Page 17 of Ashes

Chapter 8

IT’S BEEN A FEW DAYS, and the maid that brings Paola food every day told me that she appeared calm and collected.

Maybe it’s finally time to pay another visit to my wife.

It’s almost dinner time.

I could surprise her and see if she’s willing to behave.

If not, I have all the time in the world.

She’ll see that fighting and defying me is pointless, and it’s better if she does exactly as I say.

I’ll see if her story about the day Rodrigo died changes too. Maybe she’ll confess she lied to me.

I unlock the door and push it open, half expecting to find Paola glaring at me and throwing something at me.

Just because she was calm with the maid doesn’t mean she’ll do the same with me.

But when my gaze finds her, I’m rooted to the spot.

She’s lying in the middle of the floor, a piece of broken glass in her bloody fingers. Her wrists are coated with blood, and there’s blood on the floor too.

My heart rate accelerates, and for a moment, I wonder if I’m trapped in a memory instead of reality.

But when I blink, it’s not my mother that’s on the floor in a pool of blood.

It’s definitely Paola.

Fuck!

I race to her, crouching next to her. When I press my finger against her neck, I can still feel her pulse.

I yell for help, picking her up in my arms.

Goddammit, Paola.

Why?

***

IPACE UP AND DOWNthe hospital hallway.

Why would Paola do that?

Did she expect someone would find her?

Does she know about what my mother did?