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"Victor!"

"Get in here, Izabel, now!" I hear hient tone in his voice that he’s speaking to me as Sarai

Once I make my way past the tall shelves inside the closet and burst through into the hidden room, I’htspressed face-first against the ith a tie wrapped tightly around his thick neck His face bulges over the restricting fabric, his skin turning dark red and purple A woh white cotton gown that has been soiled by urine and blood

"In the closet," Victor says, pressing his body against the struggling un inside Get it"

I nod rapidly and run back into the closet behindit in seconds I take the gun out and rush back inside the rooive it to hi’s te desperate choking sounds as he tries to regain control of his breathing Then Victor pats hi for weapons When he’s satisfied there are none, Victor reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a pair of rubber gloves and tosses the for me to put the to happen," Victor says to Arthur Haet to live If it were ht at the restaurant, or any other Friday night before that But you get to live"

What Is Going On? I can’t wrap my mind around this unexpected turn of events

"If you didn’t co with fear but laced with aot plenty ofyou want"

Victor shoves Arthur Haun trained on hi his white dress shirt Then Victor reaches inside his hidden suit jacket pocket and hands me a small yellow envelope

"Open it," he instructs

As I’ that, Victor turns back to him

"The death will be ruled as a suicide," Victor says and I’ned by her hand All you have to do is wait one hour after we leave to call it in"

"What the fk are you talking about?" Arthur Ha pointed at him

I can’t decide who to look aton the cot

Suddenly she looks up at h my body

"Victor we have to help her" I start to move toward her

"No," Victor says "Leave her be"

"But--"

"Remove the contents of the envelope," he interrupts

I take out a folded piece of paper first, trying to grasp the feel of it through the tight rubber gloves sealed to my hands

"Read it," he says

Carefully, I unfold it and look down into the pretty handwriting in a blue ink flourish And as I begin to read the letter aloud, I start to feel queasy and my heart hurts

My Dearest Husband,

I can’t do this with you anymore I’ve shamed my family, our children, we’ve shamed ourselves, Arthur I don’t love you anymore I don’t love myself I don’t love anyone because I can’t I haven’t been able to feel a valid emotion in twelve years of the thirty I’ve been married to you for I can’t live like this anyet on , after years of wanting to get help I started not to care

I am so sorry that you had to see me this way I’m so sorry that I couldn’t come to you for help But I didn’t want help I just wanted it to end

And that’s what I’ it

Goodbye, Arthur

Sincerely,

Mary

The man can’t take his eyes off his wife His flabby chin vibrates as he tries to hold in his tears But I still don’t feel a shred of reure out why this has happened, but because I know he’s a sick man and doesn’t deserve remorse

"Why are you here?" he asks, his husky voice shuddering

Victor looks to me "Give me the SD card," he says

I pull the tiny square card from the corner of the bottom of the envelope and place it into Victor’s free hand He holds it up to Arthur Haer

"All of the information on this card has already been transferred to my employer The names on your extensive client list, the locations of your underground operations, the video evidence that your dear wife recorded that you knew nothing about It’s all here" He throws the SD card onto Arthur Ha for me or Izabel for the death of your wife and it’s not ruled a suicide, all of that information will be released to the FBI We are to walk out of here unharh your front doors Is that understood?"