Work in progress

Betrayed

Carissa Reichard shoved the last piece of luggage into her Suburban. Hitting the garage door opener, she sped out of the driveway daring not to look into the rear-view mirror. Escape seemed a dream for so long she felt for sure she’d awaken at any moment and the reality of her life would hit her in the face.
Staying with her husband Jake for seven years had only been out of fear for her life and an obligation to her five-year old daughter, Montana. But just when she thought her life couldn’t get any worse she found an e-mail her husband’s lover sent him, describing in detail how they would soon be rid of her for good. She fought the tears welling up in her eyes, soon she and her daughter would be safe, never again to worry about her cheating husband and his crooked government friends.
The gated community where she lived was admired and envied by those on the outside. To look at the magnificent homes, one could understand the high regard others felt toward those on the inside. However, no one could ever understand the ever-growing angst that faced her everyday of her life. Forbidden to have contact with her family or friends, she was only permitted to associate with the women living inside the community. She soon realized they too could not be trusted. After confiding in her neighbor, Elise, the hardships she faced behind closed doors, she paid the consequence of such a transgression. She had always been careful not to trust anyone, knowing that she could be betrayed at any moment, but she’d foolishly let her guard down with Elise. She was so caring and showed special attention to Carissa at all the neighborhood gatherings, and being desperate for friendship Carissa found herself sharing details of her life she knew were forbidden.
Discovering Elise to be her husband’s lover both shocked and hurt her deeply. If her daughter wasn’t dependent on Carissa to protect her, she may have confronted her newfound enemy. Stumbling upon her husband’s email had been an accident. He was very careful not to leave his laptop accessible to her, claiming it to be official government business and top secret. That evening Jake went to bed unusually early and left her alone watching television. Soon tiring herself, Carissa decided to go to bed as well. The two hadn’t slept in the same bedroom for almost five years and the only time he came to her room was for ‘marital visits’ and then he would immediately leave. Although those visits became few and far between, she could honestly say that she was not sad about the situation.
Opening her bedroom door, she was surprised to find Jake’s laptop on her bed, and he was in her bathroom taking a shower. She thought it strange, but there was nothing normal about his behavior or routine, only that it could change in an instant. Climbing into her side of the bed, dread overwhelmed her being, and she tried to mentally prepare for her husband’s return to her bed. As she turned onto her side, she noticed his computer screen on and his email open. Reading the words on the screen caused her to gasp, unable to comprehend the message at that very moment, but soon she realized the intent of the message and the people involved. Shaking her head in disbelief, she heard the water shut off and knowing she didn’t have much time, grabbed her flash-drive from the nightstand to download his emails. Carefully climbing out of bed she straightened the comforter and placed the pillows back into place then slipped out the door and went back downstairs.
The car behind her honked its horn, bringing her to the present. Pressing the accelerator, she crossed the intersection and out of habit, glanced to the rear view mirror. Her husband had no idea of her plan to leave, although for the past week she had slowly been moving some of her things out of the house, along with her daughters. When questioned about her “spring cleaning” she claimed she was simply getting rid of toys and clothing that no longer fit Montana. Mumbling something about having too much junk anyway, Jake walked away uninterested.
Carissa had once been told by an acquaintance that she should save as much money as possible and hide it, because there may come a time that leaving quickly would be necessary. Considering carefully that advice Carissa now realized that she had been wise to follow through with it. Jake gave her an allowance of one thousand dollars every month, and for the past five years she had managed to hide most of it.
Helping Montana make a new home and feeling safe was Carissa’s main concern. She had enough money to make a good life for the two of them. Investing her money into Google and Macintosh five years ago had proven a smart and beneficial move. She could live comfortably off the interest for the rest of her life, not needing to depend on anyone ever again. The only responsibility she had now was to her daughter, and she would give her life to protect her.