Secret Hostage

By Jane Hardin

After a tragic death in her family, Jennifer turned to a colleague for the goods she needed to help her cope, but her coping turned into brutal addiction. Darkness took over which led her and others into a world of scandal, betrayal, drugs, adultery and murder. This novel leaves the reader to understand the repercussions that become an unwelcomed permanence when the heart gives into the totality of sin.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jane Hardin
• Release date: Apr 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781980829737

Jane Hardin

Jane Hardin is a native of Cowpens, S.C..Growing up a preacher's kid, she devoted much of her time assisting her father in the music department in his pastoral work. After high school, she attended Fresno State University and West Coast Christian College in Fresno, California where she studied Music and Child Psychology. She is an accomplished musician in piano and has won numerous prestigous awards including Superlative mentions. She now resides in Greenville, S.C. and is the mother of two grown children. In addition, Jane has been involved in public speaking in several Christian venues and is an energetic, straight forward speaker on her beliefs in Christianity. Her love and passion for writing started at an early age and eventually won her three Editor's Choice Awards.

Book preview

Secret Hostage

Chapter 1

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He stood on the Portico smiling at the beautiful blue sky as the ocean underneath was voicing her existence. There was a gentle breeze with a hint of salt in the air surrounding him in the most peaceful solitaire on the open-air porch designed with beautiful ornate columns.

He loved the feel of marble floor beneath his feet and Jennifer especially adored those white sheer curtains that danced in the wind which was part of the fairy tale she always dreamed of and her loving husband made that dream come true. She thought of the day she and the love of her life exchanged their solemn vows sealing it with a kiss and beginning life together with dreams and ambitions along with a strong desire to make their marriage one that could never be torn asunder.

Another beautiful day, she said yawning and looking at the clock. His face bathing in the warmth of the rays smiled even bigger as his confident demeanor insisted a well thought out plan. I think we should pack a few things, get in the car and just drive. He was adamant about his idea of a getaway as he walked towards his beautiful wife who was still resting in their enormous Victorian style bed.

They had it made-to-order specifically to match the rest of the upper wing of their home. Its posts with characteristics of sweeping curves of an eighteenth century English design reached high towards their vaulted ceiling, draped with cascading fabric made of pure silk creating a canopy of luscious comfort and beauty. Jennifer was eclectic with antiques and modern pieces grouped tastefully throughout their home. She did not like the look and feel of old antiques but loved re-doing old pieces to give them a more updated flair.

Maybe we could just drive, suggested Mitch, until we felt like we’ve had enough then we could find a nice place to stop for the night and continue our little road trip in the morning. Jennifer smiled capturing her husband’s attention and shook her head in agreement, I think it’s a perfect idea darling and we will not let anything spoil this perfect day. They both smiled as they looked at each other knowing what the next move would be.

Mitch crawled back into bed and embraced his wife whom had the dew of promise on her breath, but the phone rang jolting them both from their loving demure. Mitch rose from the bed as Jennifer answered the call, I’ll be in the shower, he said walking towards the bathroom giving a glance at his wife murmuring that their little charade would continue in the next town.

Yes, this is Jen, she said watching her husband undress. She was quick and hurried with the caller and said with a low voice that she would call back later when she was not so busy. After she hung up the phone, he looked at her with a half-smile. Busy? he asked squandering about trying to seduce his wife, flirting with the idea of removing the towel wrapped around his waist. When have I ever known you to partake of a little white lie? She suddenly became a recluse making her exit from her cozy comfortable bed. Eggs and bacon, or waffles and berries?  she asked as she left the bedroom not waiting for an answer from her husband whom was still laughing at her. My darling Jen, you are indeed fanciful and there is but one you, he uttered under his breath.

The phone rang again. I’ve got it, yelled Mitch. He ran to the table beside the bed and the number on the caller ID did not look familiar and for a moment he debated whether to answer thinking that his shower was more important than some desperate customer service representative getting ready to spill their well-rehearsed sales tactic over the line. Finally, deciding to take the call, he realized it was from the hospital. Dad it’s me Derrick, Kayla has gone into labor.

