“Come with us.”
“We took fingerprints from the lock. Besides
Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Anderson, there’s you,
Brianna.”
く
The officer’s words hit my heart, ice stabbing
me, suffocating me.
I went through a lot because of Brianna. I
died alone because of her.
I glared at her, eyes red.
Brianna hid behind Jake, flinching as he
stared at her.
“Jake…”
She was soft, like always.
“If it weren’t for you, the police wouldn’t
bother you.
99
For the first time, Jake didn’t protect her. He
pushed her away.
<
“Take her!”
Brianna was taken away, calling his name.
But Jake didn’t hear her. He asked the
officer, “Can I see the body?”
He was scared.
Maybe he didn’t believe I was dead.
Jake had to see it himself to believe it.
The officer sighed. “Sure. Take care of your
wife.”
He patted Jake’s shoulder.
Jake stayed at the door for a long time.
Finally, he opened LIE UDDI
I followed him.
It was quiet. There was a bad smell of blood
and rot.
Jake was able to stay calm, covering his
nose. He got close to the body.
But when he shined the flashlight, seeing the
body, the wedding ring, the scar on my hand,
and the baby, he broke.
He knelt down, unable to stay formal.
I just watched him kneel by my body, crying.
Jake’s tears fell on my clothes, mixing with
the blood.
“Sarah… Sarah… I’m sorry. I didn’t think
you’d die. I just wanted to punish you, I didn’t
want you to die!”
He sounded broken, saying my name, trying
to wake me up.
But I couldn’t hear him, and I didn’t want to.
Seeing Jake, broken, I didn’t feel anything,
just hate.
He was responsible for my death.
If he hadn’t been so obsessed with Brianna, if
he hadn’t been so cold, the baby and I
wouldn’t be here.
I thought about my baby, and I was in pain.
く
I stared at Jake’s face, the face that had
been so comforting. Now, it just made me
sick.
He acted like he was trying to balance me
and Brianna, enjoying the tension. He never
cared about his wife, and was never a good
father.
For ten months, Jake didn’t go to the doctor
with me, didn’t buy anything for the baby, and
didn’t even ask about the baby.
My nails dug into my hands.
Jake frowned, and tears blurred his eyes. He
just held my body, not caring about the smell
or the blood.
“What’s the point of crving now? Where were
く
“What’s the point of crying now? Where were
you when my water broke? Where were you
when I delivered the baby? Where were you when I held his body!”
I said, with hate, but no one could hear me.
Jake’s phone rang, in the quiet room.
He answered.
His parents sounded old and tired, crying:
“Jake, you know Brianna, she wouldn’t do
that!”
“Yeah, it’s a misunderstanding, tell the police
to let Brianna go. She called us, crying, we’re
worried!”
<
Jake got angry, throwing the phone.
The police said that Brianna had locked me
in, causing my death.
Jake just sat there, holding us, not letting go.
After a long time, he called a funeral home to
help us.
He was out of it, until we were in boxes, and
he held them, sobbing.
“Sarah… I’m sorry… I caused your death!”
He touched the boxes, starting to cry.
“Sarah… I should be dead.”
Jake went home after our burial, opening my
く
He and I had been sleeping in different.
rooms.
He helped clean the room, finding my journal.
He read it, trembling.
This diary started when we got married.
“Jake’s stomach hurts, I make soup for him, I
take over some of his drinking, and it’s
getting better.”
Jake’s heart stopped. He teared up again.
“I found out I was pregnant. I showed Jake
the test, but he didn’t care. He just told me to
move to the other room… I heard him talking
to Brianna all night, I cried all night…”
r
“Jake’s been working late. He fell asleep at
the desk. I finished his work for him, so he
can sleep.”
The diary ended there, because I went to the
cabin.
Jake fell to the floor, hugging the diary.
