Robert nodded. “Absolutely. I have a drive right here. I’ll transfer it now.”
As he worked, Sarah stared at a spot on the wall. Her thoughts began to organize. First chaotic, now clearer. And with every second, something new was growing inside her. Not just pain. Not just grief. Rage. A burning, sharp desire to answer. To strike back.
They thought she was stupid. A naive teacher easily wrapped around a finger. Someone who would sign over her life because she was too trusting. And then they would discard her like trash and laugh about it.
But they were wrong. Sarah wiped her face. The tears stopped. In their place came something cold and hard. Resolve.
“Here,” Robert said, handing her the USB drive. “If you need anything else, I’m here.”
Sarah took the drive and closed her fingers around it tight.
“Thank you,” she said, meeting his eyes. “Thank you for showing me the truth.”
“You’re welcome. I have a daughter myself… if this happened to her, I’d want someone to tell her.”
Sarah walked out to her car. She sat in the driver’s seat, staring through the windshield. The flash drive lay on the passenger seat. A small piece of plastic that held the entire truth. Her life for the past six months—one big counterfeit bill.
She started the engine. She couldn’t go home—Jason was there. Or rather, a stranger with her husband’s face and a rotten soul was there.
She drove aimlessly for a while, then pulled over at a park. She checked her phone. Two missed calls from Jason. A text: Where are you? I’m home, waiting for lunch. Another text from Emily: How’s the wifey life?
Sarah blocked her phone screen. She could just leave. Pack a bag, go to her parents, file for divorce. But something inside resisted. They wanted to humiliate her. They wanted to steal her home. And they thought they could walk away laughing? No.
She dialed her dad.
“Sarah? Why aren’t you home? Is everything okay?”
“Dad…” her voice trembled, but she steadied herself. “I need your help. Can I come over?”
“Right now? Of course, honey. Did something happen?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there.”
Then she called Emily. The real friend.
“Em, it’s me. Can you meet me at my parents’ house? Emergency.”
“Sarah, you sound weird. Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not. Just get there. Bad news.”
Sarah clenched the USB drive in her hand. This was her weapon. And she was going to use it.
Her parents lived in a cozy ranch house on the south side. Her mom was waiting on the porch when Sarah pulled up.
“Sarah, baby, what happened?”..
