Crazy Bitch (Bitches and Queens)

by Rachael James

  “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” Sam said curtly.

  “How is Hannah?” Willow rushed.

  Sam ignored her question. Instead, he handed her a legal document that had been witnessed by both his and Hannah’s personal attorneys.

  Willow scanned the letter and was surprised to discover that it was a reference and a rather glowing one at that.

  “I can assure you it is all quite legal. The entire contents of your portfolio have been moved to a secure location, but in thirty days hence the rights will be transferred to you,” Sam explained.

  “Hence?” Willow sneered. “What are you now—a Founding Father? More like Betsy freaking Ross.”

  Ignoring the jab, he continued, “There is one final condition for you internship. For the next thirty days, you must agree to have no contact with Hannah. You will not look for her. You will not call her. You will not speak to any members of the press about her. NO CONTACT! Otherwise, this is the reference the dean with receive.”

  Willow snatched the document out of his hand. The second version wasn’t quite so glowing. Although the changes in the wording had been subtle, it was enough to make her sound incompetent. She would probably still be able to graduate, but with a letter of recommendation like this, she would be lucky if she landed a job in retail.

  “When she figures out what you are doing, she will be furious,” Willow hissed in anger and frustration. The smug bastard held all the cards, and he knew it. He was forcing her to choose between a lifetime of dreams and a woman that may or may not want to have anything to do with her.

  “Probably,” Sam shrugged indifferently and then smirked. “You aren’t concerned about me, are you? I have always been Hannah’s very favorite person. There is no version of the story where she would ever choose you over me. Yes, she will be furious, but afterwards I’ll convince her that this was the best decision, the only decision.”

  Once he had finally tossed that piece of trash in the garbage, Sam had one final task to complete before they could leave. For this, he needed Kate—if for nothing more than for moral support. After the police officers concluded that no formal charges would be filed, Hannah had only been forced to stay at the hospital for the required twenty-four observation. After that time, she could have left any time by her own volition. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to realize that.

  Sam and Kate found her in a large, open room. She was sitting on a couch, hugging her knees to her chest, staring blankly out the window. Seemingly oblivious to their arrival, she didn’t turn and look at them until Sam gently nudged her on her shoulder.

  “Hey,” she said softly with a slight slur. Her facial muscles struggled for a moment to conjure a smile, but when nothing came, a blank void clouded her eyes. “I’ve been trying to remember the wedding.”

  “It was fabulous,” Sam assured her. “Everything we always wanted it to be.”

  “Why can’t I remember? Was I there?” Hannah mumbled, confused.

  “Hannah, you got sick. You couldn’t make it,” Kate answered.

  “Oh,” Hannah sighed blankly. “Willow?” she questioned anxiously.

  “Willow is fine. I have taken care of her,” Sam answered, ignoring the flash-fire glare Kate shot his way before carefully rearranging her features. Kate had neither approved of his decision nor his actions, but she had been blinded by Willow, thinking there must be some little piece of good in her charred-black, evil heart. Sam knew otherwise.

  “Good. I’ve been so worried. She hasn’t come here… Sam, why am I here?” Hannah whispered.

  “Hannah, you are not going to stay here. Kate and I are going to take you to a place where you can get better,” Sam said.

  “What place? Where?” Hannah asked.

  “It’s a wonderful clinic in Sedona,” he answered.

  “Sedona? No, I can’t go there. It’s too far. Willow can’t travel that far,” Hannah rushed, showing her first sign of true emotion.

  I know, Sam thought. It was a big part of the clinic’s appeal. That and its excellent reputation. “Willow will be fine. I promise, you don’t need to worry about her,” Sam coaxed. “First, I need you to sign a few papers for me.”

  “What is this?” Hannah questioned as she glanced down at the documents that Sam had given her.

  “It’s just a few release papers and consent forms,” Sam said. He failed to mention that she was also signing over her legal rights. Once her signature was scribbled on the last document, Sam was officially her temporary legal guardian until the time she could be proven to be mentally component.

