The Last Wife

two

• the last supper •

Ruby

I drive out of the police station.

The last few hours have been intense with the cops asking me questions back to back about my husband. They kept me waiting for almost an hour before the interrogation started. And when they finally started asking the questions, it felt like they didn't believe a single word I said. Like they were trying to pin the murder on me. They sounded so sure that I knew something that I wasn't telling them. Like I was hiding something.

As if someone had told them something...

It doesn't take long for me to pull up to Alex's apartment.

He got a more luxurious apartment which is way bigger than the previous one. I don't know how but he managed to fully furnish his house with his own money which was a little surprising. He doesn't have a job (at least not a real one). He's just an IT student who works online. He stays in the house all day but I'm so proud of him for doing something like this for himself without asking for any help from me. He's been paying the rent and bills on his own. My boy is a grown man now.

"How did it go?" That's the first question Alex asks when he opens the door.

I toss myself on the couch.

"Horrible."

He pours me some wine and hands the glass to me.

"What do you mean horrible?" He sits next to me, fear flickering in his eyes. "Do they know who you really are?"

I sip the wine and sigh.

"Not that horrible at least. But they think I'm hiding something. They were so harsh and hard on me."

"Maybe this is the part where you listen to me and get a damn lawyer." He huffs.

"I'm not getting a f*****g lawyer, Alex! I thought I made that pretty clear last night."

"Then stop complaining about the cops pestering you!"

"Don't you get it, Alex?" I sit up. "Getting a lawyer will make me look like I'm guilty. Like I killed him. I know I'm innocent and I'll prove that to the police!"

"By not getting a lawyer?"

"Why is it so hard for you to get it?"

"Because I know the police, Isa!" He blurts. "They'll dig in till they find out the truth about you! They'll find out that you are an impostor! That you are not Ruby Rey! That you are Isabel Morales, the woman who has been plotting to destroy Harvey Ford all her life. It will kill me if that happens!"

The deep sadness in his eyes moves me, making tears sting my eyes.

"That's why I just want you to get a lawyer." He continues. "Let's get this over and done with as fast as possible. Before people find out the truth..."

I stare at him in disbelief.

"And Harvey?"

"What about Harvey?"

"Somebody just killed him. I want to know who killed him and why."

"You want to say thanks to the person?"

"No, I'm afraid that this person was trying to frame me for the murder. Wanted to make me look like the killer."

He rolls his eyes.

"Get over yourself. I don't think this is about you... I just think Harvey was good at making enemies and that was the price he paid."

"I feel sorry for him..." I mutter.

"He can burn in hell for all I care." He growls. "Stop acting like you're not happy someone did the dirty job for us. We've wanted this for the longest time, Isabel."

"And that's the strangest thing..." I pause. "I've wanted this for so long and now that it's happened, I feel nothing. I feel completely nothing. I thought it would bring me so much joy to see Harvey dead but I feel nothing. No bliss. No satisfaction. No reward. After planning the revenge for so long, I just feel nothing."

"I think you're still in shock after last night..."

The first person I called after seeing Harvey's death was Alex.

I knew he would fix it.

He asked me to stay calm, not get anywhere near the corpse and call the cops. Which I did.

I was surprised when Alex landed a few hours later and we took a flight back to Foxton. Seeing him was so relieving and I remember just running to his arms and crying on his shoulder. I remember feeling so warm in his arms despite the rain drenching our clothes. I hadn't realized just how shocked I was and how much I had been keeping in all this time. The cops had tried to draw information from me but I kept telling them, "I don't know". And when Alex came to my rescue, he demanded them to stay away and took me home. I love this boy. I would die for him.

The doorbell rings.

Alex swings the door open for some short girl. She's so short that I can only see Alex's back.

"Hey! I'm kinda your new neighbour!" She says with a low cool voice. "My sister lives next to you, I don't know if you know her coz she's kinda quiet, kinda lowkey, kinda introverted you know... but anyways, so she kinda forgot to pay her electricity bill and now I can't f*****g watch 'The bachelor'. I'm kinda addicted to watching that show. It's a f*****g lifesaver! So I was kinda requesting you to let me watch it on your TV. That's if you're cool with it. Please be cool with it." She pauses briefly. "Oh! I figured you'd like some popcorn as we watch it."

