The Deception of Destiny: A Novel

by Jennifer Walters

  “I love you Mom, I love you. Your biopsy is over. You have your wish for us to know what’s wrong with you. Although I didn’t like what you did, I mean, I understand, Mom. I know you did it because we will never know what the cause of Grandma’s death was, it was just so hard to watch you go through an unnecessary procedure. The doctor said it is Glioblastoma Multiforme. Mom, it is the worst kind of cancer there is. It is in your brainstem and…” She stopped talking to compose herself. Her crying was getting in the way of her words and I squeezed her hand once again, even though it hurt to move.

  “There is nothing they can do, Mom. I’m praying for a miracle, we all are.”

  I suddenly realized the other people in the room were gone. It was just me and Gabby. When did she grow up and turn into this beautiful woman? Where did time go? I closed my eyes and saw her as that five-year-old girl. Pigtails, pink dresses and more energy than anyone I knew. Her strong spirit and love for life was definitely passed down from her father. I opened my eyes again, struggling not to be taken away from her again. Although I felt rested and at peace when I closed my eyes, when I opened them, I felt my heart full of joy and life.

  “The hospice nurse said we can bring you home tomorrow. You can finally come home. I’m so sorry you have to go through this. Remember, we are all by your side and love you so much. Fight, Mom, please fight for a few more days with us. I’m just not ready to let you go, not yet,” she cried, rubbing my arm.

  She leaned down and kissed me on the lips. Her cool lips felt refreshing. They were cracking and filled with fire. She reached into her pocket and dotted her ChapStick on my lips. Although I could no longer rub them together, it felt soothing.

  “Mom, I hate to see you in pain like this. Maybe you feel less pain or maybe the drugs took care of that, I dunno. Irene will be here in a couple minutes with Phillip. She took her first steps yesterday, in the hospital here. It was a miracle, I will never forget it. She walked three steps from the chair to the side of your bed. It was almost as if she was walking right to you.”

  I felt a presence enter the room and then a giggle from a toddler. I smiled to myself, no one could see it, but I think Gabby knew. Phillip dangled the baby girl a foot or so from my face. I saw her smile, laugh, reach for my long brown curls, which I’m sure were now turning gray without the luxury of boxed hair dye. I wanted to reach out, touch her, hold her in my arms.

  Instead I heard the voice of the nurse behind them. “Time to get you ready for bed, Destiny.”

  Seriously?

  “Mom, we will be back tomorrow to bring you home. I love you,” she said, leaning over the side of the bed to kiss me on the forehead.

  I let my eyes close and I chased him through the garden, laughing as the butterfly landed on my shoulder.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  JANUARY 1997

  Gabby and I arrived at the hospital around nine the next morning. I really hadn’t slept much the night before, waiting for a phone call from Judy that never came. My heels tapped the floor, echoing through the bare hallway. The sound of my heels was calming me down, releasing my anxiety and fear.

  As we turned the corner, Gabby cried out, “Grammy!” and ran as fast as she could into Judy’s arms.

  “Hey, baby girl, how are you?”

  “Really good. Mommy let me eat cake for breakfast.” She leaned in to Judy’s ear. “Mom never lets me eat cake for breakfast. I think she misses Daddy.”

  My whole body went limp as I watched her skip down the hallway, hand in hand with Judy. Judy turned around and grinned at me. I shrugged my shoulders and raised my eyebrows in response, closely following behind them.

  “Okay, Gabby, Daddy is right in there. Why don’t you go say hello with Grandpa while I talk to your mommy, okay?” she asked, bending down to Gabby’s height.

  “Okay, Grammy.” She took Carl’s hand and walked into the room with him.

  Judy turned to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but I knew you needed your rest and I didn’t want to bother you. Bryan is doing very well. They said his swelling is very minimal and hasn’t gotten any worse. They want to keep an eye on him one more night and then he can go home if there are no more changes. Isn’t that great?”

  “Wow, that’s amazing. I can’t believe he’s doing so well. I was so worried about him.”