  As they were leaving, Sam handed over the paperwork to his lawyer, who had been waiting discreetly across the room. Now that he was certain Hannah would be safe from Willow while he was away, he was ready to start his new life with Kate.

  Chapter 21

  30 Days Later

  The month-long vacation in Europe hadn’t gone exactly as Kate had planned. In her mind, the trip was much more romantic and the groom a lot less distracted, but she could hardly fault Sam. He had a lot on his mind lately.

  They had used Hannah’s villa in Tuscany as their home base and traveled on several side trips and excursions, sashaying their way across the continent. Although probably not destined to become the best honeymoon on record, it did have few highlights—like when Sam awoke the third day after they arrived in a panic. It suddenly occurred to him that they might not be legally married, and he was determined to see the deed done. They scoured the countryside until they found a tiny chapel. The priest barely spoke English, but maybe that was for the best. When Sam finally spoke the vows he had intended to say, Kate had been moved to tears. A part of her was happy that it was just the two of them. His words were so intimate, so private; they seared her soul, and she didn’t want to share them with anyone else.

  But most of the time, Sam felt miserably guilty about stashing Hannah away in a mental institution. Although admittedly not Hannah’s biggest fan, Kate did feel some of his reservations as well. She knew Hannah needed help and by all accounts, the clinic in Sedona was reported to be one of the best, but she didn’t believe Willow should have been kicked out of the equation.

  Kate knew Sam didn’t want to believe it, but Willow made Hannah happy. Since the moment she first met Hannah, Kate had never known a more miserable bitch. She had it all—the looks, the money, the fame, but she was always so unhappy until Willow came into the picture. It was only around her that Hannah appeared to be anything that remotely resembled human. Even in the midst of one of their very heated discussions, she seemed more true and genuine than she ever had before.

  Now that they were back in the states, Kate wondered about Sam’s next move. She knew he had already formed another plan to keep Willow away. She also knew that once they took Hannah home to Austin, he might have a bigger problem. Willow, still so young and naïve, was easy to intimidate, but Hannah was not. He might also be able to stop Willow from finding Hannah, but Kate was willing to wager that there wasn’t anyone who could prevent Hannah from seeking her out.

  Looking both anxious and relieved, Sam hurriedly signed the visitor’s forms and surrendered his driver license to the receptionist in the front lobby. Kate started to do the same, but after the receptionist keyed in Sam’s information she suddenly stopped, surprised by her words.

  “Oh, you are here for Hannah. She is such an angel. I am so happy she is better, but I hate to see her leave.”

  “Hannah?” Sam questioned, sounding just as shocked as Kate felt.

  “Oh yes,” the receptionist affirmed with a warm smile. “Everyone adores her around here—the doctors, the nurses, the office staff, all the other patients. She is everyone’s favorite.”

  “Really?” Sam muttered in disbelief.

  “But you already know what a sweetheart she is. I’m sure you are just as excited to see her as she has been to see you. It’s all she been talking about this week. Come through the door, and I’ll take you back.”

&n
bsp; They found her sitting on an elegant terrace that overlooked the red rock mountains. Sam privately thought, If you had to lose your mind, there couldn’t be a better place to find it. Hannah appeared vibrant, energetic, gorgeous as ever, and most importantly, animated. She said all the right things, well, maybe not exactly the right things for Hannah to say, but she was very polite, warm, and welcoming. Still, Sam couldn’t help but think something wasn’t right. At first, he couldn’t put his finger on it, but as the conversation continued, he realized that she spoke exclusively to Kate, only casting him a few furtive glances. Had anyone come along and seen the two of them chatting away about the honeymoon, they could have naturally assumed they were long-lost friends. Sam knew Kate was just being polite. He could tell by her rigid posture that she was just as thrown by Hannah as he. At one point, Hannah even reached for her hands and held them on her lap. The entire time Hannah said his name, not once but repeatedly.

