Sworn Enemies, Secret Lovers

by Eve Rabi

  “You can hurt me physically, yeah, but you can’t stop me, baby,” he says. “Like your boyfriend – he tried to stop me. But I came back at him and boom! He went down! Just like that. Down! All the way.”

  I stare at him, phone in hand.

  “What? What? What you thinking?” he demands.

  “You didn’t have to shoot him,” I say in a soft voice. “You could have just scared him off.”

  “Maybe, but I always say, ‘Don’t ever take my things, cos if you do, I will come after you.’”

  “Things?” I cock my head.

  He nods.

  I fall silent again.

  “Make the call,” he says.

  I do nothing.

  “Now what’s going through your simple mind?”

  “I’m thinking … I should have killed you a long time ago, Damien.”

  “Just make the goddamn call!” he snaps.

  Alicia stops biting her nails to look at me.

  I lift up the gun and walk over to him.

  At the sight of me moving toward him, gun in hand, Damien’s eyes grow large with fear.

  “Boom!?” I cock the gun. “Like this?” I fire at his shoulder.

  He screams and looks at me, stunned.

  I stand over his fragmented body. “I’m so close to you, Damien. How does it feel? Huh? That you’re handcuffed and injured and can’t do shit to me? How does it feel that I’m carrying another man’s baby when I’m supposed to be your wife? Huh? His baby in your wife’s belly? His seed living on?”

  In spite of his injuries, Damien takes the bait. “Shaddup, you bitch! Shaddup!”

  I raise my gun.

  “Megan, please! I’m your husband, for crying out loud!”

  “Boom? Like this, Damien?” I squeeze the trigger and hit his other shoulder. “I’m going to kill you, today. Alicia and Abi will be my alibi. We’ll get away with it. The D.A. is Sharon Reed. Remember her? What do you think she’ll do even if she suspects someone whacked you? Especially since she’s going to get her tape and be free of you forever?”

  I chamber another round, all the while marveling at how calm I am.

  He’s now on the floor whimpering. “Megan, please … please … I don’t want to die, please, please!”

  My response is to aim between his eyes.

  “Please! Please!” he begs with his handcuffed hands together in prayer.

  “I did the same thing that night, Damien. I put my hands together and I prayed to you, begged you not to kill Reed, not to kill me.”

  He looks around frantically, as if looking for an escape outlet.

  “There’s nowhere to hide, Damien. I’m going to kill you in the next thirty seconds.”

  “Alicia!” he screams. “Alicia, help me! Please! I beg you, Alicia!”

  I turn to look at Alicia.

  “Kill him!” she says in a voice devoid of any emotion.

  His jaw drops, and he stares, mesmerized by the gun pointed at him.

  Aiming between his eyes, I take my time before I squeeze the trigger. A muffled thud and my husband, my tormentor, my jailor, lies lifeless in a pool of blood.

  For a few moments, there is absolute silence.

  Then Alicia looks over my shoulder. “Is he dead?”

  I nod.

  After a few moments of staring, she takes the gun out of my hand and fires twice, hitting him in the chest. “Making doubly sure,” she says.

  As we look at Damien’s corpse, relief washes over me. I feel absolutely no remorse, no sadness, just overwhelming relief. I guess some people shouldn’t be given the gift of life.

  When I murdered Damien, I took away his gift of life.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  When Jake sees me at his door, he dramatically lifts both hands high into the air.

  I smile as I push past him into his living room, which now doubles as his office. A half empty bottle of whisky among the papers catches my eyes, explaining his bloodshot eyes and unkempt appearance.

  “Excuse the mess; my office is under construction. Some raving lunatic ...”

  My smile is rueful. “I came to apologize.”

  “Oh, yeah? Then do it.”

  “Put your hands down, Jake.”

  “What d’ya want from me now?” he asks, lowering his arms.

  I take a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry. You’ve been a friend to me – to us, and I want to thank you for it. And I’m very very sorry about …” At the precise moment my eyes rest on Lucas’s photo lying among the pile of paperwork.

