In the beginning, Olivia devoted herself completely to her husband’s care. She took a leave of absence from the academy and waited on Mark hand and foot, catering to his every whim. But gradually, his demands became unreasonable. If Olivia ever hesitated, Mark was quick to remind her whose fault it was that he was on that icy road in the first place.
«If you had just used your head for once, I’d be fine right now,» he would reproach her. «So, if I say I want a steak dinner, you had better figure out how to make it happen.»
«We don’t have that kind of extra money,» Olivia would remind him, time and again. «Our savings are almost gone. I have to go back to work.»
«And who’s going to take care of me?» Mark would ask, raising a challenging eyebrow.
«Mark, I can’t do both—be your full-time caregiver and the sole earner,» she countered gently, terrified of saying anything that might trigger another tirade.
«I have an idea,» Mark said one afternoon, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
«What is it?» Olivia asked, intrigued.
«We should move in with Mom.» He looked proud of his solution. «While you’re at work, Mom can help me out.»
«I don’t think that’s a good idea,» Olivia said doubtfully. She knew with absolute certainty that the moment she crossed the threshold of Carol’s home, any semblance of a peaceful life would be over.
«You should have thought about that before you asked me to drive out in a blizzard,» Mark snapped. «The decision is made. We’re moving.»
«What about my apartment?» Olivia sighed, the weight of it all pressing down on her.
«We’ll rent it out,» Mark shrugged. «A little extra cash won’t hurt.» He paused, a cruel glint in his eye. «Honestly, we should just sell it and use the money for my rehabilitation. But you’re against that, aren’t you? It’s a memory of your precious Grandma Rose, and you don’t care about my well-being.»
«I do care about you, but I’m not selling it,» Olivia said firmly. The apartment was the last tangible piece of her grandmother she had left, and preserving that legacy was vital to her.
«Then we’re moving to Mom’s,» Mark slammed his hand on the table, sealing her fate.
From that day forward, Olivia’s life descended into a waking nightmare. She became an unpaid servant in Carol’s home. She cleaned, cooked, did laundry, and ironed, all while holding down her job at the academy. The financial strain forced her to take on extra private students in the evenings. This, of course, did not sit well with Carol, who complained that Olivia was spending less time on her household duties. But Mark was thrilled, since Olivia was the only one bringing in any income. She paid for the utilities, the groceries, and the necessary medications for both Carol and Mark.
Also living in the house was Mark’s older brother, Ryan, who contributed nothing to the household expenses. His entire paycheck went to his personal wants. When Olivia once gently suggested that Ryan should chip in for groceries, she was swiftly put in her place and told it was none of her business. Life in Carol’s house became more unbearable with each passing day. But Olivia’s conscience, heavy with guilt, wouldn’t let her leave. Her only escape was to stay at work as late as she possibly could.
«Listen,» Mark’s commanding voice cut through her memories, bringing her back to the present phone call. «Stop by the nice steakhouse on your way home and pick up dinner.»
«But I don’t have the money for that,» Olivia tried to object. «Payday isn’t for another week.»
«Of course! Who cares what I want?» Mark asked, his voice dripping with offense. «If I could walk, I wouldn’t have to beg you for a few dollars.»
«A few dollars?» Olivia’s eyes widened. «Since when is a steak dinner ‘a few dollars’?»
«Don’t pick apart my words,» Mark waved off dismissively. «If you don’t want to do something nice for your husband, just say so.» He hung up before she could reply.
Olivia let out a long, shaky breath. She would have to dip into her emergency savings to buy the steak, otherwise she would face an evening of relentless nagging—not just from Mark, but from Carol as well. She rose from her desk, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.
Stepping outside, Olivia couldn’t help but smile. She loved the summer for its vibrant colors and enveloping warmth. As she turned to lock the academy door, she saw him. The man who had, in her mind, turned her life into a living hell. A wave of disdain washed over her. God, how she hated the person who had ruined everything. Her life was an endless cycle of servitude and guilt. Sometimes, she fantasized about just walking away, letting them say what they would, but her conscience always held her back. She could never abandon her disabled husband. She would never forgive herself. She would continue to care for him, if only it weren’t for his endless, selfish whims.
«What do you want?» she asked, her voice hostile.
«I need to talk to you,» the stranger said. «You’ve probably figured out who I am. You’re a face I’ll remember for the rest of my life. We have nothing to discuss.» She spoke with a finality she didn’t feel. The last thing she wanted was a conversation with this man. Olivia turned to leave, but he moved to stand in her path.