  Finally, after several minutes, Hannah looked up shyly but held Sam’s probing stare. Looking once again to Kate, she explained, embarrassed, “I’m so sorry, Sam. I know I have met your husband, but I can’t seem to remember his name.”

  Five minutes later, a very irate Sam was taken to the director’s office. Before the door shut, he shouted, “What the hell did you do to her?” Catching sight of Willow sitting across Dr. William’s desk, he added just as heatedly, “And what the fuck is she doing here?”

  “Mr. Montgomery, please, you must calm down,” Dr. William’s pronounced, sounding very stately.

  “I won’t calm the fuck down until you tell me what the hell is going on,” Sam snapped.

  “Sir,” Dr. Williams said succinctly, “you will calm down or you will be escorted off the premises.

  Growling under his breath, Sam took the empty chair beside Willow. His eyes narrowed to slits as he looked her way. “You know what this means,” he gritted menacingly between his teeth.

  Instead of looking anxious or even remotely concerned about her future, Willow flipped him the bird.

  “Please, I ask both of you to remember that we are here for Hannah. You were both invited here today to discuss her long-term prognosis,” Dr. Williams declared diplomatically. “First, I would like to begin by discussing her diagnoses…”

  “Wait,” Sam interrupted, “I don’t want her in the room while we discuss this.”

  Unruffled, Dr. Williams searched through Hannah’s file and handed over a signed copy of her medical-release form. Both Sam and Willow’s name were clearly printed on the document.

  Sam carelessly tossed the paper across the desk. “This doesn’t mean a thing. I am Hannah’s legal guardian, and I don’t want her in here.”

  “You were her legal guardian,” Dr. Williams corrected. “It was a provisory guardianship contingent on Hannah’s mental competence, and I can most assuredly say she is now capable of making her own decisions regarding her health.”

  “Says who?” Sam questioned lethally.

  “Hannah’s mental competency was evaluated by a panel of experts with a combined experience of over one hundred years,” Dr. Williams answered.

  “All right then,” Sam jeered, “maybe one of those experts can explain why she doesn’t know who I am? Or why she thinks my wife is me? Yeah, clearly she aced your test.”

  “There may be some confusion, but if you would allow me to continue, I would be more than happy to explain why…” Dr. Williams paused momentarily. When Sam didn’t provide any further arguments, he continued, “When Hannah arrived, she had suffered from a complete mental collapse, or what you might refer to as a nervous breakdown.”

  “She was crazy,” Sam added, seemingly unable to stop himself.

  Willow held out her hand to silence him. “Would you just shut up and let him continue,” she hissed.

  “You shut up,” Sam demanded as he swatted at her hand.

  “I’m not the one providing color commentary,” Willow snapped.

  “After a thorough evaluation…” Dr. Williams declared loudly to silence them both, “…it was determined that Hannah suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. As you are both no doubt aware, Hannah was physically, mentally, and sexually abused as a child. In all my years of experience, I have never heard of a more severe case. To say she was abused, in my opinion, is an understatement. What she encountered in childhood was nothing short of a psyche massacre. Yet, she somehow managed to persevere.”

  “Hannah has been very compliant and earnestly seeks to heal herself. She was very open and honest when discussing her flashbacks. During these periods of psychosis, she has hallucinations of her deceased mother. Hannah believes that her mother has returned to murder her. These delusions stem from real events in her past. As a young child, she displayed behaviors that are very typical of someone who is sexually molested. Whenever Hannah acted out, her mother threatened, on multiple occasions, to kill her.”

  “Good God,” Sam muttered in disgust. He had always known her childhood was horrible, but what Dr. Williams described was the stuff of nightmares.

  “Hannah also admitted to self-medicating over the years,” Dr. Williams disclosed.

  “No, that isn’t true. Hannah has never used drugs,” Sam denied.