  I pick it up, close my eyes, and hold it to my breasts, my bottom lips trembling. How lucky am I that Wyatt didn’t die that night, how lucky am I that I am still pregnant with Reed’s child?

  “I’m really sorry, Jake. I know you’re suffering too.”

  He looks away.

  “You must be hurting. You … you must just want to die, like I …” I sink into a couch, my voice breaking.

  He pinches the bridge of his nose and squeezes his eyes shut. For a while, neither of us speak. We don’t need to – we’re sharing sorrow.

  Jake pours two whiskies and silently hands one to me before knocking back his.

  I sip on mine and wince, my lips still tender and bruised from the assault burns.

  “Watch this,” I say and hand him a tape.

  I lie back on the couch and shut my eyes while he watches. When the tape ends, he looks at me with eyes the size of saucers.

  “Damien forced Alicia to take me for an abortion.”

  “What?!”

  “She didn’t do it, fortunately. I’m still pregnant.”

  “Where’s Damien now?”

  I bite my lower lip, then look him in the eye and say, “Dead.”

  “What?”

  I knock back the remains of my whisky, screw up my face, and stand up.

  “I’m kidding. He’s gone into some Witness Protection type of program, which I will be joining soon. To escape Muslim extremists wanting to kill me and my family. You know, like the newspapers reported.

  I walk to the door and open the door for Alicia. She steps inside and nods at Jake. Jake’s eyes flit between the two of us. I walk over to his liquor cabinet and pour Alicia a whisky.

  She downs it and I see her color seep back into her face.

  “Megan, what the hell?” Jake asks. “Am I like your alibi?”

  “Jake, you talk like he’s dead. Like I killed him.”

  “For crying out loud, Megan!”

  “We have to go now, Jake. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Megan, wait! I don’t under –”

  “Jake, please! I haven’t seen my baby in eight days. He’s probably pining for Reed and me. All the unfamiliar faces he was forced to put up with.” My voice catches in my throat.

  Jake walks to one end of the room, then to the other. He opens his mouth to speak, but shuts it.

  “I’ll be leaving the U.S. soon,” I say.

  He nods.

  “Thank you, Jake.” Suddenly, I realize he’s alone. He shouldn’t be alone when he’s grieving. “Where’s Bailey?”

  He pinches the bridge of his nose.

  “Jake?”

  “Megan … I think she’s having an affair and I think she’s leaving. For good.”

  “Leaving?”

  “It’s been …” He takes a long breath. “With Lucas being ill, it wasn’t …” He gives a helpless shrug.

  “Really?”

  He nods and my heart goes out to him.

  I give him a hug before I leave.

  ***

  “Okay, a few things to cover,” Alicia says. “There’s people asking for Reed’s body, so I’m going to give it to them for a funeral. That okay with you?”

  I nod. She’s probably talking about Abdul, Abeeda’s father. I’m not sure if it’s his first name or last name, but everyone calls him Abdul.

  “Damien has now left for Australia, and you will be joining him soon. Okay? Well, someone posing as him has left
the country.”

  She covers a few more issues with me.

  “Do you have contacts in Immigration?” I ask as I dial Jake.

  “No. Why?”

  “The Abdul family.”

  “Oh.”

  I peer at her. “The woman on the tape – the one from Immigration. What’s her name?”

  “Des ... Desiree … something?”

  “That’s the one. We give her the tape and ask for her help with the Abduls?”

  “Okay,” Alicia says. “Will make contact with her.”

  Jake answers, so I put my finger on my lip for Alicia to be silent. “Jake, what did the realtor say?”

  “Er, she said you could get between two point six and three mill.”

  “Do it then.”

  “Megan, it’s too soon and …”

  “Just get it done, Jake. Please. I never want to see that house again. Sell the furniture, the cars, everything.”

  “Sure.” He hangs up.

  I turn to Alicia. “Drive me downtown. I need to pay someone a visit.”

  “Okay,” she says.

  When I arrive at the clothing boutique Bailey owns, she’s not in sight.

  “She’s in the back,” an assistant tells me. “I’ll call her.”

  “Don’t bother,” I say and walk to the back of the store.

