I think back to that night when I first met Slim. He introduced me to someone he thought could help, a kind, little Indian lady with an herb garden and a knack for brewing tea. He said her blends might help cure my ailing wife.
For a while, I thought they would help calm her, help ease her pain. But unknown to me, behind my back, she started mixing her own blends. She thought she’d do it her way by formulating her own tea to make herself better.
At first, I didn’t know what flowers and herbs she was using. But then that day, that ill-fated day, I still can’t shake it from my mind. The day I found out she had been mixing angel trumpets in her tea.
“Angel trumpets?” I asked, alarmed when she first told me.
“Yes, darling, the beautiful bell-shaped flowers that grow along the pathway. The pretty one’s that hang upside down.” With a tiny spark in her eye, she smiled.
In full panic, I looked at her in horror. “They’re deadly.”
Her eyes fluttered in a cloud of confusion. “How could something so lovely be so lethal?”
I remember that she had become paranoid and was hallucinating. She kept seeing things that weren’t there. At first, I thought it was caused by her illness, but tragically, she was slowly poisoning herself.
My beautiful, sweet, Susan ripped from my life too soon. We were meant to be together forever.
There’s a sound coming from outside, from out on the deck—a scratching-like scraping of a chair. From where I lay, I can see the curtains are drawn. One of the glass doors is slightly ajar, the bottom of the curtain blowing in the breeze.
I glance up at the clock on the wall. Val must be outside enjoying the last rays of the sun before it sets. For a moment, I wonder why I’m here in the living room and not in bed.
The last thing I remember is drinking wine with Val out on the deck. Maybe I passed out from a few too many. It wouldn’t be the first time. My head is still hurting as I make a mental note never to drink white wine again.
My mouth is dry and a bitter taste coats my tongue. What I need right now is some water, a glass of cold water. Then I’ll be ready to clear the air and be honest with Val.
As I move my arms to hoist myself up, I can’t. There’s a clanging of metal, something cold, hard tugging on my wrists. Blinking my eyes, I see handcuffs and chains. I’m shackled to the arms of the futon.
Is Val playing a prank? Is this a little game gone wrong? But then I tell myself no, it’s not something she’d do.
“Val,” I call out, hoping she’ll hear me. As I twist and turn, I become more frustrated by the second. I can’t believe I’m chained to a piece of furniture.
“Hey, Val! Are you out there? This isn’t funny. Can you please come in here and help me?”
The curtains move and she appears. I’m shocked beyond belief. She strolls into the room, my heart racing as she stares me down. I can’t believe my eyes. Shaking my head, a sudden coldness hits my core.
She can’t be here, maybe I’m still dreaming. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her.
“Hello, David,” she says, her voice filled with scorn. “Happy to see me?”
“What are you doing here?” I say, flinching, the chains jangling.
“I came here to check on you.”
“Stop with the lies! You wanted nothing to do with me. That's why you left.”
“You're right. I never was a good liar,” she sighs.
“What do you want? What do you want from me?”
“Oh please, spare me the drama. You know damn well what I want.” She moves toward me with a scowl. “I want my house back.”
“Your house?” I seethe. “It’s not your house. It’s mine.”
“You promised when you dragged me here, it would be ours… our house. But it never was our house, was it, David? It was always hers… your sweet, little wife whose death you never got over.”
“Get out!”
“She’s the woman you really built this house for, isn’t she?”
“I said, get out!”
“You can't make me. You have nothing. You have nothing left.”
“Oh, shut up, you stupid bitch.”
“What are you going to do now, David? Hmm? Now that your little Val is gone.” She smirks.
“Gone? What do you mean she's gone? How do you know about Val? How do you know her name?”
“I know everything. You’re not the only one who has hidden cameras around here.”
“Did you hurt her? Did you do something to Val?”
“Relax, David. She left on her own. And you’ll be happy to know she took the dog with her.” Cocking her head, she mimics me, “Oh Max, is that you?”
“It was you that night when I called for Max after he ran off. You were here, outside the house, snooping around, spying on me.”
