***Willow Pond***
Jennifer wakes up. Jonathan is sleeping next to her. She heard something.
Buzzzzzz
Oh yeah. The intercom.
She wakes him up to answer it.
"Jonathan….Jonathan…."
"Again, darling?"
"No, silly. The intercom. Someone is at the gate".
He turns on the light. She immediately hides her head in her hands.
"Hello?"
"Hi, darling, it's me. Can I come up?"
"What do you want?"
"You".
Jennifer is suddenly more awake than ever.
She leans over Jonathan.
"Who is this?"
"Jonathan Hart's wife. Who is this?"
"I am his wife. You are an imposter".
"Oh yeah, tell her baby. Tell her about you and me".
"Come on up and we can straighten this out".
Jennifer is out of bed and in her robe and down the stairs before Jonathan can get his feet on the floor.
"Jonathan, whomever this is, she isn't staying here and she isn't staying long."
He turned and embraced her.
"Darling, before I open the door, I want you to know, you are the only wife I've ever had".
He kissed her.
He opened the door and there on the other side was a thin, young blonde. She had deep blue eyes, and a very gorgeous face.
"Hi honey!" She threw her arms around him and tried to kiss him.
"Honey? Honey?!"
Jennifer reached up, took the girls hands off her husband and then pulled him back towards her.
She got in between the woman and Jonathan.
"What is your name?"
"Rachael. Rachael Hart".
"When did you marry my husband?"
"Last week. At the courthouse. He and I were married, and then he gave me a trip to a health spa because he had to cancel our honeymoon. Too many board meetings, he just couldn't miss them".
She held up a picture on her phone.
"It's kind of an informal selfie, where the people aren't really looking, but it's us".
Jennifer looked at the picture.
She looked at Rachael. "May I?"
She took the phone from her and showed it to Jonathan.
"Is this you?"
He looked at the photo.
"Yes, that's my suit we got last month. And I wore it last week at the courthouse".
"Why were you at the courthouse?"
"Testifying against someone who used to work for Hart Industries".
"So, did you marry this girl?"
"No, don't be silly".
"Can I have my phone back please?"
"Certainly". Jennifer handed it back without looking at her.
"Jonathan, it's after midnight. This girl shows up, says she married you and can offer proof that you were at the courthouse when you say you were. Can you prove that you didn't marry her?"
"No, and I don't have to".
All of a sudden, Rachael hits play.
"Do you Rachael take Jonathan to be your lawful wedded husband? I do….Do you Jonathan take Rachael to be your lawful wedded wife? I do… by the powers vested in me and the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife….you may kiss your bride….i love you Jonathan….I love you too". She clicked off the video.
Jennifer was furious.
"May I?"
"Certainly".
Jennifer sent the video to her phone, and then after it said delivered, she deleted the text. She didn't want Rachael having her number.
"Well, can I ask you one thing?"
"Ask me whatever".
Jennifer handed the phone back.
"Why on earth would you come here after midnight?"
"I work late. I didn't get off till 11."
"I see. Well, I am only going to say this once, so listen up. I don't know what exactly is going on here, but I do know that you aren't legally married to my husband, we aren't taking in boarders and strays, and we aren't in the mood for houseguests tonight. So, I am going to give you three options- leave the same way you came in, we can call you a cab, or we can call the police. Up to you, toots".
Rachael sneered at Jennifer, and then took out a business card.
She handed it Jonathan.
"Call me, next time she goes out of town. We'll consummate it".
Jonathan reached forward and grabbed Jennifer, because she was lunging for Rachael.
"Rachael, I think you better leave". He led her out and closed and locked the door. Jennifer was already halfway up the steps.
By the time he got to their bedroom, she was in the bed, with her back to his side of the bed.
He climbed into bed, and checked the cameras on his phone to make sure that she had left. He closed the gate remotely, and then put his phone on the nightstand. He rolled over to put his arm around Jennifer.
"Don't touch me".
