The Pretend Wife (A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Shocking Twist): Domestic Psychological Thriller Series, #2

By Ann-Marie Richards

"WOW! What a Great read! This book captures you from the very start & doesn't let go." 5-STAR Review 

"Great story! I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting." 5-STAR Review

"It's an edge of your seat read with a totally unexpected ending!" 5-STAR Review

"A gripping and amazing mystery." 5-STAR Review

 

One of them is lying…

He doesn't have a wife. Not anymore. So who is this woman claiming to be his spouse? And what does she want from him?

 

When newlywed housewife Julia Windsmith returns home after a much-needed break, she is shocked to find the locks changed to her beautiful house on the beach. She pounds on the door in a wave of panic. When Dan, her beloved husband, opens the door, she asks him why he's changed the front-door lock. Confused, he asks her who she is and tells her he's never seen her before in his life…

Is Julia having another meltdown? Is her mind playing tricks on her again? Did she fabricate this relationship? Has her whole life been a complete lie?

A riveting suspense filled with deception, lies, and a scandalous cover-up.

One of them is lying…the other is dying to tell the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann-Marie Richards
• Release date: Jan 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201615987

Book preview

Chapter 1 – Now

Julia Windsmith knew something was off the moment she walked up the pathway toward the house on the beach early on Monday morning. Her home. The warm sand massaged her feet when she took off her sandals to enjoy the last few days of summer. It was mid-September. She enjoyed this time of the year.

The waves from the water lapped against the shoreline creating a calm atmosphere, but she was feeling anything but peaceful right now.

She’d been gone since Friday night for a mental health weekend retreat with her friend, Kerry, as her husband had encouraged. She’d asked Kerry to drop her off by the beach, a few minutes from her house, so that she could spend some time alone before heading inside.

She needed time to recuperate. To unwind. Things had been tense lately. She was forgetting things. She wasn’t herself. She was seeing things again. She’d taken her medication, but nothing seemed to help. They’d been trying to have a child of their own without any luck and she wasn’t getting any younger. She wondered if that had taken its toll on the marriage. That’s what happened when you waited until your mid-thirties to tie the knot, she supposed.

Lately, things had been anything but calm between Julia and her husband, Dan. They’d met during a whirlwind online romance. She’d been a loner before that.

But then again, she’d read a study somewhere that found more than thirty percent of millennials between the ages of twenty-three and thirty-eight said they felt lonely, even though they spent more time on the Internet than in real life. Chronic loneliness was a thing. And twenty-two percent of millennials said they had no friends. Like no close friends at all.

She’d almost become a statistic herself. She was introverted and suffered from anxiety disorder, PTSD, and sometimes delusions. She thought she’d be a loner forever until she met Dan. He’d changed things. Everything was fantastic until...

Until that night.

But she wanted to wash that thought out of her mind like the waves of the water washing against the shoreline. She drew in a deep breath, taking in the crisp late summer air, expanding and filling her lungs with hope.

Speaking of expanding, when her marriage began to crumble before her eyes as Dan stayed out longer and longer, she’d turn to food as her comfort. She’d gained fifteen pounds since her marriage. They tried so hard to start a family and nothing happened.

Tension grew. Financial trouble started. She’d turned to comfort foods to fill that void. Yes, creamy mac and cheese with crispy bacon layered on top, chocolate cream cake and a bottle of red wine. That had become her favorite cocktail as of late. But it didn’t help much. He’d criticized her size and stayed out even later. She thought he was seeing someone else, but who? Was he back with Alexandria, his ex-wife? She hated the name Alexandria. That woman had caused nothing but grief for them. Julia had brought it up a few times and he avoided the issue.

Then one day she snapped. She needed this break. This retreat. Her anti-anxiety meds were having less effect. He was against the trip at first, but then encouraged her to go. So she did.

And now? She was back. But could she face him again?

After...that night?

Well, hello there, the older woman who lived in the cottage on the lake next door waved to Julia as she made her way up the stone pathway to her own house. She was a charming older lady. Short-term memory problems, but otherwise, sweet.

Hello, Mrs. Dams. How are you today? Julia said, cheerfully.

Julia enjoyed sitting with Mrs. Dams sometimes while she did her knitting on the porch of her cottage.

Oh, lovely. How did you know my name? Have we met before? I live next door.

Julia smiled, her heart hurting in her chest. Yes, Mrs. Dams, I live next door to you, remember?

Mrs. Dams spent most of her time alone, though she said her grandson Travis helped her out sometimes and visited once in a while, but Julia had only seen Travis once from a distance and never up close. Julia had spent most of her time inside, staring out at the waves.

Oh, yes. Yes. The woman looked out at the beautiful blue waves of the lake. The sun rose in the East. It was breathtaking. The sound of the roaring waters almost drowned them out. It was so relaxing living by the great lake in cottage country in Ontario, Canada.

Well, see you later, dear.

See you. Julia waved to the elder woman.

She walked closer to her lovely home overlooking the water. It didn’t look as if anyone was home.

She continued up the pathway, her backpack slung over her shoulder. She didn’t carry much to the wellness retreat. It was a special getaway organized by an online Facebook group for those living with anxiety disorders.

