Page 66 of The Masks She Wore

?“The world knows Marla Bennett,” I rationalized,turning back to Malachi. “Everyone knows her, they know me, how could she live another entire life while juggling this one? Which was the lie?”

?His eyes darkened at my questioning. “Bennett was. That’s why we’re here, Rae. It’s too clean. All of it. Marla was good in setting up these identities for you both. In setting up lives for you both to fall back on in case something went wrong. She was so good even I didn’t know about them.”

?My eyes widened, the panic growing once again. “Went wrong?” I breathed out. “My name is Rae Bennett. My mom was MarlaBennett,” I stressed. “You’re not making any sense. I lived my life. Ilivedit. I was present, I don’t understand what you mean by identities, this isme.”

?“Where did those scars come from, Rae?” Malachi asked instead.

?I looked down, holding out my arms, taking in the lines I had scattered across my arms. I had more all over my body. Different shapes and sizes.

?“Kids,” I said desperately as Jack set the box of files on the table. “Kids get scars all the time and never remember where they came from.”

?“You don’t remember even one story?”

?“You’re not making sense!” I shouted, wincing when the force of the shouting caused pain to shoot down my back. “You’re not…I am Rae Bennett. I swear to God, that’s who I am. Call Donna. Call Viv. Callanyone. I swear they will tell you the same thing.”

?“Donna doesn’t exist, Rae,” Malachi revealed.

?I felt the whole world tilt on its axis, spots dancing in front of my eyes.

?“Viv isn’t who you think she is. Everyone else you remember from your life was either paid off or dead,” he continued, his voice distant. “Whoever did this was doing quite well until they hired me. That was their first mistake.”

?I grabbed my stomach as it twisted.

?Jack appeared beside me out of nowhere. He was holding a glass of water. “Drink,” he ordered, placing it in my hand.

?What the fuck was happening? What were they saying? I was Rae Bennett. My mother died eight months ago, murdered by some random person who the police never caught. She was an art dealer.

?I was Rae Bennett.

?Jack forced me to lift my hand. “Drink,” he demanded.

?I gulped the water down. I was Rae.

?Jack took the glass from my hand and set it down.

?I was Rae. I wasn’t Charlotte. I was Rae. My mom was Marla Bennett.

?The world started to go hazy as my mind slowed, a fog pushing in around the edges of my thoughts.

?I was Rae.

?My legs gave out, Jack catching me with ease.

?My name was Rae Bennett.

?He swung me up in his arms as the world started to fade to black.

?I was Rae Ben…

~~~

November 4th, 2019

I blinked a few times, my body heavy, my mind sluggish, my tongue as dry as cotton.

?I groaned, lifting a hand to my head as I rolled onto my back. What the fuck? It felt like I had been hit with a truck.

?I let my hand fall with a thump to the bed as I forced my eyes open, the world dark.

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