  She runs behind me. “You can’t go in –”

  I shut the inter-leading door on her face.

  Bailey looks surprised to see me in front of her. Without a word, I punch her in the mug. No words, no arguments, just wham! She holds her nose and stares at me in shock. My military training comes in handy when she flies at me – I swing at her and drop her with another punch to her temple.

  “You are mad!” she cries. “Damien was right ‘bout you! I’m gonna tell him what you –”

  I boot her in the ribs and she shuts up.

  “Listen carefully, bitch. I want you to go back to Jake and make up with him.”

  “What?!”

  “You heard me, bitch. He loves you. He loved Lucas. Don’t ever hurt him or I will come back for you. Understand? He’s my friend, I don’t want to see him hurt. UnderSTAND?”

  She shields her face with her hands. “Yes, yes, yes!”

  “Good.” I start to walk away. No need to tell her that Damien has left the U.S. Let her find out herself.

  The difference between Bailey and all the other women Damien fucked – they were forced. She was a willing participant who thought nothing of destroying two marriages, and even passed her lover’s baby off as her innocent husband’s.

  She deliberately hurt Jake, so she needed her head kicked in.

  “He fancies you!” she shouts after me.

  I turn around to look at her. “No, he doesn’t.”

  She’s on her knees, gingerly touching her nose. “Damien told me that he wanted to marry you.”

  “That wasn’t true,” I say. “Don’t make excuses for your skankiness. He loves –”

  “He admitted it to me,” she says in a quiet voice.

  “What?”

  “It really hurt. So, I guess, with Damien constantly reminding me that I was Jake’s second choice, I felt rejected, and that’s how I began the affair with Damien. He said … he said all the right things. Things I needed to hear.” Her eyes fill with tears.

  Shit! If I had known this, I wouldn’t have hit her. As guilt assuages me, I realize I did the right thing killing Damien, the motherfucker. He was probably dying with envy that Jake and Bailey loved each other so much, and he must have systematically worked to erode their relationship, to divide them. And he succeeded.

  I put out my hand. After eyeing it suspiciously, she grabs it. I hoist her up.

  “Bailey, Jake loves you. I know that for a fact. Go get him and fix your relationship.”

  With that, I quickly walk away.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  My entire family accompanies me to Reed’s funeral, where I finally understand the phrase, overcome with grief.

  A somber Jake is also there to pay his respects, for which I am grateful.

  Abeeda’s parents present me with an Arabic outfit usually worn by widows. I accept it without question. I would do anything to please Reed right now. In spite of my grief, I cannot help but notice Abeeda wearing a similar outfit, and that irks me. But seeing her so overcome with grief herself stops me from saying anything.

  Reed’s face is barely visible because of the shooting – swollen, distended, and horribly discolored. I sit through prayers and sob throughout it all, my heart splintering.

  I stroke Reed’s cold face. You said always, but you’re gone, Reed. How do I raise our two children without you? I depended so much on you. For everything. Now you’re gone. Tell me how to live, Reed. Tell me. Just tell me.

  I close my eyes and picture him – my Angelman. We fought so hard to be together. So hard.

  “Megan?” Abi puts her hand on my shoulder.

  I nod and move away.

  Alicia and Abi, who arranged everything, including the dressing of Reed’s body and the funeral, are the very last ones to leave the burial site.

  As I reluctantly drag my broken self away, Abeeda runs up to me. “Megan! Megan, wait!”

  I stop and turn around.

  “I … can I hold Wyatt? Please?” Her face is red and puffy, and she looks terrible, like she hasn’t slept in days.

  “I think we should just go,” Abi says.

  But I can’t refuse Abeeda a chance to hold Wyatt. Reluctantly, I hand him to her.

  Abeeda kisses Wyatt and talks softly to him in Arabic. She looks at me. “Megan, I’m sorry to cause you so much pain.”

  I turn away, not trusting myself to be civil to her.

  Jake walks over and stands in the background, his eyes flitting between Abeeda and me.

  “Megan, please!” Abeeda begs.

