Page 35 of Beguiled and Broken

When I got to my car, I tossed my purse on the passenger seat and gripped the steering wheel so hard my hands hurt.Breathe, Bianca. Breathe.This whole time. I asked myself,was this really happening? What had I done? Who had I let into our lives?Invited! I invited evil into our lives. We were broken and I did this to us. It felt like it was my fault.

I put the car in reverse, backed out of the parking space and headed for home. The drive had felt excruciatingly long but fast at the same time. I hit every red light and with each light my panic turned into anger. Betrayal. Deceit. My children. My husband. How could I do this to them?

Pulling into my driveway, my house suddenly felt daunting. No one was home. Catarina’s car was in the driveway, so I got out and walked around to the front. I paused as I looked at the front of the car, no license plate. I didn’t have the keys to the car to pop the trunk, but I felt sick.

Vinny, Cat, and the kids would be back the next day. I didn’t have much time. Once inside, I tossed my purse on the counter, pulled my hair back into a ponytail and headed for Catarina’s room. I began looking through everything. I pulled open dresser drawers, looked in her trash cans, pulled open her bedside table drawers and found nothing that raised any flags. There had to be something though. What had I been missing? I began playing the past few months over and over in my head.

Catarina working for Vinny at the restaurant. She was wonderful and he never raised any concerns other than he didn’t want her to be the nanny. Why though? Why hadn’t he wanted her to be the nanny? She was good enough to work for him in the restaurant. Then I thought about the first time they had dinner without me. She told Vinny I had to work late. I never told anyone that. I remember how weird she seemed when Lex interrogated her. I decided to text Lex and see if she could come help.

Hey, are you busy?

Hey you. No, what’s up?

Can you come over? Is Carter busy? Can he stay with the kids?

Of course. You’re freaking me out but I’m on my way.

Thanks

While I waited for her to arrive, I went upstairs and started going through the kids’ schedule, the paperwork at the workstation in the kitchen and anything I could find that might help me piece things together.

It took Lex about twenty minutes to get to the house. I had already unlocked the front door so she came right in while I was in the kitchen. “B, I’m here.”

“I’m in the kitchen!” I yelled. She came in and stopped in her tracks.

“What the fuck happened here, Bianca?” I had thrown papers everywhere, emptying every drawer, the kids’ bags. Anything I could find. I was also chewing my thumb nail when I stopped and stared at her. “Bianca, what’s going on? Talk to me.”

“I…I think I fucked up. I think I fucked up and you were right. Something is not right with Catarina. Lex, I think she’s the one who’s been sabotaging my shop.” I was trying hard not to cry.

“Ok, first, that fuckin’ bitch. I knew something wasn’t right with her. Second, don’t chew your nails. Third, tell me why you think so. What happened?” Lex gestured for the dining room table, at least what was left of it for me to sit at because it was covered in shit that I had torn apart.

I told her about my trip to the police station and what I saw. “Bianca, why didn’t you tell the detective that you recognized her?”

“BecauseLex! She’s living in my home. I need to figure out what else she’s done. I need to know what I’m missing. How could I miss this? I just went down to her room and went through all her drawers and couldn’t find anything. Help me.” I was pleading. “Vinny, Cat, and the kids will be back tomorrow. I have to figure this shit out before then.”

“Of course, babe. I’ll help you. Don’t cry. We’ll figure it out. It doesn’t look like you found anything up here. Let’s go down to her room again.”

We went downstairs and Lex looked around too. The one thing she did that I didn’t do was flip the mattress up. As soon as she did, Lex said, “Bingo bitch!”

“What? What did you find?” I rushed over to her standing in front of the bed.

“Looks like little Miss I have No Family or Friends keeps a diary. Would you like me to do the honors, or wouldyoulike to?” I stood there not knowing what to do for a second before Lex said, “Bianca. This is your fucking house. She is a guest in your home and she’s fucking with your life. You get to read this. At best, you figure something out. Worst, you read that bitches diary and find nothing and what the fuck ever. She’s shady as fuck. Read the diary.” I knew she was right, so I grabbed the diary from her hands, and opened to page one.

Chapter 23

Bianca

The Diary of Caterina Rossi.

Dear Diary,

My family doesn’t understand anything. No one will want me now. Vinny was supposed to be mine. He can’t marry that bitch.

-Cat

I asked out loud, “What the fuck. Did she know Vinny before we were together? Who the hell was she?”

Lex’s jaw dropped, but she managed to say, “Just keep reading, babe.” So, I read and read and read.

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