It was almost as if time stopped, nothing but silence commanded the atmosphere while Mitch sat there staring off into a whole different dimension as words refused to roll off his tongue thinking of his little girl he adored and treasured who was all grown up now fixing to give birth to their first child. Jennifer came back into the bedroom only to find her naked husband sitting on the edge of their unmade bed with the phone in his hand resting on his leg. She could not help but to smile, but quickly realized that there was still someone on the other end with a faint determined voice coming from the receiver.

Mitch, she said as she lowered herself to look into his eyes. Honey, snapping her finger in his face, what’s the matter? She knew it couldn’t be too bad, after all, he was smiling. He still sat there speechless looking like he was on an acid trip enjoying multicolored fragments dancing around in his head. She took the phone from his tight grip putting it to her ear, so she could listen to the determined voice on the other end who was still trying to get someone to hear his announcement. This is Jennifer, she said cocking her head to the side projecting a smirk towards her space-dazed spouse. I apologize for my husband who seems to be chasing space camels right now. How can I help you?" Derrick seemed panic-stricken and he was very ambitious to detail the situation into a chaotic allotment.

Calm down Derrick, what did you just say? There was no calm to be found as she pleaded with him to slow down so she could understand his desperation. Finally, after coaching her son-in-law into taking a deep breath and repeating his earlier statement, she knew what was going on. We will be there shortly, quickened Jennifer, just make Kayla comfortable as much as possible and then go take a long walk. Jennifer understood completely the anxiousness of awaiting the arrival of life, and all the nerves and jitters that came along with the package.

She said goodbye then turned her attention back to Mitch who was still sitting there with a fixed face on the open doors leading out to the large porch wishing he could turn the clock back and re-live those years when Kayla was a baby. He missed those moments when her little cries would wake them through the night, and as she grew, she etched in their hearts a love they never thought possible.

C’mon, get dressed we have to go. Jennifer ranted as she scurried around the room frantically mapping a planned-out route that would be the shortest distance to get to the hospital. Hey, you, demanding his attention, swatting at his leg, you can continue your little adventure in space when we get back. We got a grand baby to welcome into our universe now! He shook his head as if to shake off dust that had found a resting place in his hair. Standing to his feet grinning from ear-to-ear, he muttered the words, we are going to have a grand baby. She smiled as she reminded him that was old news. Darling, we found that out nine months ago, she grabbed a robe from the bathroom door and tossed it to him. We have to hurry and get to the hospital, today is the day.

He grabbed his robe and in his calming way walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her and looked into her stunning green eyes and whispered, it will be just fine Jenny, don’t rush, we have plenty of time. He always had a way of calming her down and making life a little less hurried even though it wasn’t her that needed to be simmered down. He told her that he was going to take his shower and reassured her that one day soon they would take that trip they both were longing for. She stared at her husband with a deep squint in her brow wondering where his composure hailed from. After all, it was he who lost consciousness to the news.

Mitch was raised in a small, quite suburb outside of St. Louis. His grandmother took on the task of raising him when he was five years old. Both of his parents were killed in a plane crash during a business trip leaving Mitch and his two brothers orphaned. Their grandmother lovingly and willingly took them in giving them a home and a life full of love and keeping them in church. He grew into a fine young man finishing high school and going to a community college in St. Louis before being accepted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he earned his Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering.

Jennifer grew up in New York. She was accustomed to noisy and fast, which is the way of life for most New Yorkers. After graduating high school, she was accepted into The Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College which was where she earned her Master’s in Music. In her sophomore year, she met Mitch in Massachusetts after traveling there for Christmas break with one of her closest friends. They met at a local nostalgic coffee shop near Central Station where Mitch was often found studying and enjoying coffee which he depended on to help him stay alert and more focused. One afternoon, it was cold and dreary, snow began to fall, and Mitch found his way to his favorite joint.

While there, he ordered a salami on rye with a cup of coffee. As he scoured the paper, his attention was quickly grabbed by two girls who came into the shop busy with loud talk and happy gestures. They took a seat located at the end of the bar where he became uncoupled by their entrance. As Jennifer’s friend grabbed a menu and began her daunting search for something good to eat, Jennifer noticed Mitch sitting at the end of the bar all clad in his wool pea coat mastering the day’s events from the paper he was reading.

She was caught away by his good looks and well-mannered stature which seemed proper in practical astuteness. He could not help but notice the young girl staring at him. He glanced a quick look accompanied by his beautiful warm smile which melted her right in her seat. A few moments later, when he looked at her, she smiled as she dropped her head but raising it again fixing her eyes on his. He became breathless as her green eyes sparkled looking like perfectly carved out gems begging him to introduce himself and whisk her away till death do us part.