  “He doesn’t remember the accident at all, and sometimes he seems to stare off a little bit, but he’s really doing well. You know how strong he is; I’m not surprised.”

  I could hear a woman’s voice in the room.

  “Who is in there?” I asked.

  “Probably just the nurse, dear,” she said, walking into the room and I followed.

  The blonde nurse was sitting next to Bryan’s bed with Gabby in her lap, playing with her hair. I was in shock.

  Bran’s head peeked up when he saw me walk in.

  “Hey, Dez, you remember Olivia, right?”

  I felt my blood pressure rising, I wanted to hide, disappear into thin air. What the hell is she doing here?

  “No, I don’t believe I do,” I replied, with a forced smile.

  “You know, Olivia Johnson, from high school,” he said, confused.

  “Oh, yeah, Olivia Johnson, how are you?” I asked, stepping forward. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Gabby sitting in that woman’s lap.

  “I’m doing well. I heard you and Bryan got married, huh. Congratulations. What a beautiful girl you have.”

  I wondered what it would feel like to mess up that perfect face. Her blonde hair was silky and perfect, pulled back into a ponytail. The prom picture of her and Bryan, crowned king and queen their senior year, flashed into my head. My hands turned into fists, I hid them behind my back.

  “Olivia, you haven’t changed at all, you look beautiful,” Judy spoke, a little too excited as she walked toward her, giving her a welcoming hug that made my skin crawl.

  “Oh please, you are making me blush. You are the one that hasn’t changed at all, Judy. What is your secret? Please tell.”

  Her smile was too big, too fake. Did anyone buy this? I looked at Judy, then at Carl. Huge grins lit up their faces with her flattery.

  “Olivia here, was just telling us she works down the hall in Peds,” Carl explained.

  “Yeah, I walked down here to talk to the nurses, when I saw Bryan here in ICU. I am so glad you are okay, you must have been so scared with the accident and all.”

  “I don’t remember anything. It’s all a blur,” he replied, staring down at his hands.

  “I can only imagine. Well, you sure look amazing after such a traumatizing accident. I’m so glad you are okay. We should really catch up soon. I better get going, I’ll come back and check on you later. Oh, and Bryan, if these nurses aren’t good to you, just let me know and I’ll deal with them. It was so nice seeing you all. And you, Gabby, right?”

  Gabby smiled, “Yep.”

  “You are such a beautiful girl. I hope I get to see you later. Thank you for sitting with me,” she said, getting up. Gabby slid off her lap and jumped onto the bed with Bryan.

  “I love your hair, Olivia. You are very beautiful,” Gabby blushed, smiling.

  “No, I love your hair. You are the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen. How would you like it if I come back in a little bit and took you to get some hot cocoa with me. I mean, if it is okay with your mom and dad.”

  Gabby jumped off the bed and came running to me. “Please Mommy, please can I go with Olivia? Please.”

  I stared at her for a moment. I didn’t want her going with Bryan’s beautiful high school girlfriend, but I didn’t want to look like the bad guy either.

  “We do have the best hot chocolate in Duluth, I promise,” Olivia said, trying to persuade me by tricking her way into Gabby’s heart. What a bitch to use a sweet little five-year-old to impress Bryan. I really hoped he wasn’t buying any of this act.

  “We aren’t staying real long, but if we’re here, that’s fine.”

&nbs
p; “Bye,” they all called out after her.

  “What a sweet girl. What ever happened with the two of you?” Judy asked as if his wife wasn’t in the room.

  “We just went our separate ways, I guess.”

  “Gabby, would you like me to take you to the gift shop so your mom and dad can have some time together?” Judy asked.

  “Can I Mom, can I?”

  “Yes, just don’t ask your grandma for too much.”

  She kissed me on the cheek before running out in the hall, Carl and Judy closely behind her.

  I turned to Bryan.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m doing much better today. I still have a headache, but the pain isn’t as bad. Did you really not recognize Olivia?”

