A Call From Seven Years Later

I knew at once where they were.

It was the most famous clifftop stretch on the coast.

There was an oceanfront villa there.

Simon had once stood with the blueprints in his hand, pointing at that spot, promising me it was where he'd buy our marriage home.

But in my world, we'd only just signed the marriage certificate. There'd been no time for a wedding.

He had "died" on the way to come fetch his bride.

I gripped the phone so hard my knuckles went white.

So that was it.

I got out of bed at once, grabbed my car keys, and left.

By the time I reached the villa, the sky had gone dark.

The lawn blazed with light, and flowers lined the path the whole way.

A lavish little outdoor wedding was underway.

I stood in the shadows, watching the stage in the distance.

Simon wore a sharply tailored white suit, pouring his heart out to Rachel.

"Rach, I finally get to marry you."

His voice cracked. "I've waited so long for this day."

The big screen played their photos together, their history.

Every one of those photos, I remembered.

But on that screen, every place I'd stood had been crudely cropped out.

To them, I'd always been nothing more than a piece of background no one needed.

In their threesome, I was the joke left on the outside.

The crowd burst into warm applause.

Right at the peak, just as the officiant announced the exchange of rings.

I walked out of the shadows, one step at a time, onto the red carpet.

"Simon Weiss!"

Every eye in the place swung to me.

"How are you here?!" Shock and panic flooded Simon's face.

I walked up in front of them and let out a cold laugh.

Then I flung that glaring red booklet out of my bag.

"I came to my lawful husband's wedding."

The marriage certificate lay blood-red and stinging under the lights.

My name and Simon's, our photos, printed there plain for anyone to see.

The friends around them sucked in sharp breaths, and the whispering exploded all at once.

Rachel's face went red, the tears coming instantly.

She rushed forward to explain. "It's not what it looks like! Fel, listen to me, Simon loved me first, I was never the other woman! You were the one wedged between us this whole time—"

I raised my hand and slapped her across the face, hard.

She screamed and went down to the ground.

"That one's for all the years of your sickening, two-faced act!"

Simon snapped to.

He pulled Rachel into his arms, turned, and swung his hand up.

A crisp slap landed hard across my face.

"Have you lost your mind, Felicia!"

He jabbed a finger at me, his eyes vicious. "Security! Throw this crazy woman out!"

Several guards moved in at once to grab me.

That was when several officers strode through.

"Which one of you is Simon Weiss?"

"We received a report filed under a real name. Simon Weiss is suspected of forging a death certificate to commit large-scale insurance fraud, and of bigamy. You'll need to come with us right now."

At that same moment.

The phone in my pocket suddenly buzzed like mad.