  “Drugs, no,” Dr. Williams agreed. “The terms she used interchangeably were ‘pets’ and ‘dolls.’ She said that she believed they helped keep the flashbacks at bay. In my professional opinion, she never intentionally sought to harm anyone. She was trying to construct a world where she gave what was not given to her—unconditional love, a mother’s love for her child. This, I also believe, is the key to Hannah’s long-term health. Her motherly instincts are remarkably strong as evidenced by a number of our other patients and staff members.”

  “Hmmp,” Sam snorted with scorn. “The fact that everyone is so taken with her couldn’t have something to do with the fact that she is very famous?”

  “No, you are mistaken,” Dr. Williams answered firmly. “The Hannah Fairbanks persona has yet to make an appearance. Here, she is just like anyone else, but she has taken several patients under her wing, so to speak.”

  “So, you’re a miracle worker,” Sam spat. “But I’m still not sold. I don’t believe she is anymore mentally competent than the first day we came here. Obviously, this isn’t the best place for her.”

  “I agree,” Dr. Williams conferred, surprising them both. “That is why I am recommending she be released to the care of her sister.”

  “Her sister?” Willow questioned warily.

  “You, of course,” Dr. Williams said.

  “Me?” Willow gasped.

  “Jesus Christ,” Sam chuckled mirthlessly. “It just keeps getting better and better. First, she doesn’t know me from Adam. Now, she thinks Willow is her sister.”

  “Wait a minute,” Willow shouted, trying to wrap her brain around what was just said.

  “You can’t be serious,” Sam groaned as he turned and glared at Willow. “And when Hannah comes to and remembers she had been fucking her sister—that might not be traumatic?”

  “Sorry, now I am the one who is confused,” Dr. Williams said, perplexed. “So, you are not Hannah’s sister?”

  “No,” Willow confessed. “I was her intern.”

  “Oh,” Dr. Williams muttered. “Given her course of treatment, some confusion is to be expected.”

  “Yeah, speaking of that, you never did get around to telling us what the hell you did to her,” Sam said heatedly.

  “Considering the severity of her disorder and the fact that it can take some medications several weeks to be effective, it was determined she needed a more direct and immediate approach. She was given electroconvulsive therapy,” Dr. Williams answered.

  “You fried her fucking brain!” Sam shouted.

  “No, Mr. Montgomery. We didn’t fry anything. The use of ECT is standard practice and highly overdramatized in the media. Hannah was under general anesthesia during the treatments. She doesn’t remember any of it.”


  “Obviously,” Sam growled. “It’s not the only thing she forgot. How long will this confusion last? When will she get back to normal?”

  “This is the new normal. Hannah hasn’t really forgotten anything. Think of her memories as a deck of cards. They have been reshuffled in a way that she can comprehend.”

  “So you’re saying, this is permanent?” Willow questioned grimly.

  “For now, yes,” Dr. Williams answered. “But that isn’t to say that she can’t or won’t form new memories. My suggestion to you both is that you give her time and patience. Although not factual, what she believes about you, and your roles, is very real to her.”

  Chapter 22

  Willow had been ecstatic, if not slightly confused, when the call came from Sedona. Having neither the knowledge nor the resources to find Hannah from wherever Sam had hidden her, the conversation that lasted less than two minutes was her only confirmation that Hannah was alive and well. Of course, the news media had been relentless. Hannah’s image was splashed everywhere—the television, the internet, and all the tabloids that lined the grocery store checkout lanes. Some of the more reputable sources stated that she was being treated for exhaustion and dehydration at an undisclosed facility. The more nefarious gossips brandished a variety of speculations from unnamed sources. Willow had a few ideas about who some of those unnamed people might be.

  Yet, when the call finally came, it hadn’t been Hannah on the other end. Instead, it was Dr. Williams, director of the Sedona Wellness Clinic, on the phone. He phoned to request her presence for Hannah’s final evaluation conference. Willow couldn’t say no, but the conversation afterwards with Zachary didn’t go well.