«Olivia, please, just listen to me,» he pleaded. «It’s important to me. And I think it will be important to you, too.»
«Really?» Olivia raised an eyebrow. «How could any information you have be important to me? I’d say you owe me a lot more than information.»
The man looked down, embarrassed. «By the way, my name is Ben.»
«What help do you think I owe you?» Olivia’s anger was rising. «It’s been over six months. You should be talking to my husband.»
«He’s the last person I should be talking to,» Ben shook his head. «Can you just give me ten or fifteen minutes of your time?»
«I really need to get home,» Olivia said, glancing at her watch.
«Please, this is critical,» he begged.
«Fine,» Olivia agreed with a sigh, mentally scolding herself for her soft-heartedness. What could this man possibly want from her? «Let’s sit on that bench over there.» Without waiting for a response, she walked toward a pair of benches shaded by large oak trees and sat down, placing her purse beside her. «I’m listening,» she said, leaning back and fixing her gaze on him.
«As you’ve probably guessed, I was the other driver in the accident that injured your husband,» Ben began, his eyes focused on some distant point. «He got off easy compared to me.»
«Easy?» Olivia was outraged. «Mark has been in a wheelchair for six months, and you’re standing here perfectly fine, not even a limp.»
«I have plenty of other issues,» Ben chuckled humorlessly. «But that’s not what I’m here to talk about.»
«Then why are you here?» Olivia was growing tired of the conversation.
«After I regained consciousness in the hospital, I received some bad news,» Ben sighed, the memory of the accident still raw. «They found me at fault for the crash.»
«And that’s bad news for you?» Olivia looked at him incredulously.
«Because I know I’m not guilty,» Ben said firmly. «That day, there was a severe snowstorm. I was driving maybe twenty-five miles per hour. There’s no way I could have caused that much damage to either car, and neither could your husband.»
«I don’t understand,» Olivia frowned. «What does Mark have to do with it?»
«Your husband claims he was also driving at that speed, see?» Ben asked, a hopeful look in his eyes. «If we were both going twenty-five, the impact wouldn’t have been nearly as severe as it was.»
«Oh, God,» Olivia exhaled. She knew Mark loved to speed. He’d been ticketed multiple times for it. If it weren’t for his close friend, Dave, a police officer who often covered for him, he would have had his license suspended long ago. Suddenly, a chilling realization washed over her. Dave was the officer who had responded to the scene of the accident. He had written the official report.
«Are you saying Mark was driving much faster than what’s in the report?»
«Yes,» Ben nodded. «And I’ll tell you more—your husband ran a red light.»
«I don’t believe you,» Olivia said, stunned. «That’s impossible. Despite his love for speed, Mark was always a careful driver. He would never run a red light sober.»
«That’s just it—he wasn’t sober,» Ben sighed. «But the police report said otherwise.»
«Olivia, you know as well as I do that having a buddy on the police force can make inconvenient truths disappear,» Ben said, his frustration growing. «Your husband’s friend tried to pin a DUI on me. He would have succeeded, too, if my sister, Karen, who’s a lawyer, hadn’t shown up at the scene almost at the same time.»
«What do you want from me?» Olivia asked, her head reeling from the influx of information.
«My dashcam, which recorded the entire accident, is missing.» Ben looked at her, his eyes pleading. She was his only hope of avoiding a prison sentence and crippling fines for a crime he didn’t commit. «Could you please look for it at your place? It’s the only proof of my innocence.»
«You think my husband would keep evidence that incriminates himself?» Olivia asked reasonably. «If what you’re saying is true, I doubt Mark would hold onto proof of his own guilt.»
«I know,» Ben tried to convince her. «But what if he did? You know how people are. Maybe he just saved the memory card.»
«Ben, I’d like to help,» Olivia said, a sudden wave of pity washing over her. And in that moment, she realized this could be her way out. «We’re not living at our apartment right now; we’re staying with my mother-in-law. I have no idea where to even begin looking for a dashcam or a memory card in her house. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack.»
«Olivia, please, just try,» Ben pleaded.
«Okay,» she promised. «I’ll call you if I find anything.» They exchanged numbers.
Olivia hurried home, a flicker of hope ignited within her. She made a silent vow: if there was evidence of Mark’s guilt, she would find it. He might face legal consequences, but she no longer cared. She suddenly realized that she hadn’t loved him for a very long time, and if it weren’t for the need to find that dashcam, she would leave him tonight. She could endure a few more weeks.
