Chapter 0002

BAILEE

“Bailee!” Caleb yelled as I threw open the door and rushed down the hall.

I needed fresh air. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, and I could hear my blood pumping in my ears.

“Bailee, would you stop for a minute?” 

The sound of my name on his lips as he zipped his pants made me feel queasy, but I held it down. 

A hand wrapped around my forearm, and I was yanked to a stop just before the elevator. 

“No!” My scream came out in a hoarse sob. “No! Get off of me, you lying piece of garbage!” 

The rage and venom behind my words made him release me immediately, but he stayed close as he glared down at me. I took a step back, shaking my head at him. 

“You don’t get to touch me. You don’t get to ever touch me again!” The elevator dinged behind me, and the doors opened, but I didn’t pay any attention to the people getting off until I heard them speak. 

“Bailee! Lower your voice! That is no way to speak to your husband!” 

“Mom?” Caleb asked, and I turned to face Helen and George Johnson. My in-laws. “What are you doing here?” 

“The nanny called. She said that Bailee was acting more irrational and unstable than normal. She told us she would be heading this way.” Helen looked at my tear-streaked face and then down to my clothes in disgust. 

“The nanny called you?” I asked, scoffing in disbelief. Even the woman watching my child was working against me. Either she knew Caleb would be here, or she had seen the messages, too. 

I had thought we were friends. At the very least, I thought we had bonded from spending so much time together. Yet, I had know one I could trust in that house.

I should have known better. At the end of the day, he signed her checks.

“Of course, she did. Why wouldn’t she? Look at yourself. You’re a mess. She was right to call. The last thing this family needs is for you to make one of your scenes, especially looking like that. Ugh! Can you imagine how much it would have cost to clean up your mess if your tantrum was leaked to the press?” Helen looked down the hallway behind me to ensure it was empty before shaking her head. “Just disgraceful.” 

“My tantrum?” I repeated in shock. This was not a tantrum. This was the end of my six-year marriage. I had every right to be hurt and angry by what I had just witnessed. 

“How did you know I was here, Bailee? Were you following me?” Caleb asked, his eyes narrowed accusingly as he buttoned up his shirt.

“What? No! I saw your messages on your laptop,” I began to say, but Helen cut me off, gasping in horror. For a moment, I thought she was as appalled as I was about her son’s affair, but then she spoke. 

“You were going through his computer? What kind of wife betrays her husband’s trust like that?” 

The accusation seemed to feed Caleb’s anger, and he stepped closer to me almost threateningly.  

I felt the need to step back, but with his father standing between me and the elevator, I had nowhere to go. 

“His trust?” I balked, “He is the one who…”

“How dare you invade my privacy?! You had no right to go through my things, Bailee! No freaking right!” Caleb yelled, cutting me off, and I laughed coldly as I shook my head. 

“I have no right to look at my husband’s open laptop screen?

I didn’t even touch it! You left it open!” 

“What I do on my computer or phone is none of your business! Why were you looking through my computer?” Caleb raised his voice as he stood in my face. A speck of saliva flew from his lips and landed on my cheek, making me flinch. “You think it’s okay to go through my things while living in the house, wearing the clothes, and eating the food I paid for? I didn’t give you permission to touch my computer, Bailee. How dare you violate my privacy like that!” 

“Is it the meds the doctor gave you?” George asked from behind me, and my eyes widened in humiliation. I should have assumed Caleb would tell them about the antidepressants the doctor had given me. After looking at the side effects, I had refused to take them, but Caleb didn’t know that. “I’ve heard they can make people act irrationally.” 

“What? No! I didn’t go through… This isn’t about his computer!” I screamed, my hands moving up in front of my face, palms facing each other in frustration. How was I the bad guy here? “You!” I said as I turned to Helen, “Your son has been cheating on me! How the heck am I the one who betrays in the first place?”

“That’s an absurd accusation,” Lorna said as she stepped out of the hotel room and walked toward us. My vision went red, and I wanted to throttle her. “We were just in there working. These stories you make up for attention really need to stop, Bailee. It’s not healthy. Maybe you should talk to the doctor about increasing your dosage.” 

I should have pushed her over the balcony when I had the chance.

“Oh, Dear. What a pleasant surprise! I can’t believe my son had you working so late. You always were reliable, and you look beautiful! Did he pull you away from a party? You really do work too hard.” Helen exclaimed as Lorna stopped only a few feet away, placing her hand on Caleb’s arm. He stepped back from me, moving closer to her and allowing me to finally take in a deep breath.

“Absolutely stunning. It’s like that dress was made just for you. I don’t think anyone else could pull it off.”

“That’s MY dress,” I yelled, feeling defeated as they surrounded me. Helen rolled her eyes.

“For Heaven’s sake, Bailee. Enough with the stories! Did you hear what you said? You wouldn’t be able to fit into that dress even if you starved yourself to do it.” Helen snapped before placing her hand between my shoulder blades and pushing me toward the elevator. “Lorna, can you schedule Bailee an appointment for tomorrow with her psychiatrist? Let them know it's urgent. We can’t have this kind of unhinged behavior. It’s not fitting for someone with the Johnson name.” 

“Of course,” Lorna smiled sweetly. 

“What? No! I’m not going anywhere!” I said, shaking my head and turning to shove her hand off me. 

“Bailee! That’s enough!” Caleb snapped, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the elevator as it opened. 

“Where are you taking me?” I glanced around, praying someone had come out of their suite from all the yelling and would help me, but no one had. 

“We are going to deal with this at home.” He hissed, his hot breath hitting my ear. 

“Don’t bother,” I said, looking up to see the security camera above the elevator. Caleb followed my gaze and released my arm when I yanked it away and backed up toward his parents, not wanting to get into the elevator alone with him. “I’m done.” 

“Excuse me?” His eyes darkened, and I regretted saying anything since there weren’t any witnesses around besides his parents and Lorna. They would side with him, and his father would probably use his authority as a senator to have the security footage wiped.

I had been swallowed it down all the time. I did it for our daughter, to keep our family together for her sake. Every time we had a fight, he would wake up the following day and claim he hadn’t meant it. That he had just been angry and that he loved me. 

Now, I knew he was nothing but a liar and a cheater.

“You win. Let's get a divorce.” I said.