Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Megan Melroy
The name echoed in her head over and over again but no matter how hard Cleo tried, the name didn’t ring a bell yet it was so so familiar.
Just as she was about to mention the name out loud, the same warning ran in her head stopping her lips from moving.
Pretend
And just like that, Cleo was back in character.
She furrowed her brows and put on a huge frown making sure to show that she was indeed angry.
“Enough of this Elliot!! If you think you can just waltz in here with her in tow to smooth things over, then you must be dumber than I thought. Why are you really here Elliot Fournier?! If there is anything that I have come to know about you for the three years that we were married is that you never do anything if it does not benefit you in some kind of way.”
Cleo hugged as she subtly tried to take a look at Linda again but she couldn’t as Elliot had completely blocked her body with his big frame.
“Cleo! Cleo sweet heart! Don’t be like that. I and Linda are here because we care about you. Is this place even safe? It’s in the middle of nowhere.”
Elliot said with a sweet tone that made shivers run down Cleo’s spine but she made sure to contain her emotions and reactions were still non reactive and unreadable.
There was something very sinister about the way he called her sweetheart. Almost like she was a prey to be hunted and killed.
Elliot rolled his eyes and let out a. tired sigh. Almost as if he was dealing with a child that was throwing a tantrum.
This angered Cleo to no end. She grabbed the hem of her too very tightly as she tried hard to keep her anger in check.
Her heart beat violently against her chest as staring at Elliot was not helping matters.
Yes he was a handsome man with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had a chiseled feature that even though she did not want to admit it, made him look very handsome.
However, his eyes hid something very ugly and sinister. Something that made every instinct in her bone to scream in fear.
He was a dangerous man.
She knew it.
But he must not find out that she was now aware of that fact.
Cleo could not but wonder if Cleo had come to her before under another identity.
Pretend
“You think I'll just forget what I saw? The two of you on our bed? How are you going to explain that Elliot?! Interested you with everything that I had. You said that you loved me!!”
Call shouted forcing her eyes to tear up in order to look more convincing.
Pretend.
At first, Elliot’s face hardened and this was more than enough for Cleo to let out a small shiver of fear but just as soon as he did that, he let out a wide smile, showing his pearly whites as the hallway light reflected against his blonde hair.
His smile made a chill run down to the very depths of her bones.
If Cleo was being very honest with herself, it was becoming harder and harder to keep on pretending but at the same time, something told her that her very life depended on it.
“You’re right to be upset. I deserve your anger. But I want us to get through this… together. You and me. That’s why I came. That’s why I brought Linda.”
Cleo could not help but look up at him like he was a mad man.
He might as well be.
“Together?!”
Cleo breathed out breathless as she tried hard to understand how this man could even say that.
“Do you even hear yourself Elliot?”
The creepy smile remained plastered on his face as he peered down at Cleo.
Pretend.
Cleo’s mind raced. Perhaps all of this time, she had been the type of wife to always go with his whims and her acting this way seemed strange.
Was she ever a wife?
What was happening?
Who was Elliot exactly?
These questions ran through her mind but she tried to remain calm.
What should she do?
Subtly, Cleo took. deep reach and closed her eyes briefly trying desperately to rage her calming heart.
Pretend
“I need you to tell me to my face Elliot. Tell me that nothing happened. Make Linda say it too.”
Cleo said shakily, making sure to give off the persona of a broken woman.
A woman who found out that her husband had been cheating on her with her best friend.
The reaction came in an instant.
Elliot’s narrowed eyes relaxed slightly as his snow turned into a sheepish grin.
Elliot stepped aside to reveal Linda, his hands firmly on her shoulders.
Cleo did not miss the way Linda flinched and shook slightly.
“Nothing happened Cleo. Isn’t that right Linda?”
Elliot said, his grin still planted in his face with a cold and even tone.
Then, almost mechanically, she nodded. “Nothing happened.”
Linda tried hard to speak uniformly but the tremble in her voice was evident.
Pretend
Pretend
Pretend
The same voice whispered over and over in her head.
To show that she was still an angry hurt wife, Cleo knew that she must keep playing the part.
She knew what she had to do. For all she knew, she was still being watched.
She slammed the door shut before either of them could step inside. Her breath came ragged, her palms slick with sweat. The wood vibrated under another soft knock.
“Cleo,” Elliot’s voice crooned through the barrier, too calm, too assured.
“We’ll talk when you’re ready. But remember, I’ll always know where to find you.”
The silence that followed after was louder than any silence that she had had to go through before.
It was uncomfortable and the once loud room was now filled with her own raspy breaths.
Then out of the blue, a tiny piece of paper was slipped into the room from under the door.
“Megan, don’t trust him.”