He folded the paper setting it on the bar beside his coffee cup while drowning in the sea of green that he did not want to be rescued from. As they sat there caught up in each other’s moment of unmistaken love-at-first-sight, he got up from his seat and walked over to where the two girls were sitting. Hi, I’m Mitch. Mitch Preston. He said extending his hand to the green-eyed beauty. She slowly raised her hand to join his while staring into his blue eyes. I’m Jennifer. Their hands collided and held grip for a moment not acknowledging the other girl sitting across from them. Excuse me, said the voice for the third time, I’m Trish, the girl who clearly should not be sitting here right now, but I am. Mitch and Jennifer broke into a laugh and he apologized for his rudeness.  Jennifer invited the handsome man to sit with them, and the rest is history.

They became sweethearts and during Jennifer’s senior year, he proposed and after graduation, they were married. Jennifer moved to Massachusetts where Mitch was working on his doctorate. She took a teaching job at a local high school where she taught music appreciation. He graduated top of his class and he and his bride moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida where he took a position at the John F. Kennedy Space Center located on Merritt Island.

He started in the Computer Science/Engineering department, but soon landed a position as head of the Cooperative Education Program. He loved his job with robotic systems and automation, but he also loved instructing and teaching others and felt like he found his niche in life when the position became available and he was the forerunner for the offer.

The couple was living in a very nice, yet quaint, little apartment. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Mitch took his lovely bride to Cocoa Beach where he had secretly purchased a piece of land on the oceanfront. The stretch of beach wasn’t all for science and space and he fell in love with the very private setting where he could build a home to where every view was a little piece of heaven on earth, and this is where he gave her the key to their brand new beachfront home. It had always been Jennifer’s dream to live by the sea and compose music, and Mitch determined himself that she would get what her heart desired.

A year later another surprise was in the cards. This time it was Jennifer’s surprise for her husband. He ran through the house screaming at the top of his voice and nearly toppled down the stairway from the entrance to their home as he ran outside and across the sparkly white sand, I’m going to be a father, I’m going to be a father! Seven months later, Jennifer gave birth to their beautiful eight-pound daughter whom they named Kayla.

Chapter 2

I can’t believe you got me in this mess! Screamed Kayla. Well you were there too. retaliated a very disturbed Derrick as he watched his wife exhausting her efforts to be loving and kind offering rage towards anyone who dared to comfort her. Remember sweetie? Anniversary, candles, a glass of wine and our favorite music playing in the background and then, she interrupted with a very loud don’t remind me echoing fierce tempers through the atmosphere. Derrick sheepishly withdrew into the chair beside the bed. Well don’t just sit there, help me! Kayla shouted as another labor pain jolted her sarcasm directed specifically towards her husband.

You cannot be calm while I have this planet revolving around inside of me trade places with me or else! she demanded as she gripped the sides of the bed and he was thankful that it was not his hands that she was squeezing. The nurse came in to take vitals and Kayla’s cooperation needed a stern command because she would not oblige the nurse’s instruction. Kayla, I need your full participation, so I can record these vitals; demanded the nurse.  Kayla rebelled, and Derrick couldn’t help grinning, trade places with me and see if you like being probed every few minutes, don’t you understand that I am having a baby? Clearly, the nurse replied. So, I need you to cooperate please, she continued.

Mitch and Jennifer arrived and just in time. We are Kayla’s parents. The nurse politely escorted them out of the room, so she could explain their daughter’s behavior. Kayla refuses to allow us to do our jobs here and could I ask you to try to convince her just how important it is to do as we ask of her? Jennifer replied giving a quick wink to her husband, I’ll see what I can do she certainly gets her stubbornness after her father.

She went into Kayla’s room. Derrick was pacing back and forth and was more than willing to leave if indeed Jennifer asked him to. Instead, she hugged him and asked him to sit down and relax. Kayla, she softly said stroking her daughter’s hair, I need to you to breathe and settle yourself, so the nurse can do her job. Kayla rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath words that were not supposed to be in her vocabulary. In fact, she no longer cared about vocabulary, nor did she care about Derrick, nor the nurse.

