Page 52 of Sins of a Husband

I keep the TV on for background noise as I try to sleep. I toss and turn ferociously on the king-size bed, nightmares filling my mind. I swear I hear voices.

My eyes fly open, and the bright rays of sunlight pierce through the window, temporarily blinding me. I realize that I forgot to pull the curtains closed before going to bed last night.

It's a new day. I stumble out of bed and use thebathroom. My phone rings, and when I grab it off the nightstand, I see it’s my boss, Carter Nelson.

“Hello.”

“Good morning, Katherine. How are you?”

“I’m okay, Carter. How are you?”

“Good. Good. Listen. When do you plan on returning to the firm?”

“I don’t know yet. Is there a problem?”

“No. You do plan on coming back, right?”

“Yes, Carter. I just need a little extra time.”

“Okay. Do me a favor and try to get back here as soon as you can.”

“I will.”

I sigh and toss my phone on the bed. It rings again. This time, it’s my real estate agent.

“Hello.”

“Kat, I have great news!” Her voice beams through the phone. “They accepted your counteroffer and would like to close quickly.”

I slowly close my eyes and inhale a breath. “That’s great news. Thirty-day closing and two-week occupancy thereafter.”

“Thirty days? They were thinking next week.”

“I don’t care what they were thinking. They'll agree to my terms if they want the brownstone badly enough. If not, someone else will buy it. I have to go, Julie.” I end the call.

I go into the bathroom to put on some makeup and fix my hair. As I stare at myself in the mirror, I swear I catch a glimpse of someone standing behind me. My heart jackhammers in my chest as I quickly close my eyes. When I open them, there’s no one there. I am certifiably crazy now.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

DAHLIA

I dialDr. Burton's office number and use Katherine's name to secure an emergency appointment. I knew that her fragile mental state would get her in to see the doctor immediately.

He’s sitting behind his desk when I step into his office. He looks up and removes his black-rimmed glasses.

“Katherine, please have a seat.” He gestures.

“The name is Dahlia, Dr. Burton.” I smile, taking a seat on the leather couch. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

A small frown creases his forehead, causing his brows to furrow in confusion. He leans forward slightly with a questioning look as he asks, "Excuse me?"

“My name is Dahlia. Katherine is my sister.”

“I don’t understand. Katherine never mentioned she had a sister.”

“Well, that’s because she thinks I’m an imaginary friend. So, this is where you come in. I need you to record our session and play it back for her when she comes to see you. It’s the only way I can reach her to help her understand what’s happening.”

He leans back in his chair, folding his arms and holding my gaze with a narrowed eye.

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