So here I am, standing on your doorstep, ready to share my life with you. Because the moment I saw you and saw this house… I fell in love with you both.
Raising my hand, it trembles as I knock on the door again. I hope you’re home. I’m so excited to see your face.
Epilogue
When I opened the door, I saw some blonde chick standing there. I told her David had left the premises and that he didn’t live here anymore. I then informed her that the house was mine and that it was never his to begin with.
At first she didn’t believe me. We argued for a while and then she broke down in tears and refused to leave. But when I said I’d call the police and report her for trespassing, she ran off. I’m pretty sure I won’t be seeing any more of her.
When I first told Slim I wanted to leave, he said I should wait and think it through. I didn’t know if he could keep a secret, but he promised to keep me safe until I was sure of my decision, so he offered me a place to stay in one of the casitas at his lodge.
As time passed, I had regrets about leaving and I started plotting my return. But when David suddenly came back unannounced, he threw a wrench in my plans.
Yes, I was there the night they arrived. I saw them get out of the truck. When Slim took a closer look at her, he told me she looked a lot like me. I couldn’t believe it, so I had to see it for myself. That’s when I began stalking them.
I was angry at first because he had replaced me so easily. Even more so because his replacement looked like me. But as I watched them come and go, Val appeared to be less and less happy as the days passed. I figured David was keeping the same secrets from her as he had from me.
Such as the interesting fact that he built this house in the exact same place as the first one. The tiny blue house where he lost his wife, Susan. She wasn’t well, the poor dear. I heard how she struggled with dreadful delusions. David said she would continuously rant about being haunted by previous tenants. He said she could never quite see out of that house despite the beautiful view, so he promised to build her a new one, a house with great big windows. But sadly, he was too late.
One night, she had a horrible accident. I heard she was drinking tea and dancing on the deck. The poor thing unfortunately drank the wrong brew and twirled herself right off the deck. At least, that’s what David told me… his version of the story.
Soon after the tragedy, David went into a deep depression. He blamed himself for her death. He regretted introducing her to Slim, Conchita, and the tea. He was never able to forgive himself for not building the new house in time.
When I first met David, I had tried helping him with his sorrows. I helped him design this house, our new home, to honor her memory. Soon after, however, his sadness turned to control. I think it was the way he coped. He then became determined to help Conchita with her struggling tea business as she too was burdened with guilt. He said if they mixed the ingredients correctly, they could help many people with their assorted ailments.
Slim mentioned they were working on some new kind of tea called ‘awake.’ Supposedly it could help you see into the future. Imagine that. I mean, I’ve heard about reading tea leaves before, but drinking tea to see what the future holds? Who would have thought it was possible?
But I’m rambling now, so back to the house—my house. You see, David never got over losing sweet Susan. Sadly, she was the source of our contention and one day I snapped. I simply couldn’t take it anymore. I had finally had enough.
Although David pushed me away, I loved this house. It was the only thing that made me happy. So I hatched a plan to take it back. But thanks to Val, I didn’t need to execute it. She made it really easy for me, and I can never thank her enough.
I watched as she tried solving the puzzle, becoming frustrated and finally giving up. The day she departed was the day I returned. She left the door open, actually unlocked, and I walked right into the house. I was surprised to find David passed out and thankful I didn’t have to use the gun.
So here I am, back at my house.
By now you’ve probably figured out who I am. Yes, it’s me, Gina, wife number two. While I may be his second, I will be his last.
David may not have been happy to see me, and quite frankly, I’m not sure if I’m happy to see him. Perhaps we’ll find a way to make it work. Maybe I’ll give him a second chance… I’m still thinking about it. At any rate, it’s so good to be back at my house—the beautiful glass house of my dreams.
Where you can see in and I can see out—forever.
A Note from Bettina
Thank you so much for taking the time to read The Glass House.
I would like to know your thoughts about the book and would love to hear from you. To connect and stay in touch, please visit me at bettinawolfe.com.
Also, if you have a few moments to spare, I would appreciate it if you could leave a review. Reviews are not only helpful for me, but they also help others who may be interested in reading this book.
Once again, thank you for reading The Glass House.
Until the next story,
Bettina
Acknowledgments
A heartfelt thank you to the following people for helping me bring this book to