She had declared an all-out war on anyone who was even remotely close to approaching her bed. Jennifer tried to reason with her daughter but was unsuccessful in her efforts.  Kayla was miserable, and she was making sure that everyone in her sights was as miserable as she was. Mitch finally came into the room smiling as he always had when his little girl would come around him and make him feel like nothing else mattered.

He gently grabbed Kayla’s hand and continued smiling as he called her little princess. She looked up at her dad, found solace in his voice, and smiled back at him, daddy, I’m so glad you’re here.  The welcoming air brought peace and Kayla seemed to feel comfortable having her father close by. I think I am going down stairs for coffee and a valium if I can convince someone around here to give me one. Derrick announced as he was leaving the room. Jennifer decided she too would join him, as she knew this was going to be a long haul. Later, they returned as Kayla was being taken to delivery.

Push! Instructed the doctor. You don’t understand how difficult this is, Kayla screamed feeling exhausted. The doctor replied, I have a pretty good idea being that I’ve been in this very delivery room five times birthing my own children. Kayla seemed to relax a little more knowing that Dr. Peters was more than just a doctor, she was a mother as well.

The baby was on its way and Jennifer and Mitch were excited about becoming first timers in the grandparent club. Jennifer stayed busy on her cell phone receiving and making calls to anyone and everyone she could possibly think of. Frankie a longtime friend and music associate was trying to call her, but she was ignoring his calls. Business would not get in the way of this happy moment, thought Jennifer, as she continued racking up minutes. As she fiddled with her phone, Derrick came running to her trying to communicate a frantic dialogue that irritated Jennifer. For crying out loud Derrick, she exasperated, please speak in layman terms if that is at all possible for you.

He broke down in tears and fell to his knees, please God, please. Jennifer suddenly felt a sickening glitch in her happy relevance. She became adhered to his words of desperation, while annoyance began to play ring around the rosé in her head. She pleaded once more for an answer that would make sense, but he was beyond his scope of reality. In her relegate intentions, she abdicated to follow suit of his pity. She and Mitch both ran to their daughter’s room hoping to find restitution to Derrick’s inability to communicate. Dr. Peters met them at the door and escorted them down the hall to the Labor and Delivery lounge.

Kayla will be fine, explained the doctor, but, the baby had complications due to the umbilical cord which was stretched and compressed during labor. What do you mean ‘had and was?  Is the baby fine, is it a boy or a girl? cried Jennifer. Dr. Peters further explained how the umbilical cord decreased the flow of blood within it causing short drops in the baby’s heart rate, which the monitor picked up during labor.  However, there was a collapse of the cord which cut off the blood and oxygen supply to the baby and an emergency cesarean had to be performed, but we were unable to save your granddaughter.

Jennifer collapsed. Oh my God this cannot be happening, not to us, not to Kayla and Derrick, Mitch sobbed as he hung his head over his wife. A gale of confusion swept over his fragile psyche as he quickly became stressed from the news he just heard. Dr. Peters yelled for help as she tried to comfort Mitch and check Jennifer’s pulse. A team of nurses gathered around trying to pry Mitch away from his wife. His sobs were uncontrollable, and he held his shattered beauty close to his face, swaying back and forth crying out to God; why, why? What have we done to deserve this?

Chapter 3

Kayla slowly lifted herself out of the rocking chair that was placed by the window in their newborn’s nursery. She was weak from the labor and cesarean a few days before and tears rained down her face as she touched the crib and the stuffed animals she had neatly placed along the vertical slats. Her eyes looked up and focused on the wall where there would be no photos of her baby to display proudly and no lullabies to sing to her little one at night. Emptiness made its home deep in her heart and a shear burden of anxiety became an emotion from time to time when she longed to hold Angel in her arms. She needed to feel something other than the empty and barren dwelling in her soul.

Kayla and Derrick named their daughter Angel because they chose to believe that God had sent her for a moment to fulfill a very big task. They couldn’t understand God’s purpose but knew in time God would carry out his endeavor and take the brokenness and shine His light on His intended eternal purpose.

