Secret Affection

Chapter 15

It's been one week since I discovered my ex has been slowly trying to inadvertently get me killed. I haven't answered my cell phone, let alone my front door to any and all noise, afraid that the second I do either myself or someone I love would be next.

My father realized I was trying to fall off the face of the Earth, again, so he wrote me one letter in the span of the week. All he said was he was sorry for the way the family has been towards me and how he wishes I found out about Lauren a better way, but I honestly didn't care.

The first few days of my solitary, I was lucky if I slept maybe four hours. The rest of my time, I was consumed in background checks and case files. I searched for every person I have ever known, everyone I've loved or do love, just to see who could be a liar and who would be kind enough to tell me the truth.

Now, I wish I could say I didn't find anything and all the people I love were honest with me, but I can't. Almost every single one of them have been lying to me since before I left for the military.

My father, the man I have looked up to for so long in my short life, has been transferring thousands upon thousands of dollars to an offshore account. Not just one, but three separate accounts.

My mother, the hypocrite that she is, has been admitting multiple patients into a psych ward with little to no cause. Just three days ago, she transferred a woman who was a lone survivor of a car accident, who had only minor lacerations, into the care of the ward. The woman had no prior mental illnesses and did not prove to be a danger to herself.

My sister, Riley, I learned that she actually followed my mother into the medical field. To my surprise, she works at the Ward. Almost every patient my mother transfers is into my sisters care. Not to mention, I looked into the video footage of the asylum and my goody-two-shoes sister isn't who my family thinks she is. Unless my mother is really a hypocrite and is perfectly fine with my older sister sleeping with her female patients.

My old friend and boss, James Carter was the next on my list. The reason all of this connects? One of the three offshore accounts is being funneled directly into my bosses pockets. My father, the man who questioned why I do what I do, is funding the whole operation.

To say I was completely and utterly confused and conflicted would be an understatement. But, that's just my family and work life, my friends are a different story.

My ex-fiancé, Lauren, has been arrested more times that I could even count. The fact she was in the military at all blows my mind. Multiple counts of grand theft auto, a count of armed robbery, three counts of theft, six counts of arson, the list goes on.

Roy, my hand-picked brother, I wish I could say he was completely clean. One of my best friends spent four years in prison after we graduated from school. I was appalled when I read his file, I actually had to refresh the page seven times before I actually believed it and even then I struggled. My ex got arrested multiple times and was never thrown in jail once, but my brother? He defends someone and it's considered assault and he's thrown right into jail with barely a trial.

I was sitting in my desk chair, staring out of the large window in front of me, reflecting on all of the information I've learned in one small week. Since a young age, I was always a prisoner to my own thoughts, whether they be good or horrible.

Staring at the busy street below, I was consumed once again with the simple, but complex thought of life, how mine could possibly compare to another's. But, at the end of the day, people are comparable to ants, maybe even bees. Everyone lives with the same routine day in and day out. Wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat. Everyone always questions what the meaning of life is, if they're living their life the way that they should be.