Page 109 of The Widower
“What’s your routine like?” I ignored his pleas.
“Cut it out!”
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“Why would I? You already know what it is—you’re the one controlling my life!”
He wasn’t wrong. Even behind bars, the person who basically runs his days is me. Am I proud of that? Not at all. But when it comes to that piece of shit, I’m driven by anger—and it isn’t going to change. If anything, it’ll get worse.
“I’m waiting. Come on—tell me everything you do from morning to night. In detail.”
He bowed his head again and shook it in refusal. I can be merciless when I want to be.
“I get up at five. I don’t have breakfast; my first meal is after one in the afternoon. I’m isolated from the other inmates. I don’t exercise. My yard time is short, and I get a second meal in the afternoon. My cell’s searched every day—the guards make a point of turning it upside down. If they think I glance at one of them wrong, they beat me like a dog; I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve ended up in the infirmary. I have dinner around eight, and that’s my last meal.”
“Sounds like your life’s going a little too well. There are ways to make it worse.”
“You’re a monster, man!”
I stood up and punched the glass between us, my hand throbbing from the impact.
“Your mistake was messing with the wrong family. Your life’s going to get worse—mark my words.”
I left the prison. I had nothing more to do there today.
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
While I was working, I heard strange noises coming from somewhere in the house, though I couldn’t quite tell where. After a few minutes of walking around the mansion, I realized the sounds were coming from the one place Colin had explicitly forbidden me to enter.
For a moment, I hesitated—should I go in or not? But the longer I stood there, the louder the noises became, and instinct took over. As I moved down the hall, I heard Colin’s voice echoing from somewhere deep inside. When I got closer…
He was punching the wall, shouting, crying—like a child lost in his own pain.
I froze. I didn’t know what to do. Not now.
“Please… stop doing this to yourself!” I broke the rule and stepped into the place I was never supposed to enter.
“Get out!” he shouted.
“Tell me how to help you!” I didn’t move. Instead, I took a step closer.
“I said get out!” His tone dropped, low but trembling with fury.
“No.”
He charged toward me and slammed me against the wall. He didn’t even look like the same man I’d seen these past few days.
“What the hell is wrong with you?! Why do you have this need to piss me off more than usual?!” he growled, his eyes wild with rage.
“I’m trying to help you. Whatever it takes.”
I had to fight to bring the good side of Colin back out. He didn’t need to fall apart again. I cared about him too much to let him keep fighting this battle alone.
“You’re unbelievable… there’s something seriously wrong with you.” He stepped closer, gripping one of my hands. For a second, I thought he might kiss me—but I knew he wouldn’t.
“Talking to me like that doesn’t work anymore.Your anger doesn’t scare me.”
“I pity you, Isabelle!”
