Diana heard her husband Hamilton and her sister in the bathroom, and looked from the slight opening of the door. She saw her husband and sister kissing from the mirror.
“Hamilton! I saw you two kissing! You and Evie, come out right now!” She screamed, but she didn’t heard any response. Then she barged into the bathroom, and found her husband alone.
“Where is she? Where is Evie?!” She screamed.
“She is not here, Diana,” Hamilton said. “This happens every single time you come home after visiting your therapist. You need to stop this! I was just getting things ready to surprise you and you ruined everything! Please stop doing this to yourself… and to me.”
Diana couldn’t find her sister in the bathroom, even though she looked in every corner of the bathroom. “Do you trust me now?” Hamilton asked. “There’s no one here.”
As she searched the whole room, she couldn’t find her sister. “How?” she was confused. “I heard it… I heard the splash. Someone was here!”
“There’s no one here, honey. Please! Relax!” Hamilton tried to calm her down.
“I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. I’ve just been so tired lately,” Diana said. “I was so sure I saw Evie here!”
“Let’s forget this, okay? We need to talk about what’s really bothering you. So, what is it?” Hamilton said as he embraced her.
“I keep feeling like I’m losing my mind,” Diana said as her eyes got wet. “I think I’m losing you to someone, maybe my own sister.”
While Hamilton was trying to comfort Diana, she stopped listening to her husband because a baby was crying. “I can hear her crying,” Diana said. “I can hear her crying, Hamilton.”
“Diana! Diana!” Hamilton tried to calm Diana’s thoughts. “Hey, why don’t you take a bath?” He said. “Look, you need to forget what happened that night. I’ll get your favorite bath bomb and prepare your bath. Alright?”
Diana agreed, and went into the bathub. But as she got suspicious again, she saw written on the mirror as, “Kiss me!” In her sister’s handwriting.
She went to her therapist on the next day. She said to Dr. Carrey, “I think Hamilton might be cheating on me with my sister, Evie. There are signs, like her handwriting and her perfume — I can smell it sometimes when I get home.”
“Anything else on your mind that you’d like to discuss?” Dr. Carrey asked after he nodded.
“I keep hearing this… sound. Like a baby crying in the rain… on the road. It’s unsettling. Keeps haunting me,” Diana said in her trembling voice.
“A baby? Are you keeping up with your medication?”
“Yes, every day. And I’ve invited Evie over for dinner. I thought seeing her and Hamilton together might… might clarify things for me.”
“You’re planning a dinner with Evie? Tonight?”
“Yes,” Diana said. “I sent her a message this morning. She replied she’d come.”
“Diana, could you show me that text? The one you sent to your sister?”
Then Diana handed her phone over to Dr. Carrey. “What are you hoping to find out with this dinner?” Therapist asked.
“I need to know if I’m imagining things or if there’s something between them,” Diana answered.
“These messages…” said Dr. Carrey, “you sent them to your sister?”
“Yes,” Diana said.
“Hamilton and I, we’ve had twelve good years, doctor. It was all perfect until Evie came to the city. Had I known my own sister would try to steal my husband, I would’ve taken Hamilton somewhere far away.”
“It’s good to confront these doubts,” the doctor responded. “Now, about these strange sounds, you’ve mentioned—this baby crying—how often do they occur?”
“I can’t really say. It’s sporadic… when I’m alone, or even when Hamilton’s with me.” Diana said, as she lost in her thoughts.
“It’s important to confront these feelings, not let them fester. We’ll work through this together, okay? You have nothing to worry about. Just try not to take too much stress.”
“Thank you, doctor. I feel a bit lighter already. I need to get home early to prepare the dinner.” Diana said, as she left the room.
******
During the dinner, Diana was looking at Hamilton and Evie, as she was observing their relationship. As Hamilton praised Evie, and they joked with each other. Diana started to feel stressed again.
“Let’s toast to family ties,” Diana said then.
“Okay, Diana, but why such a formal toast?” Her sister asked.
“It’s just that I’ve been thinking about how much you both mean to me, especially now, as I navigate through my… difficulties.”
“That’s what family is for, darling,” Hamilton said. “We’re here for you, always. By the way, this wine has such a unique flavor.”
“Yes, it’s quite the blend,” Evie said.
“This wine… it’s like the deceit hidden under the guise of family love.” Diana said.
Hamilton and Evie were confused. “What do you mean?” Hamilton asked.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? The secret messages, the laughter, her perfume… I saw it all.” Diana said.
“Wait… wha-what did you do with the wine?” Evie said, as she was coughing.
“It’s a special blend for you two. Merlot with a hint of retribution. Cyanide, perhaps!” Diana said.
“Diana, this is madness!” Hamilton screamed, as he took Evie to bathroom.
“Justice is served,” Diana whispered to herself, as she was relieved.
Then she started to get nervous with the baby crying she heard. “Wait! What have I done? Did I kill them? Did I kill my husband and sister?” She said. Then she called 911 and her therapist, Dr. Carrey, and confessed.
“Diana, what happened?” Dr. Carrey asked.
“I… I poisoned Hamilton and Evie. I thought they betrayed me! I felt it was the right thing to do!”
“There’s no one here, Diana. Remember, you live alone?” Dr. Carrey said. “You’ve been alone for two years, Diana. Your mind has been playing tricks.”
Then Diana said that the texts were on her phone, and the therapist showed her that she only texted to herself. Then he carefully reminded her the accident, where her husband Hamilton, sister Evie and unborn child lost their lives, while Diana survived.
“I couldn’t save them…” she whispered. “I just couldn’t…”
“What happened that night, Diana, was a tragic accident. It was not your fault. You didn’t kill them. You’ve been creating a false reality to cope with your guilt and grief. But it’s time to accept the truth.” Dr. Carrey calmed her down.
A YEAR LATER
Diana went to Dr. Carrey’s office. Her eyes now filled with hope, as she was believing that she was improving in her condition. “Diana,” Dr. Carrey welcomed her, “it’s good to see you again. How have you been?”
“I feel better, Dr. Carrey. I’ve been learning to live again, to honor their memory without the guilt.” Diana said.
“So, how has your husband been?” The therapist asked, as he observed her.
“It’s been three years since Hamilton passed away. I’ve not only lost him but also my beloved sister, Evie.” Diana responded.
Then Dr. Carrey convinced that Diana was recovering. “You’ve done exceptionally well, Diana,” he praised her. “I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”
As they were talking, a nurse said that their time was over. “I’ll stay in touch, no matter how far I go, doctor,” Diana said, while she was preparing herself to leave.
As she left, she saw a couple with baby. “Hi,” Diana said, “Could I hold the baby for a moment?”
The door of Dr. Carrey was still slightly open. As he went to close it, he saw Diana, and got shocked. She was talking to herself, and moving her arms, as if she was holding a baby.
“We have a long way to go, Diana,” Dr. Carrey said in a sad tone. “A long way.”
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