  “Not until you said her last name,” I lied, unable to look him the eye. “What did happen between the two of you? I know she moved away, but you never told me why the two of you broke up.”

  “I really don’t know.”

  “You don’t know?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

  “No, I really don’t. She left right after graduation. I mean, technically she never even broke up with me. She didn’t say where she was going or why she was leaving. It’s always kept me wondering. I admit, I really wanna find out. Obviously I don’t still have feelings for her or anything, I just am curious as to why she would leave without even saying goodbye. I have always wondered if it was something I did.”

  “Hmm, well I guess you will get your chance.”

  We sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes until Bryan finally broke the ice.

  “So, I get to go home tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard. Are you coming home with us? I mean, where do we stand, Bryan?”

  “Well, I already asked my parents if I could stay with them for a little while. You know, until I find a place of my own.”

  He looked up at me nervously, and I forced myself not to flip out at him.

  “Okay,” I mumbled.

  Fight for him, Destiny, fight hard. “Well if you ever change your mind, I would really love to start over with you. I love you Bryan.”

  “I love you too, but I just can’t right now. I don’t think it is good for any of us. I will never be able to trust you again after what you did. I worry if we got back together I would never get it out of my head. This is for the best. I know it’s going to be hard at first, but you’re going to be okay and so will Gabby. Living in a house with parents that fight all the time isn’t good for any kid.”

  I was focusing really hard on not crying. He couldn’t see me like this. I needed to fight for him, for us.

  “Also, I was wondering if Gabby could come stay at my mom’s with me. I have another week off of work, doctor’s orders, and I would really like to spend it with her. What do you think? You are still working at Johnson Law Office, right?” He sat up a little taller, studying me.

  “She can stay with you for a couple days, but I want to be with her too. We can work something out. As for the law office, no way would I continue working with Casey after what he did.” I felt my fear turn into anger, panic at the thought of Bryan and Olivia together. I shook it out of my head.

  “Because he told me?” he snapped.

  “No, not because he told you. Because he told me that I had to leave you, that you were too good for me. He only told you because I quit. I told him I wouldn’t keep it from you any longer, I couldn’t. Bryan you have to believe me, I don’t know how this happened. I don’t know how I ended up in bed with him. I don’t remember anything from that night; I would never do that to you,” I cried out.

  “Dez, you don’t need to apologize or make up lies. What’s done is done. We’re over.”

  I heard a knock on the open door behind me. I turned around to see the devil, standing right there behind me.

  “Is this a bad time? I can come back,” Olivia smiled, way too big.

  Those perfect teeth, hot pink scrubs, who did she think she was kidding. She was going to take Bryan from me, I could feel it.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Gabby and I were both exhausted when we finally made it back to Hibbing, after the long emotional day. My eyelids were heavy and my headache, severe. Bryan would be coming home tomorrow morning. I was just glad he wouldn’t be at the hospital with Olivia anymore.

  I opened my front door without even a thought of taking out my dry contacts or even brushing my teeth. I put Gabby to bed and went upstairs to my bedroom, stripping down to a t-shirt and underwear, before turning off the light and slipping under the covers. I had no strength left. I wanted to sleep the days away; I had no fight left in me. I felt dark, lonely, and rejected. I closed my eyes and prayed for a better day tomorrow.

  A loud noise startled me. I glanced at my alarm clock, it was one thirty-two in the morning. Wide awake, I was sick from the reality of the last twenty-four hours. Anxiety took over my chest, leaving it burning and sped up my breathing as I tried to figure out what the noise was. I listened for a moment and thought maybe I was just dreaming it. I took a deep breath, rolled over, and closed my eyes to fall back asleep. They shot open again in the darkness; was that my door creaking open? I was scared to turn my head, my anxiety leaving me paralyzed.

  I was struggling just to breath. The intruder couldn’t know I was awake. The soft footsteps became louder as someone neared the side of my bed. I’m not ready to die. I thought about what weapons I had within reach. The only thing I had by my bed was a nightstand with books and my phone. I had no time to dial 9-1-1. I thought about kneeing the intruder in the groin, clawing their face so that the DNA would be under my nails when my body was found. If my body was found.

