Page 40 of His

Sabine

By the next day, I find myself consumed with the woman at the end of the hallway. Reading Valerie’s emails made me remember that this is a real woman, with all the troubles, pain, and ebbs and flows that all women go through. The emails Valerie had shared with Carlos were vulnerable, passionate, and at times, all too relatable.

She and I aren’t nearly as different as I’d thought we were. Her words gave insight to a woman battling for happiness and contentment in a loveless marriage, eventually finding it in another person—Carlos. While the emails leave no question about her instability, there were also times of strength and perseverance in her words. Especially when it came to devising a plan to leave Astor. The emails I’ve poured over paint a different picture of the woman wasting away in the bedroom down the hallway. Valerie is smart, cunning, and manipulative.

Though Astor assures me Valerie’s strange behavior is due to her condition and medication, I still believe she’s playing him. To a certain extent, it’s an act—and I’ve decided I’m going to catch her in it.

Valerie is sitting outside under the shade of the deck, gazing at her garden. Brittney is sitting next to her, staring listlessly just as Valerie is. Astor is in his office on a marathon conference call. Leo is nowhere in sight, and Cillian is in the New York office.

Hidden behind a window, I watch her. For twenty minutes, Valerie doesn’t move. Not a twitch of her finger, not a lick of her lips. I’m not even certain she’s aware Brittney is next to her.

Fraud. Of course she is.

Finally, Brittney gets up and whispers something to Valerie. I lunge into the pantry as Brittney comes inside and disappears into the master bedroom.

The moment I hear the master bathroom door close, I step out of the pantry and search the kitchen for something to justify going outside. In the end, I grab the broom—I am the housekeeper after all.

I glance over my shoulder to ensure Astor is occupied.

Nerves tickle my stomach as I step outside and quietly close the patio door behind me.

Valerie doesn’t react.

Fraud.

Keeping my distance, I begin sweeping on the opposite side of the patio, my gaze never leaving her profile.

Not once does she break character.

I sweep harder, faster, loudly swiping the bristles against the tile, trying to get her to react to me.

She doesn’t, and I get the feeling this is her way of dismissing me. I’m so unimportant to her that she can’t even spare me a glance.

Anger begins to simmer as I move closer to the woman between Astor and me. The reason he and I can’t begin our lives together.

After another glance over my shoulder to confirm Astor’s office door is still shut, I move next to her, mindlessly sweeping with each step. For a moment, I consider swatting her with the end of the broom.

Still, she doesn't move.

“I know you know I’m here,” I whisper, leaning toward her. “I see you, Valerie. I see you.”

Then, like a wave moving from her toes to the tip of her head, her body begins to tremble, yet her focus remains forward and emotionless.

Fraud. I want to slap her.

I get close enough to touch her. There is no way she can ignore me now.

Her breath becomes ragged, a wheezing rattle from deep within her chest.

“I see you,” I hiss, leaning into her ear. “You can’t fool me?—

The patio door behind me opens, and I startle, dropping the broom and sending it clattering on the wooden slats.

I spin around as Astor steps onto the patio, frowning.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” I force a smile, then bend down and pick up the broom. “I noticed Brittney wasn’t out here so I was just checking on her. She’s, ah, her breathing seems tight.”

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