Chapter 2 - The Queen Mother’s Arrival
By eleven o'clock,
the scent of roasted lamb filled the kitchen,
a smell that usually brought me comfort but now felt like bait in a trap.
I moved through the rooms,
straightening pillows and dusting surfaces that were already spotless.
Tabitha,
my mother-in-law,
arrived exactly ten minutes early,
her black sedan purring like a predator as it rolled up the drive.
She stepped out of the car,
dripping in pearls and a sense of entitlement that could choke a room.
Jasper was already there to greet her,
his face lighting up with a performative joy that nauseated me.
"Mother,"
he exclaimed,
taking her designer handbag as if it were a holy relic.
"Welcome to your new home."
I stood on the porch,
my hands folded neatly in front of my dress,
the perfect picture of a subservient wife.
Tabitha didn't look at me at first,
her eyes instead roaming over the Greek columns and the manicured lawn.
"It's a bit smaller than I remembered,"
she remarked,
her voice thin and sharp.
"But I suppose it will do once we redecorate."
She finally turned her gaze toward me,
her eyes narrowing as they searched for the cracks in my makeup.
"Josephine,"
she said,
extending a cold,
bony hand for me to squeeze.
"You look...
tired."
"It’s just the excitement of your arrival,
Tabitha,"
I lied,
the words tasting like ash in my mouth.
We moved into the dining room,
where the table was set with the fine china my mother had left me.
Jasper pulled out a chair for his mother at the head of the table,
the seat that traditionally belonged to the owner of the house.
I sat across from him,
watching as they began to discuss their plans for the renovation.
"The downstairs suite needs more light,"
Tabitha declared,
stabbing a piece of meat with her fork.
"And I want that hideous wallpaper in the library removed immediately."
The library was my father’s favorite room,
filled with his collection of first editions and leather-bound journals.
"Of course,
Mother,"
Jasper said,
glancing at me with a warning in his eyes.
"Josephine will see to it this week."
I took a slow sip of water,
feeling the cool liquid slide down my throat.
"Actually,"
I said softly,
interrupting their conversation.
The room went silent,
the only sound being the clink of Tabitha’s jewelry.
"Actually what?"
Jasper asked,
his voice dropping an octave,
the threat of violence simmering just beneath the surface.
"I was thinking that perhaps the library should stay exactly as it is,"
I said,
tilting my head slightly.
Tabitha let out a sharp,
derisive laugh.
"My dear,
you’ve always had such pedestrian taste."
"It’s not about taste,"
I replied,
my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
"It’s about respect."
Jasper slammed his hand onto the table,
making the crystal glasses rattle.
"We’ve discussed this,
Jo."
"Don't start your hysterics in front of my mother."
He looked at her,
shaking his head with a patronizing sigh.
"See what I have to deal with?
She’s been like this for weeks."
"Unstable,"
Tabitha whispered,
shaking her head with mock pity.
I didn't argue.
I didn't scream.
I simply checked the time on my watch.
12:15 p.m.
Right on schedule.
I stood up from the table,
smoothing out the skirt of my dress.
"If you'll excuse me,"
I said,
"I think I hear someone at the door."
Jasper frowned,
his brows knitting together in confusion.
"We weren't expecting anyone else."
"I was,"
I said,
walking toward the foyer with a stride that felt lighter than air.
The game was almost over,
May you like
and for the first time in three years,
I knew exactly how it was going to end.