She dumps the popcorn in his hands and forces her way in.

I'm surprised to see the angry girl at my wedding. The girl who caused a scene and threw the bouquet back at me. Yesterday, she looked stunning in a tangerine gown. Today, she looks tired and tiny in a huge t-shirt and some shorts with her dark hair rolled in a messy bun.

She's shocked to see me.

"Hey?" She greets nervously.

"Hey."

"Ummmm... what I did yesterday was so not cool." She says nervously. "I'm kinda going through some stuff. But I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Her apology is so awkward but funny at the same time. I can't help but say,

"It's fine."

"Can we watch 'The Bachelor' now?" She asks with a squeal.

"I'd love that." At least something to take my mind away from all the drama.

"Sorry I didn't bring you popcorn. You can have mine."

"Thanks but wine is fine with me." I sip the drink.

Alex is left in a state of bewilderment. He studies the new neighbour as he sits on the opposite couch from us. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the stranger's company and the show she just put on.

"Not to be nosy," she clears her throat. "But shouldn't you be on honeymoon right now?"

I take a quick sip.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh, God! I shouldn't have asked that. I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be." I turn on the volume. "Can we watch the show now?"

One episode leads to more episodes and we find ourselves caught up in all the drama of the dating show. It's interesting and attention-gripping with chunks of humour packed in every episode. I find myself laughing with this stranger I just met two seconds ago, chewing on more popcorn and drinking more wine.

"My sister will be home any time now. Kinda have to get going." She heads for the door. "You guys are so cool. We should do this again some time."

We wave at her but I wish she could stay some more. She was so much fun. Can't remember the last time I got so lost in laughter.

A few minutes later, I get a text.

A text from Erik.

I've been trying not to think about him after all the drama last night. I don't want his name getting dragged in all this. Once I clean up this Harvey mess with the police, he and I can finally be together. Probably fly away and start a family in some far-away land.

I open the text.

Erik

Dinner at my house tonight?

****

"This house is gorgeous."

I look around as I dig into the meal. That's when I notice that Erik is staring at me. Intently.

"How could you eat the food so calmly and carelessly?" He asks quietly with a small smile.

"Huh?"

"Forgive me, I'm just wondering how you could trust me enough to eat the food that I made. I mean, what if I put poison in it?"

I immediately freeze, staring at him in shock.

"Don't act surprised, honey. You betrayed me. You deceived me. You broke my heart. You cheated on me. You destroyed me. So, why wouldn't I put a little poison in your food to try and get even?"

A feeling of nausea surges through me.

"Don't get all red, baby." He continues. "I didn't poison your food. As much as I would like to watch you die, that wouldn't bring me as much satisfaction as torturing you and seeing you suffer."

"God! I was so stupid!" I hiss.

"Yeah, you were so stupid!" He blurts out. "Cheating on your husband with me on your f*****g wedding! In a f*****g washroom! That was f*****g disgusting!"

He grits his teeth and leans closer over the table, his sharp stare fixed on me.

"You know what else I find stupid? The fact that you trusted me! You think I would let you come back after everything you did? You think I would trust you after you cheated on your husband? God! You're so pathetic!"

He scowls at me.

"I know you killed Harvey."

"What!" I gasp.

"I know you killed your husband to run away with me! I know that was the motive! I can't believe you would do something so diabolical!"

"I didn't kill Harvey!" I don't even notice it when tears run down my eyes.

"Yes, you killed him! I know you killed him! It can't be a coincidence that I asked you to leave him and he appears dead the next day on the papers! I know you did it!"

"You don't understand it, Erik!"

"Understand what? That you're not only a cheater but also a killer?"

I stand from the table and head for the door.

"I can't do this with you!"

"You can't run, Ruby! You won't get away with this! I will make sure you rot in jail for what you did to your poor husband!"

"I won't rot in jail because I didn't kill him!"

"Let's see who the cops believe..."

That cold statement makes me stop on my heels and I turn to face him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I told the cops everything."

******