She stares at me with a sardonic grin. The strap of her purse slides from her shoulder and she quickly adjusts it, holding it tight to her side.
“You never left, did you? You’ve been here all along in Costa Rica this whole time.” I snarl, waiting for a reply. “Answer me!”
“Calm down, David, perhaps you need something to settle your nerves. How about I make you a cup of tea?”
“Just leave, will you.”
“Or have you still not perfected the blend yet. After all this time, I thought you would have found the right one by now… the right tea… the right woman.”
“Stop goading me, or else.”
“Or else what, David? Are you threatening me?”
I take a deep breath. “Just free me from these damn chains.”
She stands there, leering while reaching for something in her purse. The keys, I hope, for the handcuffs. As soon as she releases me I’m going to wipe that evil grin from her face forever.
There’s a knock on the front door and her head whips in that direction.
“Oh gawd, please don’t tell me she’s back,” she says.
“Untie me, unlock me so I can answer the door,” I demand.
“You’re not going anywhere.” She pulls out a gun aiming it straight at my face. “One word and you and that girlfriend of yours are dead.”
I stare down the barrel and swallow in fear. I can’t believe what is happening—a nightmare come true.
“I’m serious, David, I’m done with your games. One word, one peep from you when I open that door and Val will be gone forever.”
I stare into her dark, flat eyes; there’s nothing behind them. She’s clearly gone insane.
“Do you hear me?” She waves the gun at me. “Do you understand?”
I nod. I obey her command only because of Val, my love, my light. I would kill myself if something ever happened to her.
She heads toward the door and I crane my neck hoping to get a glimpse of Val. But the damn kitchen island blocks my view; I want to kick myself for building it so big. I listen as the door opens and closes. I want to scream, but I bite my tongue in silence and wait.
I think of Val, her beautiful smile, and all the memorable times we shared, the scenes flashing through my mind like a movie. I can still remember the look on her face when I brought her here. When she first saw the house and gazed upon the windows, I recall the words as if she’d said them yesterday.
“What's with all the bars?” she asked. “It looks like a jail cell.”
Today, sadly, I’d have to agree.
41
Cindy
I stand outside your house knocking on your door. I’m so nervous right now and hope I’m not making a mistake. I try thinking of what I’ll say when you open the door but my stomach is tied in knots and words escape me. I’m not exactly sure how you’ll react.
I can’t help wonder if Val’s okay but I also can’t lie. I hope she’s gone by now. Long gone. After spiking her white wine with your tea and my sleeping pills, I’m sure her little nightmares have sent her running away, far away… it’s what she does best.
See, I know my Val, better than you do, David. I tried te
lling you that when I was here last time. Val has trust issues. She cracks under pressure and doesn’t like being controlled. Sure she comes across all nice and sweet, but if you disappoint that woman or break her trust, believe me, you will have hell to pay.
I never thought you two were meant for each other. You were not a good match, no siree. I am more your type and you know it. For some reason, though, you can’t seem to admit it. I wonder why.
Do I remind you of someone? One of your ex-wives maybe? I heard all about them. Val told me everything. She thinks something happened here to one of them or both. But I’m not so sure. Maybe you’re just heartbroken and need more time to heal. You’ll be okay. I can help soothe your pain. We all carry emotional baggage and I’m ready and willing to help you with yours.
So here I am, standing on your doorstep, ready to share my life with you. Because the moment I saw you and saw this house… I fell in love with you both.
Raising my hand, it trembles as I knock on the door again. I hope you’re home. I’m so excited to see your face.
Epilogue
When I opened the door, I saw some blonde chick standing there. I told her David had left the premises and that he didn’t live here anymore. I then informed her that the house was mine and that it was never his to begin with.
At first she didn’t believe me. We argued for a while and then she broke down in tears and refused to leave. But when I said I’d call the police and report her for trespassing, she ran off. I’m pretty sure I won’t be seeing any more of her.
When I first told Slim I wanted to leave, he said I should wait and think it through. I didn’t know if he could keep a secret, but he promised to keep me safe until I was sure of my decision, so he offered me a place to stay in one of the casitas at his lodge.
