A Neat Mess

25. The Other Woman

It had been two weeks since that incident, and with Ben volunteered to be home more often, Jenna should have been calmer. Yet, she wasn't. Sam sat in her office, trying to focus on her work, but something felt off—not in the spreadsheet on her screen, of course.

Sam had her report open on one screen and was distractedly browsing the web on the other. The horror raising from what she uncovered became unbearable. Feeling overwhelmed and unable to stay any longer, she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the office.

Silvia, observing Sam leave early without explanation, noticed her recent absences and distractions. Though she rarely checked browsing histories, Sam's behavior prompted her to look into it. Silvia knew little about Sam beyond her being married with a young daughter and from out of town.

The last page Sam visited was an article titled "Trust Turned to Terror." It discussed child abuse and featured interviews with convicted pedophiles who targeted single mothers, gaining their trust while secretly grooming the children. Some cases even involved the child's biological father.

Silvia closed the browser, her hand over her mouth in shock. Despite Sam never being her favorite employee, Silvia's annoyance melted into deep empathy. In that moment, she forgave all of Sam's recent behavior, including her abrupt departure.

Sam remembered to call from the car and explain her sudden departure as a family emergency.

It is true that the brain can react to imagined or assumed situations similarly to how it would react to real events. Sam's heart was racing and she wasn't sure what was this feeling she had. All she knew was saving Jenna from a very serious danger.

I am not one those ignorant parents on true crime stories, I am going to catch you, you fucking bastard"

Sam parked a block away to avoid detection and sprinted toward home. Despite her fitness, that one block felt endless, each step dragging as home was a lifetime away. Sweat stung her eyes, making her vision blurry.

When she finally arrived, Ben's car was missing. He had said he'd check in that morning, so was she too early? She had to see what was happening inside the house.

Lucille and Jenna were watching cartoons together on the couch. Sam felt a mix of embarrassment and relief as she hugged Jenna and joined them. "Have you seen Daddy today?" she asked.

Jenna briefly removed her thumb from her mouth to say, "He went to buy beer."

Lucille and Sam exchanged a glance. Lucille said, "We need to put a stop to this."

Sam's eyes widened. "Let's have him to have this one hobby."

Without taking her eyes off the screen or moving her thumb, Jenna replied, "She's talking about this," showing her thumb which has been in her mouth.

Sam glanced at the clock—it was around the earliest she could get home if she didn't stay back. Just then, Ben walked in, empty-handed.

"Hey! We have a full house today," he said, dropping his car keys in the bowl and heading upstairs.

From the couch, Sam called out, "You left the beer in the car!"

Ben continued walking as he said, "I didn't buy beer; I still have a whole case in the garage."

Sam asked Jenna, "Did he say he was going to buy beer, or did you guess?" Jenna was silent. Sam turned to Lucille, who must have been judging her.

"Did you hear him say that?"

Lucille shrugged. "I can't remember. How about you, Jenna?"

"Umm, yes, he did," Jenna said, but her reliability was questionable.

Sam rushed upstairs where Ben was showering. She noticed his clothes on the floor weren't his work clothes, suggesting he had changed before supposedly going out to get beer.

From behind the glass screen, she asked, "How's your day been?" As Ben kept his eyes closed to avoid getting shampoo in them, Sam took the opportunity to scan his body for any signs of any affair—bite marks, scratches, or bruises. There was nothing visible, though that wasn't definitive proof of his innocence.

"My day was pretty dull. How about yours? You finished work early," Ben said as he turned off the tap. Sam handed him a towel.

"It was quiet so I thought we can go for dinner or something. If I'm not mistaken, you said you had an early check-in today."

"I did, but my car started making a funny noise, so I took it to the shop," Ben explained.

"So, what's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, the noise stopped by the time I got there. Typical, right?"

"Jenna said you told her you were going to buy beer."

"Nah, I didn't say that. She must have assumed."

Sam thought is she should ask Jenna if her father often left. Trusting no one, she resolved to take control and rely on her own judgment. She returned downstairs and overheard Jenna and Lucille in a quiet argument.

"Take it off," Lucille said.

"No" Jenna responded.

Sam rejoined Lucille and Jenna on the couch as Ben came down in a t-shirt and pink shorts—an outfit he'd never wear outside.

"Why aren't you dressed? I told you we're going out for dinner," Sam said.

"I'm exhausted. It's been a terrible day. Why don't you take the girls out and just bring me back a burger or something?" Ben replied, pulling a cold beer from the fridge.

Sam nodded to Lucille, who was ready to take Jenna upstairs and get her ready.

As they walked out, Jenna called out, "Hi, neighbor lady!"

Sam was puzzled. Jenna normally didn't greet people voluntarily, and Sam didn't recognize the woman. The house next door had belonged to an old lady who had passed away a while ago. The place was ugly and impractical, in desperate need of renovation. The only beneficiary was her son, a wealthy, busy doctor who hadn't bothered with the property. Now, it seemed someone new had moved in.

The "neighbor lady," as Jenna called her, appeared to be in her early forties, well-dressed, and wearing flashy red high heels, as if she had just come from an early cocktail party.

"Hi, little Jenna," the woman said, giving Sam a quick smile before heading inside.

"Do you know her, Lucille? Is she the doctor's new wife?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so. I believe she's renting the place. She doesn't mingle much and always dresses like that. I wonder what she does for a living to afford those shoes."

"She seems to be good friends with Jenna. Maybe we should ask Jenna to introduce us!" Sam suggested.

"Then maybe we can borrow some of her shoes!" Lucille joked.

As Jenna waited by the car for the ladies to arrive, Sam's mind raced. She was too proud to ask Lucille if Ben often disappeared or share her concerns with her and on top of that Lucille was one of her suspects.