Chapter 2

2

Mark just rolls his eyes.

"Don't give me that crap. You're the one who was gone all night! Aren't you supposed to be a wife and a mother?"

"Where did you take the girls?"

"You have the nerve to ask about the girls? Your soulmate is more important than they are."

Mia and Lily were only seven.

They didn't even get to live. Now they're just ashes in a box.

How could it get any worse?

"It was just one freakin' pickup from school. Get over it! Brenda was having a rough day and needed someone. What was I supposed to do?" Mark says, all impatient.

His words cut me deep.

I see Lily's bloody face after she got hit, Mia lying in my arms, coughing up blood, saying, "Mommy, it hurts. It hurts so bad."

My heart is breaking all over again.

Brenda's Instagram post definitely didn't show how "rough" she was.

How dare he lie to me after he murdered our children?

"I want a divorce," I spit. I don't want to talk to him any more.

"What?"

Mark is incredulous and annoyed.

"You're seriously going to divorce me over this, Sarah?"

Brenda chimes in, adding fuel to the fire.

"Yeah, you're being ridiculous. Mark could've married anyone. He totally wasted himself on you."

My face turns dark.

Mark and Brenda were childhood friends, sweethearts in college.

Then Brenda got all wrapped up in grad school, ignored Mark, and they broke up.

That's when I met Mark.

They kept in touch.

Mark said Brenda was just a friend, like a sister to him.

I was so stupid and naive.

I married Mark, had kids, and thought he would settle down.

He got worse.

He and Brenda were always going to parties, getting home at 2 a.m.

They even went to Europe and Southeast Asia to shop, posting pictures of themselves together.

People warned me.

I always defended him, said they were just friends, that she always told me.

I lied to everyone for his benefit, for the girls.

Even when my daughters cried for their dad, I defended him.

"Daddy's working hard to buy us toys and food!"

Then, I would beg him to spend more time with them.

Mark would turn it around on me.

"I'm already exhausted. Can't you even take care of two little kids? Are you really their mother?"

I told myself he would change.

I didn't want my daughters growing up without a dad.

I endured it.

My reward was two urns of ashes and Mark and Brenda's twisted game.

These awful people. If it wasn't for them, my daughters would still be alive.

I put the ashes down, glared at them, wanting to slap them both.

"You're monsters! Get out of my house!"

Brenda runs to Mark's side, points at me.

"Sarah, why are you yelling?"

I look at her, feeling my hands itch.

"Point at me again, and I'll break your damn fingers off!"

Brenda yanks her hand back like she'd been burned.

Mark steps in front of Brenda, glaring at me.

"Sarah, why are you acting crazy?"

"I can forgive you yelling at me, but you yell at Brenda, and I'll never forgive you."