Kayla was raised in a home where love and God’s word was an eminent way of life for the Preston’s. It’s time to go now darling, Derrick said softly as he made his way into the nursery. He yearned to wipe away her tears that stained his shirt as she leaned into his comfort and stood there in silence while her heart bled with grief. The two of them embraced life as only brokenness possibly could, and silently, they knew the language of grief, a foreigner that invaded their lives. The funeral for little Angel Leigh Gallagher was moments away and this brief allowance given to them would be a memory etched into their hearts forever and life as Kayla and Derrick had known would never be the same again.

Wake up Jen we need you today. cried Mitch. You’ve slept for the past two days and the funeral is in an hour. She forced her eyes opened only to feel the pain convince her back into a numb world where she desired to be. A place where nothing was everything, and this everything would become her haven.  He tried several times to wake his wife but grew impatient as she mumbled her reasoning for a truce. He realized how unbearable the loss of their granddaughter affected her and now she was living under the guise of paralysis. But he refused to let this embarrassment keep him from saying his last goodbye to his only grandchild whom he never got to know.

He was the glue his family needed during this time. His wife was living under the shadows of a controlled substance while his daughter and son-n-law struggled to breathe one more time. He wanted to grieve, he needed to grieve, but he had to hold himself together for everyone else despite the pain that was brutally imprisoning his rites of passage into mourning. He kissed Jennifer on her cheek and rushed out the door into life’s most dreaded ritual.

The minister read the scripture from Luke chapter eighteen; But Jesus called them unto him, and said, suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. As he continued to convey his message, Mitch became overwhelmed with the thought of his wife not being there to help their daughter and her husband through such an unbearable time. Anger began to overwhelm him, and embarrassment flushed through his body. He pondered how selfish an act as this that his wife could run away and hide under her own cross to carry. She could renounce her emotions and relinquish her responsibilities.

At that very moment, He was snatched from reality and caught up in a web of mental turmoil as the minister asked the family to rise and leave the church. He stared at his granddaughter’s casket his mind engaged in torrent thoughts of his wife, and thoughts of his little granddaughter that he never got to hold that brought sobs to his broken heart. Kayla turned to her father, grabbed him, and held on to him as if life would never have another chance to break into their world and leave fragments of destruction as a reminder of the storm that just spiraled their world into oblivion. He let go of every emotion that was raging inside him as the evidence poured from his eyes. His cry and sobs were loud and reminded those among him just how precious life is and once taken from your grips, death becomes the ones who survive it and suffer the remains.

At the grave site, Pastor Benson knelt in front of the grieving family while compassion filled his eyes and asked; would you like for me to pray with you now? Mitch kept Kayla close and pulled Derrick into the circle as they held tight to what was left of them and he looked at his pastor and nodded a simple yes. As the pastor prayed, the three hearts poured out their desolation as the rest of the gathered people became their camaraderie.

Mitch, Kayla and Derrick along with Derrick’s parents all stood over the little grave of baby Angel. Not a word was spoken, nor any glances exchanged. They all were victims of their own reveries. Minutes turned into an hour as silent tears spoke louder than any voice could be heard. The pastor stood from a distance to revere the final goodbye from the family to their precious little one that was laid to rest. He knew in his heart that something wasn’t right.  Jennifer is strong and would not desert her family like this, His thoughts deepening, could blame be the culprit, or is something more serious masking the surface, holding Jennifer against her own will?

This was not like Jennifer and he wanted to help her in any way he could. Pastor Benson, interrupted Mitch, we are leaving now could you drop by and pray with my wife? he asked as softly and innocently as a broken man could ask. I would be more than happy to son; replied the pastor, I will wait here until everyone has left then drop by on my way out of here. Mitch thanked him and turned to walk away.

Chapter 4

He stared at his wife in unbelief after he opened the door to his house only to find Jennifer sitting against the wall on a step of the staircase. She was talking and laughing with someone on her cell phone with a bottle of wine and an empty wine glass sitting beside her. I need to go, call you later, she hurried. Mitch did not move, shock held him prisoner and silence bore the rest of the conversation as a knock came to the door. Well, are you or are you not going to answer the door? revolted his intoxicated wife making her way down the stairs, past her husband, and opening the door herself. Pastor Benson stood there bewildered as Jennifer slurred her welcome and invited him in. He noticed the wine bottle and the wine glass sitting on the stair as well as Mitch who was still in shock, but the smell of alcohol was too overwhelming.

