“Don’t play dumb! This was all your doing!”
He turned to the others, his voice dripping
with venom.
“She sabotaged our gear! She wanted us
dead! Drowned at the bottom of the ocean!”
The crowd gasped.
A few colleagues, those I’d been friendly with, spoke up.
“Mark, come on. Lisa wouldn’t… There must
be some mistake.”
“Yeah, you guys are always so lovey–dovey.
L
Why would she do this?”
Others voiced their suspicions.
“Mark’s our best diver. Something must have
been wrong with the equipment.”
“He’s got ten years‘ experience! He’s never
had an accident before.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
My eyes were fixed on Mark.
I saw the flicker of calculation beneath his
rage, the smug satisfaction he couldn’t quite
conceal.
CH
<
“First off,” I said, my voice steady,
“tampering with dive equipment is a felony. If something happened, I’d be the one in jail.”
“And you’re my husband. Why would I want you dead? It’s not like I have a life insurance policy on you.”
The tide began to turn. More people sided
with me.
Mark’s face darkened. His eyes held a
dangerous glint.
Sarah, recovered from her near–death
experience, stumbled forward, supported by a colleague.
Join the bookshelf
<
She hesitated, then spoke, her voice
trembling.
“Lisa, we’ve known each other for years.
We’re… friends. I didn’t want to do this.”
“But… you tried to kill us. Mark’s your
husband!”
“He’s always been so good to you. How
could you do this? Just because… because
you’re jealous of our friendship?”
“I’m pressing charges!”
Mark stood beside her, his voice righteous.
4..| OL.
く
“Lisa was on duty! She neglected her
responsibilities! She almost killed us! She’s
finished in this town!”
He pulled out his phone.
“911? I want to report an attempted murder!”
- 3.
The crowd surged.
“She’s done this before! That psycho! She
should be locked up!”
Sarah shot me a smug look then
く
reluctance, continued her performance.
“Mark and I grew up together, next–door
neighbors. His parents are like family to me.
They’re my godparents.”
“And… well, you know Lisa. She’s always
been… intense. My godparents always
favored me, and she resented it.”
“She’s always given me a hard time. I’ve tried
to explain, I see Mark as a brother, but she
wouldn’t listen. She’s even… hit me before.”
“I didn’t want to cause trouble for Mark, so I
kept quiet. But… this is too much.”
L
My former allies recoiled, their expressions
mirroring the disgust and judgment I’d faced
in my past life.
“Lisa always seemed so nice. Can’t believe she’s like this.”
“I never liked her! Stuck–up rich girl! Let’s see how she gets out of this one.”
“Wow. Never judge a book by its cover, huh?”
Mark and Sarah exchanged a triumphant glance.
My fists clenched, nails digging into my
Join the bookshelf
<
palms. The pain kept me grounded, anchored
in the present.
I took a deep breath, my gaze steady on the
smug couple.
“Every dive is logged, recorded. There’s a
strict policy against night dives without prior
authorization. And even then, you need at
least two certified divers.”
“Mark, why isn’t your name in the logbook?”
The accusations boomeranged. The crowd
shifted uneasily.
Mark’s smugness faltered.
く
He quickly recovered, forcing a smile.
“Sarah’s the owner’s daughter. She cleared
it with him directly.”
“Don’t change the subject! If it wasn’t for
my quick thinking, we’d be dead!”
Someone shouted.
“The cops are here!”
And with them, a swarm of reporters, and Mr.
Henderson, the dive shop owner.
- 4.
<
Uniformed officers and reporters,
microphones and cameras at the ready,
descended upon the dive shop.
Despite my preparation, the visceral memory
of the online onslaught sent a tremor through
