Page 85 of Cause and Effect

“How are we going to get into the building? The door is locked, and we don’t have a key,” I said.

“Who needs a key?” Morgan smirked as she picked the lock and opened the door.

We took the stairs up to apartment 3C. Morgan knocked on the door.

“Maintenance. We received a report of water leakingfrom the apartment above,” Morgan disguised her voice as a man’s.

The door opened. My heart raced out of my chest, my eyes widened, and my body became paralyzed as I stared at the man standing on the other side of the door. Morgan kicked it open, pulled her gun from her back, and pointed it at him. I couldn’t speak. I was in shock.

“You better start explaining why you’re stalking my friend,” she said as we stepped inside.

“Laurel.”

“Jason?” My brows furrowed.

“Jason?” Morgan’s eyes widened. “As in your husband who died in a kayaking accident?”

“How is this possible?” Tears streamed down my face.

“God, it’s so good to see you again finally, baby” he said, taking a step forward.

I immediately backed away.

“It’s okay, Morgan. You can put the gun away,” I said.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” I stared at my supposed dead husband, praying I’d fallen asleep and this was just a dream.

“We need to talk, Laurel,” Jason said.

The tears dried up the longer I stared at him, and anger took over. Explosive anger that scared me.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” I said.

“I know. I’m so sorry for what I put you and our girls through. Please, let me explain. Let's talk privately.”

“No. No way.” I shook my head. “Morgan is staying!” I shouted.

“Fine.” He put his hands up. “Let’s sit down.” He gestured.

“You faked your own death?” Morgan asked, cocking her head.

“Why would you do that, Jason? How could you dothat to us? My God. Do you have any idea what you put the girls and me through?”

“I know it must have been hard, and I’m so sorry.” He placed his face in his hands. “I felt so trapped. I couldn’t breathe anymore, Laurel,” his voice cracked. “Every morning, I’d wake up feeling like I was drowning. The mortgage, the kids, our marriage, our debt, the expectations. It was all too much. Everything with us happened so fast.”

“So, instead of telling me how you felt, you faked a kayaking accident to escape from us? We mourned you! Your daughters cried themselves to sleep for months!” I shouted, standing from the couch.

“I wanted a different life, or I thought I did! But these last two years of freedom had slowly turned into a different kind of prison. I missed you and the girls too much. So much, that the pain was unbearable at times. So, I returned to North Carolina and discovered you moved to San Francisco. When I went to San Francisco, I spoke to your old boss. I told him I was your husband’s brother and I needed to get in touch with you. That’s when he told me you moved to Los Angeles and worked at The Hamilton Group.”

“What about the phone calls and the flowers?” I shouted.

“I had to hear your voice. I had every intention of speaking when you’d answer, and I did once, remember? But I was too afraid.”

“You were at the girl’s school, weren’t you?”

He lowered his head. “Yes. I had to see them. But I made sure they couldn’t recognize me.”

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