If this is a bad time I can come back if you would like, hesitated the puzzled minister. Jennifer replied, but you’re here now and I assume you came to counsel with the black sheep of the day. Mrs. Preston, he retracted. No, please call me Jenny as you always have and join us for some beverage. Mitch dropped his head in shame. He asked the pastor to take a seat in the living room as he escorted his wife to the kitchen. Who are you Jen? What has gotten into you? Our granddaughter was buried just a couple of hours ago. I come home to find you laughing to whomever on your phone and a bottle of wine that’s almost empty. We needed you badly today. He began to cry as he tried to convey, it’s not fair that you get to hide underneath what it is that you’re hiding under while the rest of us deal."

Jennifer threw her wine glass to the floor smashing it into pieces. She stormed out of the kitchen yelling, deal? You want me to deal? Then let’s deal baby. She staggered into the living area where the embarrassed minister was sitting with his head pressed to his folded hands as if he were praying. Okay, here I am, I’ve come to deal. shouted Jennifer. Pastor Benson stood as Mitch ran into the room. I’m so sorry pastor, I apologize for her behavior.

Jennifer did not like that her husband was offering apologies for her and she stood in askance towards him and offered a very disturbing suggestion. You need to pack your bags and get out of my house and out of my life, I want a divorce! The pastor interrupted offering to have prayer with her, but she just stood there staring at her husband until finally, her eyes drifted away from him and she hung her head for a moment as if she was searching for something. She felt weak and her thoughts scrambled when she lifted her tearful eyes to him once more and whispered, what was her name?" She collapsed.

Shall I call 911? suggested the startled minister. Mitch encouraged the idea that alcohol was most likely the cause of her passing out and he had never known his wife to participate in more than one glass of wine and that was on special occasions. He also explained to the pastor that their marriage has never suffered anything so severe that divorce was ever mentioned. They both agreed that perhaps the shock of their grandbaby’s death was more than Jennifer could deal with and she was dealing the only way she knew how.

Mitch lifted his wife to the sofa as she began to be alert and the pastor knelt beside her taking her hand and began to pray. As he ended the prayer, Mitch offered him a cup of coffee, thanks but I should go and you two need to try to get some rest. Pastor Benson stood to his feet still holding her hand, if you need me Jen, I’m a phone call away. Please don’t hesitate, I’m always available. She managed a stiff smile and closed her eyes.

Mitch walked the pastor to the door and told him how grateful he was to have such a wonderful friend and confidant.  The pastor offered a smile, wrapping his arms around him expressing his appreciation for his faithfulness to the body of Christ. While he stood in the doorway, Mitch watched his pastor drive away then noticed the waves pounding the shore while some children ran wildly with laughter and agility as if nothing could possibly pull them away from this moment they were caught up in. But, he couldn’t seem to find the smile that always became an immediate action when he saw the kids playing.

For a moment, his thoughts turned to his daughter remembering when she was a little girl. She would run from the waves and attach herself to his legs looking up at him, smiling that unforgettable language that tugged at his heart. He then closed his eyes trying to hold back tears as he thought of her broken heart and wishing he could kiss her forehead and make it all disappear. The deep restlessness he felt brought him to silent prayer; Dear God, what is the meaning of all this?  We never got the chance to hold our little Angel. Although it hurts, and the pain feels unbearable, I can’t possibly know the pain my daughter and her husband are having to endure. Please give them strength, help them to find courage to face each day that is ahead. And God, help Jen. Only you know the deepness of her hurt. Help her to be brave and give us both enough strength to walk this path and understand what is meant for us to learn. Thank you, Father God.

Mitch! she screamed searing with anger, why did you make a spectacle of me in front of our pastor? He turned and walked back into the living area where she was standing near the picture window that displayed the most beautiful scenery God created. He could not help but to give a retorted answer; I didn’t need to make a spectacle of you my dear, you were quite the sport doing it on your own. Jennifer gazed at him as if she could heave a mountain of insults against him, but instead she marched past him and muttered, I’m sick of you right now. Those words stabbed him wounding him deeper than the pain he was already feeling. He decided a long walk would do him good and give him a chance to renew his mind. When he ran upstairs to change into his running clothes he found Jennifer on her phone saying, I’ll meet you in twenty minutes.

The intensity of his anger heightened as he noticed her conduct had become disturbingly strange. She asked as if to be very calm and