  Could it be Gabby? No way, Gabby would knock and call out for me. Was someone here to rob me? Kill me? I couldn’t be sure. My body locked up as I felt the pressure of someone’s weight on the bed. I could hear breathing, heavy like a smoker. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I could see a shadow lingering on the wall.

  It moved forward, I could feel a nose in my hair, smelling me? I was as still as possible, not moving an inch or letting them know I was awake until I figured out who it was. Why were they here? It all happened so fast. He jumped on top of me, straddling me between his legs and held my wrists down into my bed, hard. I couldn’t move.

  “Please stop!” I managed to scream. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

  His face was inches from mine. The foul smell of whisky burned my nostrils and turned my stomach. He began to giggle, intensifying my heart rate.

  “Casey! Casey get off me! Now!” I screamed.

  I thought about Gabby and prayed we wouldn’t wake her. I was scared he would hurt me, hurt her.

  “Oh Destiny, why do you have to be running your mouth?”

  “What are you talking about? I’m not running my mouth, I’ve been in the hospital all day.”

  He squeezed my wrists harder, pinning me tighter. “You don’t think I know? Why did you tell Bryan about our talk?” He clenched his teeth, spitting on my face when he talked.

  “I didn’t, I didn’t. What talk? Casey, you need to get out now. I won’t call the cops, I promise. Please just leave!” My voice came out angry, bitter, scared.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Why do you have to be like this? I told you to leave him, but you couldn’t do that now could you? You couldn’t do this the easy way, you had to be a stupid lying bitch.” He moved his face so it was just inches from mine. His breath made me cringe as I turned my face away from him.

  “You are the one that told Bryan about us, this is not on me. You called him right after I left your office. You were the one that betrayed and lied to me.”

  “You should have left him when I told you to. Now you get to watch her steal your man and there is nothing you can do. You have no chance, none. She will ruin you, ruin you,” he said, loosening his grip on my arms.

  “Who is she? What are you talking about, Casey?”

  “I’m finally free.
If you even try to get back with Bryan, I will find you and I will finish what I just started. You will never be safe.” He grabbed my cheeks, squeezing them together beneath his big, strong, sweaty hands.

  “Free from what? What are you talking about?”

  He got off the bed and headed toward the door, ignoring my questions. He turned around to look at me.

  “Oh, and if you call the police, I will kill you. This isn’t a threat. It’s a promise.”

  And then he was gone.

  I laid in bed crying, unable to move. Then Gabby’s face came into my head. I didn’t even put pants on as I leaped my way down the stairs, my legs moving faster than they’d ever moved before. Her door swung open and she was fast asleep. Making my way to the front window, I stopped to listen, but only the sound of my rapid heart could be heard. No one in sight. I opened up the front door, noticing it was unlocked.

  Did I lock the door when we came in? I was so tired, I couldn’t be sure. I saw his boot prints in the snow that led to tire tracks. He was gone. I sighed, relieved it was over and he was finally gone. I turned around and headed back inside, noticing the goosebumps on my arms. I was unable to feel the bitter cold of the Minnesota winter, because the fear kept me warm and wide awake. I locked the front door and turned the deadbolt, making my way to the kitchen.

  “How did he know I talked to Bryan? Was Bryan still talking to him? He had to be,” I whispered to myself. I laid down on the couch, afraid to go back to my room, just in case. No way was I taking a chance and calling the police. Maybe I didn’t know Bryan at all. Casey had definitely changed a lot since his father died. Why was he so set on ruining my relationship with Bryan anyway? And who was going to steal him from me? None of it made any sense.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Why isn’t Daddy coming home?”

  I got down on my knees and put my hands on both of her shoulders. “Honey, Daddy is going to stay with Grammy and Gramps for a couple days and he really wants you there with him. Mommy has a bunch of stuff to do around here and then you can come home and see me.”