Desmond ran to Dr. Paul’s car, got in the back seat, and lay down flat so no one could see him. Dr. Paul jumped in the driver’s seat and drove away quickly. Behind them, Desmond’s car sat smoking by the side of the road, looking exactly like a terrible accident.
Desmond Adams was now officially dead. Chapter 5, The Shocking Reaction Dr. Paul drove Desmond to the secret apartment downtown. It was small and simple, nothing like the mansion.
Just one bedroom, a kitchen and a living room. But it had everything Desmond needed. Internet, electricity and complete privacy.
I’ll call you as soon as I finish with the police, Dr. Paul said at the door. Stay here. Don’t go outside.
Don’t let anyone see you. I won’t, Desmond promised. After Dr. Paul left, Desmond sat on the couch and waited.
His phone, his secret phone that Monica didn’t know about, was in his hand. On it, he had the app that connected to all the security cameras in the mansion. He waited.
One hour passed. Then two. Then his phone rang.
Was Dr. Paul. It’s done, Dr. Paul said quietly. The police have declared it a fatal accident.
They found the wedding ring. They believe it’s you. I’m so sorry Desmond, but your wife has been informed.
Desmond’s heart was pounding. What did she say? She, she didn’t say much. She just asked if they were sure.
Then she hung up. That was strange. Shouldn’t she have cried? Screamed? Asked a million questions? Thank you Paul.
For everything. Be careful my friend. And I hope you find what you’re looking for.
Desmond hung up and immediately opened the security camera app. He clicked on the camera in the master bedroom. There was Monica.
Sitting on the bed. Alone. Desmond held his breath, waiting to see her break down in tears.
Waiting to see her grief. But what he saw instead made his blood turn to ice. Monica stood up slowly.
She walked to the mirror. And then, Desmond couldn’t believe his eyes. She smiled.
Not a sad smile. Not a smile through tears. A real smile.
What? Excited. Happy. She looked at herself in the mirror and whispered something.
Desmond turned up the volume on his phone. Finally, Monica said to her reflection. Finally it’s over.
Then she laughed. A small laugh at first then bigger. She actually laughed.
Desmond felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He couldn’t breathe. His wife, the woman he loved, was laughing because she thought he was dead.
Monica pulled out her phone and made a call. Desmond watched his whole body shaking. It’s done, Monica said into the phone.
Her voice was cheerful. Excited. Yes the police just called.
Car accident. He’s gone. Desmond couldn’t hear the other person, but he could see Monica’s face light up.
I know. I can barely believe it myself. We did it baby.
We actually did it. She paused listening. No no one suspects anything.
It was a perfect accident. Just like we planned. Just like we planned.
Those four words echoed in Desmond’s head like thunder. Just like we planned. They had planned this.
Monica and whoever Imel was. They had planned for him to die. And when a real accident happened, or what they thought was a real accident, they believed their plan had worked.
Monica continued talking, pacing around the room. The funeral will be in a few days. I’ll play the sad widow perfectly.
Then after everything settles down we can start moving the money. All of it will be ours. She listened again then laughed.
I know you’re excited Elijah. I’m too. But we have to be patient just a little bit longer.
We can’t celebrate too openly yet. People are watching. Elijah.
So Im stood for Elijah Im. And from her words, Desmond could tell, this was someone close. Someone who knew him.
I’ll see you tomorrow, Monica said sweetly. I love you too. Bye baby.
She hung up and literally jumped on the bed, kicking her feet in the air like a happy child. Desmond’s wife was celebrating his death. He turned off the phone and sat in complete silence.
The small apartment felt like a prison. Outside the sun was setting, painting the sky orange and pink. Such a beautiful evening.
But Desmond felt like his whole world had turned dark. Everything he had feared was true. Monica didn’t love him.
She had never loved him. She had been waiting for him to die so she could take everything. And this Elijah, whoever he was, was in on it too.
Grace called an hour later. Have you seen, she asked quietly. I saw, Desmond said.
His voice sounded dead emotionless. I’m so sorry She was celebrating Grace. Laughing.
She said, just like we planned. They wanted me dead. Grace was quiet for a moment.
Then we need to finish this. We need to expose her completely. Are you strong enough to keep watching? Desmond thought about it.
Part of him wanted to stop right now. Part of him wanted to walk into the mansion and reveal himself, just to see the shock on Monica’s face. But that wouldn’t be enough.
He needed evidence. He needed to see how far she would go. He needed the whole world to see who she really was.
I’ll keep watching, Desmond said firmly. I want to see everything. Okay.
I’ll play my part. Tomorrow I’ll go to the mansion to comfort Monica. I’ll keep you updated on everything.
After Grace hung up, Desmond opened the camera app again. This time he checked the camera in Monica’s private office. She was there sitting at her computer.
And she was looking at something on the screen. Desmond zoomed in. His heart stopped.
Monica was looking at bank accounts. His bank accounts. She was writing down numbers, calculating something.
Then she opened another tab. It was an email to someone named Elijah Morrison. Elijah Morrison.
Now Desmond had a full name. The email said, Baby I’m looking at the accounts now. There’s over 50 million dollars in total.
Plus the house, the cars, the company shares. We’re going to be so rich. Just a few more days and we can start the transfer process.
I can’t wait to start our new life together. 50 million dollars. That’s what his life was worth to her.
That’s what their seven years of marriage meant. Desmond felt hot tears running down his face. He didn’t try to stop them.
He just sat there in that small apartment watching his wife plan to steal everything he had worked for, everything he had built. And the worst part? She was doing it with a smile on her face. The test had begun.
And Monica was failing in the most terrible way possible. But Desmond was going to let her keep digging her own grave. He was going to watch every lie, every betrayal, every cruel word.
And when the time was right, he would come back from the dead. And the truth would destroy her. Three days after his death, Desmond sat in his small apartment watching the preparations for his own funeral.
It was the strangest feeling in the world. Watching people plan to bury you when you were still alive. Watching them cry for you.
Watching them say goodbye. But strangest of all was watching his wife pretend to mourn. Grace had gone to the mansion the day after the accident, to comfort Monica.
Desmond watched it all through the security cameras. Grace had knocked on the door and Monica had answered wearing all black. Her eyes were red, but Desmond noticed she had used makeup to make them look that way.
Her face was sad, her shoulders slumped. Oh Grace, Monica had said in a broken voice falling into Grace’s arms. I can’t believe he’s gone.
My Desmond. My husband. Grace had hugged her back, but Desmond could see his sister’s jaw was tight.
Grace was a good actress too, but Desmond knew her well enough to see the anger in her eyes. I’m here for you, Grace had said. Whatever you need.
For the next hour, Monica had cried and talked about how much she loved Desmond. How they had planned to grow old together. How her life was empty without him.
It was all lies. Every single word. Because that same evening when Grace left, Desmond watched Monica through the cameras.
The moment the front door closed, Monica’s sad face disappeared like someone turning off a light switch. She smiled, poured herself a glass of expensive wine and called Elijah. That was exhausting, Monica said with a laugh.
Playing the sad widow is harder than I thought. Grace wouldn’t leave. She kept asking if I needed anything.
Desmond couldn’t hear Elijah’s response, but Monica laughed at whatever he said. I know baby. Just a few more days.
The funeral is on Saturday. After that we can start moving forward with our plans. Now it was Saturday.
Funeral day. Desmond sat in his apartment, dressed in old sweatpants and a t-shirt, watching his own funeral on his phone through the cameras he had hidden near the funeral home entrance. Hundreds of people came.
Business partners. Friends. Employees from his company.
Even people he barely knew. They all wore black. They all looked sad…