As time passed, I had regrets about leaving and I started plotting my return. But when David suddenly came back unannounced, he threw a wrench in my plans.
Yes, I was there the night they arrived. I saw them get out of the truck. When Slim took a closer look at her, he told me she looked a lot like me. I couldn’t believe it, so I had to see it for myself. That’s when I began stalking them.
I was angry at first because he had replaced me so easily. Even more so because his replacement looked like me. But as I watched them come and go, Val appeared to be less and less happy as the days passed. I figured David was keeping the same secrets from her as he had from me.
Such as the interesting fact that he built this house in the exact same place as the first one. The tiny blue house where he lost his wife, Susan. She wasn’t well, the poor dear. I heard how she struggled with dreadful delusions. David said she would continuously rant about being haunted by previous tenants. He said she could never quite see out of that house despite the beautiful view, so he promised to build her a new one, a house with great big windows. But sadly, he was too late.
One night, she had a horrible accident. I heard she was drinking tea and dancing on the deck. The poor thing unfortunately drank the wrong brew and twirled herself right off the deck. At least, that’s what David told me… his version of the story.
Soon after the tragedy, David went into a deep depression. He blamed himself for her death. He regretted introducing her to Slim, Conchita, and the tea. He was never able to forgive himself for not building the new house in time.
When I first met David, I had tried helping him with his sorrows. I helped him design this house, our new home, to honor her memory. Soon after, however, his sadness turned to control. I think it was the way he coped. He then became determined to help Conchita with her struggling tea business as she too was burdened with guilt. He said if they mixed the ingredients correctly, they could help many people with their assorted ailments.
Slim mentioned they were working on some new kind of tea called ‘awake.’ Supposedly it could help you see into the future. Imagine that. I mean, I’ve heard about reading tea leaves before, but drinking tea to see what the future holds? Who would have thought it was possible?
But I’m rambling now, so back to the house—my house. You see, David never got over losing sweet Susan. Sadly, she was the source of our contention and one day I snapped. I simply couldn’t take it anymore. I had finally had enough.
Although David pushed me away, I loved this house. It was the only thing that made me happy. So I hatched a plan to take it back. But thanks to Val, I didn’t need to execute it. She made it really easy for me, and I can never thank her enough.
I watched as she tried solving the puzzle, becoming frustrated and finally giving up. The day she departed was the day I returned. She left the door open, actually unlocked, and I walked right into the house. I was surprised to find David passed out and thankful I didn’t have to use the gun.
So here I am, back at my house.
By now you’ve probably figured out who I am. Yes, it’s me, Gina, wife number two. While I may be his second, I will be his last.
David may not have been happy to see me, and quite frankly, I’m not sure if I’m happy to see him. Perhaps we’ll find a way to make it work. Maybe I’ll give him a second chance… I’m still thinking about it. At any rate, it’s so good to be back at my house—the beautiful glass house of my dreams.
Where you can see in and I can see out—forever.
A Note from Bettina
Thank you so much for taking the time to read The Glass House.
I would like to know your thoughts about the book and would love to hear from you. To connect and stay in touch, please visit me at bettinawolfe.com.
Also, if you have a few moments to spare, I would appreciate it if you could leave a review. Reviews are not only helpful for me, but they also help others who may be interested in reading this book.
Once again, thank you for reading The Glass House.
Until the next story,
Bettina
Acknowledgments
A heartfelt thank you to the following people for helping me bring this book to life. I am beyond grateful for all of you.
To Judy Worman, thank you for editing my manuscript, and for your expertise and guidance throughout the entire process.
To Stuart Bache and the team at Books Covered, thank you for an amazing cover.
A special thanks to my best friend and partner in crime. I appreciate your encouragement, patience, and unwavering support. I couldn’t do it without you.
About the Author
Bettina Wolfe has been creating characters and dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember. When she’s not writing, she’s reading and loves a good mystery. Originally from the East Coast, she now lives in the Southwest.
The Glass House Page 16