  “Leave me alone, Abeeda. I know your theatrics,” I say, eyeing her outfit in disgust. “You’re not his wife, I am.” I put my hands out for Wyatt. She holds on to him.

  Jake shakes his head at me to leave her alone, probably seeing how distraught Abeeda is.

  “Megan, what would you have done?” Abeeda asks. “Think about it? Knowing that I was never going to have a baby was the most shattering thing in the world, Megan. Hashim had no idea I couldn’t have babies and I just couldn’t tell him something so … painful. I ask you …?”

  “Abeeda, I heard it …”

  “When I first met them, I wanted them both because I fell in love with both of them. Instantly!” Her eyes mist up and she looks like she is going into a trance. “There was this man – big and strong, yet vulnerable and sensitive … capable of such tenderness and warmth, and this little, adorable angel of a baby who … who took to me instantly. Cried when I walked away. It was as if they were sent from above, just for me. They came from my world, looking just for me, and they were perfect. Just perfect! No one ever cried when I walked away before, Megan, but Wyatt did. I tried to talk to Reedwan, convince him to stop looking for you, told him that Wyatt will only be a source of embarrassment to you. But he said he had to find out for himself, and he lived to find you. Deliberately, I delayed finding you, making up all sorts of excuses as to why we couldn’t contact you. I prayed that you’d reject them. Want nothing to do with them,” she shakes her scarf-clad head miserably. “But he was so into you, I stood no chance. Hashim and I shared nothing like that, and I became angry with Hashim.”

  Poor Hashim, he was such a sweet guy.

  “I was jealous of your love. I wanted his eyes to light up each time I walked into the room! I wanted to be part of those secret smiles you shared in a room full of people. Sometimes, the two of you would retreat into your own little world while we were still in the room, and I would get annoyed with you for doing that because it was so wrong. You were so wrong! Everything about the two of you was wrong! When you left the scene, I was overjoyed, and I broke up with Hashim immediately. I mean,
I had another chance at Reed – at motherhood. My prayers were being answered after all.”

  “Abeeda, stop. You killed him, remem –”

  “I knew he was sleeping with you, even though you dumped him. That afternoon when his shirt buttons were missing …Christmas weekend, when he came back and couldn’t look me in the eye. But, it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter. See, once we were married, things would have been different – he was the kind of man who would be faithful to a wife. So, it was just a matter of time … patience. I had patience – a small price to pay.”

  Maya walks over and in a show of solidarity, stands with her arm around me, nudging me from time to time to let Abeeda speak her mind.

  To everyone, I guess Abeeda looks on the verge of a nervous breakdown, rail-thin and drawn.

  “Reedwan stopped making love to me shortly after you came back on the scene. It hurt. So much. But I had to keep my eye on the big picture. My prize was marriage.”

  I am stunned. Reed never discussed his sex life with me, and I just assumed he was sleeping with both of us. It made me mad though.

  “He told me that he wanted to end things with me. Said he needed to stop because he felt like he was using me. Said it was not fair to me. I begged him to reconsider. Assured him it was okay, but it wasn’t.” Abeeda gives me a look of anguish. “It hurt so much, Megan! You have no idea how much I suffered because of you. I had fantasies about you dying. Me comforting him; him finally turning to me and loving me back, us being a family again. Just the three of us.”

  I look at Maya in exasperation. She shakes her head and whispers, “It’s therapy for her.”

  “Why are you telling me all this, Abeeda?”

  “I just knew when the two of you had a fight or when he was jealous,” she says, ignoring my question. “He would become withdrawn and morose. And then the moment things were okay between the two of you, he would be on top of the world again. You played mind games with him and you always won. Always! You had no right loving someone like him!”

  Her sudden outburst startles me.

  “He was not part of your world. You didn’t fit!”

  “Abeeda, you keep saying –”

  “When I heard he married you, I wanted to die. The pain was unbearable, and I was unable to get out of bed for days. Then, I was furious and wanted to hurt you for destroying my happiness. But not Reedwan. I loved him. Never Reedwan! He was my world. I never meant to hurt him, but I did. I actually had the man I loved killed. The man I love. I can’t eat and I no longer sleep. And Wyatt …”