took off her glasses, expecting him to recognize her. But he walked right past, and she remembered that she looked like a completely different person.
She was still getting used to looking at someone else herself.
Putting her shades back on, Natalie cautiously followed him to her grave. She hid behind a tree, watching a teary-eyed Owen place the bouquet flowers down.
"It's been a year," his voice broke. "And I still have this feeling that you're alive." He shook his head at himself. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm sure that bastard did something to you. Made you disappear."
Sniffling, he wiped his eyes. "I just hope, wherever you are, that you're okay. That you're safe. Maybe . . even somehow . . . happy."
Natalie found herself crying. Hearing Owen's words, seeing him cry, brought back the biggest regret of her life, letting him go. Her life would have never turned out like this if she hadn't walked away when things got hard.
Without thinking, she stepped from behind the tree, ripping off her glasses.
"Owen!"
Owen turned to look at her. Confusion in his blue eyes. "Excuse me?"
"Owen, it's me," Natalie took a desperate step forward him.
"I'm sorry, I don't -"
"Natalie," she pointed to herself. "It's me, Nat."
Owen let out a scoff of disbelief. She took another step forward, and he took one step back.
"Look, lady, I don't know what game you're playing here, but -"
"You took me to an Indian restaurant for our first date," she started recounting one of their best memories. "Being the competitive people that we are, we challenged each other to see who could handle the highest spice level."
Owen's face fell as he recalled.
"In the middle of us eating, you went to the bathroom, and you didn't come back for a long time. So, I texted you," Natalie sniffled as the tears came rolling down her cheeks. "I asked if you were okay, and you replied -"
Twenty-Five
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