She wished Dan had come with her, but he told her he needed time alone, too.

Was that a sign that he didn’t want to work things out in their marriage? Still, this had been the first time away since their marriage. Dan would never let her out of his sight unless she was home alone. Locked away in their hideaway, tucked away in a wooded area by the great, blue lake.

Julia pulled out her key and noticed the lock looked a bit different. It used to be gold, but now it was silver.

Was that her imagination?

Was she having delusions again?

Stop, that Julia. Nothing’s changed. It’s just your imagination. You can do this. Stop being so paranoid.

She tried putting the key in and nothing happened. The key didn’t fit. A wave of panic swept over her. Okay, that can’t be my imagination.

She stood back slightly and looked up at the house to make sure she’d gotten the right door and residence. Yep, she lived there all right. That was her home.

But...

The lock had been changed.

She was either locked out of her home or she was going crazy or both. Something was not right. Now she wished her friend Kerry had dropped her off out front instead of by the beach. What had she been thinking?

Still, Kerry had never been to their home. Dan didn’t like having so-called strangers there. Even though she’d met Kerry through her online group and they’d become friends, Dan was strange when it came to new acquaintances. He didn’t trust people all that much.

Julia’s heart raced in her chest as she tried the lock again. Still nothing.

She then knocked hard on the door, slamming the brass door knocker against the oak door.

Nothing.

She went over by the window and tapped lightly on it. She tried to peek inside but it was too dark and the reflection of the sun on the glass didn’t help.

She stepped back and looked up. She thought she saw someone at the window.

Dan? Dan? What’s going on? The key won’t work. Open up.

Did he change the lock this weekend while she was out? Did he have a reason to? The older lock had been sticking before, but he should have at least warned her and told her he was going to change it?

She saw someone in the window again.

The hairs on her skin stood to attention. Goosebumps sprang up on her arms. Her stomach tied into knots.

What was going on?

Dan?

She went around to the side of the house, the cool wind from the lake ruffling her hair. She stepped on a twig and almost lost her footing.

Her heart hammered in her chest. She felt an anxiety attack coming on. This could not be happening. She could not have a meltdown out here. Not now.

Why couldn’t she get into her own house?

She tried the side door. Dan almost always left it open, to her chagrin. That was a bad habit of his.

Once when they’d gone fishing together very early in the morning, they were stunned on their return to see the wind had blown it open. Someone could have burgled them!

It was a bad habit of his, but thankfully, it would save her now.

When she tried the door handle at the side door, it was locked as well. Of all the times to finally start locking the side door, he just had to do it now.

Something was off. Way off.

It was as if she was in some alternate universe. A nightmare.

In fact, looking at it, she noticed that the door handle to the side door also looked different from the last time she’d seen it.

Did Dan change all the locks in the house?

Why?

Why on earth would he do that?

What the hell was going on?

She’d regretted not having Kerry drop her off at the front door and wait until she was safely inside. At least she wouldn’t be stuck outside with the elements. She wanted to get inside now.

Dan this is not funny. What the hell is going on?

This was damn serious. What the hell was he trying to pull? Was he punishing her? But for what?

Why the hell did he lock her out of her own house? Their house?

Chapter 2 – Then

I’ve never done anything like this before, Julia said to Dan as they sat at her favorite restaurant, a nice cozy sea-food place right by the lake in the downtown Toronto core.

Her palms were moist with anxiety. Her heart pulsed hard in her chest. Why was she so nervous? They’d spoken on the phone so many times and texted each other a lot before finally meeting.

Hey, there’s a first time for everything. It’s not a bad place.

"Oh, no. Not this. I meant meeting someone online. Serious Dates Only is the first dating app I uploaded my profile to."

Same here. But you know what? Life is an adventure.

That’s true.

Or it’s nothing at all as Helen Keller once said.

You are so right.

So, you own several businesses? Julia asked him.

Yes. Investments and such. He handed her a business card.

It read: 2340 Investments.

Nice.

And you? You mentioned on your profile in the app that you work in marketing but you’re looking at branching out into something else.

Yes. I’ve always wanted to work in counselling and music therapy. Something a bit more fulfilling. Not exactly a fan of the long hours in marketing. Or the office politics.

Sounds nice. Wow. Music therapy.

Yes, I minored in it while doing my sociology degree. Music is the language of emotions. People feel so connected to songs and melodies. It’s a powerful tool for change.

I think you’d be great at it. Do you write songs?

Well, I write poems, lyrics and stuff like that. And I love to sing...in the shower.

He chuckled.

I used to play the guitar in school, and... She hesitated.

And what?

Oh, nothing.

Hey look. You can be real with me. We’ve had, like, a million text messages before meeting. We’ve shared so much already about our interests.

True. She paused for a moment. I find it helps my little brother when I sing to him.

Your little brother?

Yes, he’s institutionalized with a rare, congenital birth disorder with his immune system. He needs to stay in a facility.

She swore she wasn’t going to bring that up. Her heart plunged in her chest thinking about it. She’d been fighting hard to pay