Page 74 of Possessed By You
On the screen is the scene of our accident, photographs taken by frazzled bystanders. Benjamin’s vehicle as a mangled hunk of metal, molded into a ball. I cover my mouth in horror as they rotate through a group of photos, each one more devastating than the next.
I’m not sure how we lived through that. I’m really not.
I spin around when a shaky recording shows people bent by the crushed window, dragging my limp body out of the smoking rubble. The sight of Benjamin’s arms, still trapped inside, physically sickens me. I have to sit.
“I can’t believe this,” Benjamin says.
I choke on nothing but air when the reporter mentions our unfortunate miscarriage, the loss of our child, like its breaking news. The lack of privacy is unnerving.
How do they know about the baby?
As if to answer my question, Benjamin’s mother appears on the flat screen.
She’s all soft words, the epitome of a doting mother who had the scare of her life. She divulges sitting at his bedside with worry, the unimaginable pain at the aspect of losing her daughter-in-law and the baby together. The eyes of the reporter she spoke to lit up and flickered to the camera as she provided the scoop of the century. He makes her confirm that I was truly pregnant, and she gives him the show. A big, disgusting, invasive show.
I simply stare at the events unfolding, only slightly aware of Benjamin’s frozen stance a few feet away from me.
Did she do this to spite me?
Does she even have a heart?
Benjamin shuts off the television, already tapping on his cell. He raises the phone to his ear, walking to the window.
“Howdareyou?”
I drop my head in regret and exhaustion. We didn’t need this.
“No,” he says gruffly, then bellows, “No!I don’t want your excuses! I don’t want to hear another word from you!”
The voice on the other end hums louder, but he talks over it.
“I have things to say, things that are long overdue, and you’re damn well going to listen,” he seethes, the lines of his back rippling with tension. “You’re going to listen because you deserve to hear that you aren’t a good mother. You abandoned me after Daniel died.”
It’s a bomb I’m not prepared to hear him utter. I can’t imagine how she’s taking it.
He huffs while she talks. I can’t make out what she’s saying, but it’s panicked.
“Neither of you could stand to see my face. You couldn’t look at me. I looked so much like him, and you held that against me. I was a fuckingkid! And to make it worse, in a vain attempt to save whatever was left of your marriage, you adopt another kid when you couldn’t even deal with your own. You treated him worse than me, and that is the only reason I give a shit about what happens to him, because he’s learned his sliminess from you and from Dad. Bec and I got out of there as fast as we could. We couldn’t stand another minute with you.”
He pauses to listen to her ramblings. That’s what they sound like from here.
“Oh, come on, I know you’re not stupid. You knew what you were doing. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that would get onto the news. That was our personal business that you made known to the goddamn world! I don’t care if you don’t like her. I honestly couldn’t care less what you think about her. She is my wife, and youwillrespect her!
“I’ve supported you for years! Years! Dad took the money in the divorce, but that was your fault for being careless and getting caught with that architect. I’ve paid for everything. Your house, your bills! I was in a damn hospital bed and I agreed to give you a million dollars of money I earned. No more. You’re close with Alex now. He can pay for your expenses, as well as that million-dollar loan to start your company. I will not.”
He moves the phone away from his ear as she wails. This is twenty-eight years of anger unleashing in one conversation.
“You’re wasting your breath.” Something she says must stun him. He straightens and growls, literally growls, “What thehell has she ever done to you? She’s the best goddamn thing that’s ever happened to me. She cares—no, listen to me—shecaresabout me. She cares whether I come home at night, whether I’ve had a shitty day. She’s saved me from living my life like you did. I had no idea how to fucking love! You took that from me, you and my father. I’m done pretending that was okay. Do not expect that check. I would suggest saving the money I’ve already given you.”
Jesus Christ.
He falls quiet, listening.
“Stop crying. You don’t mean a single word you’re saying. You’re afraid because I’m cutting you off.” He laughs, near hysterics. “You can tell me you hate me all you want. I don’t care. I don’t want to hear from you again. Don’t call me. Don’t call my assistant. You can relay the news to my father as well. I don’t suspect he’ll care anyway since I haven’t heard from him since before the accident.”
He flinches at whatever her response was, not completely immune to her venom.
“Always the final say, huh, Mother? Well I’m done. I’m hanging up now.”