He sighed…
***The next morning***
Jennifer barely slept all night. She was upset. She wanted to desperately believe that her husband had been faithful. He had always been faithful, and she had no reason to suspect that he hadn't been unfaithful. However, this was the first time she had been shown video and audio proof that he had been. So, there was that. She thought back to last week. She had been gone overnight to San Francisco. It could have happened exactly as the girl said. Or maybe it didn't happen at all, and it was all a farce.
She woke up and got in the shower. She had to decide how to be with Jonathan. She needed him to take her in his arms and tell her, 'Darling, I didn't do this". She had yet to hear that from him.
She got out of the shower, and got dressed.
He was sitting on the side of the bed, sending a text message. She went downstairs without saying a word.
Max made her eggs and bacon, and then squeezed her some orange juice.
He made a plate for Mr. H. as well, and then left to take Freeway to the cleaners.
Jonathan came downstairs and sat next to her.
She didn't even look at him.
"Darling, may I?"
He held out his hand. She took it and followed him.
He led her to the piano in the living room.
"Wait right here".
He grabbed a few pictures of their wedding day and put them on top of the piano.
He grabbed a radio, and turned on some music.
He took her hand and started to dance with her.
"What are we doing, Jonathan?"
"We are dancing, so that I can make sure that you are focused on what I am saying to you. I did not, have not, and never will cheat on you with anyone, including Rachael, the lady who showed up here last night claiming to be my wife. You are the only wife I have, or want. You are the only woman I ever want and will ever want, and if I don't have you, I have no purpose for living".
She let him kiss her.
"Thank you, darling."
"Did you ever believe that I did that?"
"No, not all the way. But how do you explain the video?"
"I don't have an answer for you, but I am putting my best IT guy on it. He will tell us if the video is fake, or altered in any way".
"Darling, can you do me a favor?"
"Anything for you, my one and only wife". She gave him a pointed look.
"Tonight, can we spend it just the two of us, no interruptions?"
"Absolutely. It would be my pleasure".
She kissed him, and then they finished breakfast.
He left for work, and she went to the study to start her article.
The intercom buzzed about 10 times before lunch. Delivery man after delivery man after delivery man.
Max let them all in, and had them put the flowers anywhere they could. Pretty soon, the room was full.
Jennifer had zoned out and hadn't heard the intercom at all. Max went to the study.
"Mrs. H, would you mind if I moved some of the flowers to the patio? It's getting hard to walk through the house".
"What flowers?"
"Come here, Mrs. H."
She followed him, and her jaw dropped when she got to the kitchen.
There were hundreds of flower bouquets all over the place.
She went from bouquet to bouquet, and grabbed the cards to read them.
They weren't from Jonathan to her.
All but one was to Rachael from Jonathan.
The smallest one was from Jonathan to Jennifer. The card on that one read "Thanks for understanding".
She looked at all the cards, and saw that they all came from the same flower shop.
She called the flower shop.
"Hello, I live at 3100 Willow Pond road. And your establishment must have delivered about 100 bouquets of flowers this morning. I would like to know how they are being paid for".
"You are a lucky lady! I would love to receive flowers like that. It looks like the flowers are being paid for with a credit card."
She read the numbers to Jennifer and Jennifer wrote them down.
"Ok, is it a Visa?"
"Yes. And the name on the card is Jonathan C. Hart".
She gave Jennifer the expiration date and the code on the back.
"Ok, thank you."
"Ma'am, it looks like we will only be able to deliver about 50 of the remaining 300 today. Can we deliver the rest tomorrow?"
"No, that's ok. Just send the cards and donate the flowers to someone who needs them".
"Thank you".
Jennifer hung up.
She went upstairs and got a bag and packed it. She was going to stay at the beach house.
After her bag was packed, she walked through the house taking pictures of the bouquets. She laid out the cards on the desk and took a picture.
She sent all the pictures to Jonathan. She texted him and said "Would you like to amend your earlier statement?"
She got in the car, and headed to the beach house.
The drive to the beach house was always a nice relaxing one. It was about 30 minutes away, and Jennifer usually turned on music and put the top down and drove. Today she opened the sunroof and put on music, but her heart wasn't in it.
She pulled up to the beach house, and was about to turn into the driveway when another car coming towards her opened the garage door and pulled in. Jennifer waited, and watched. The person got out.
She had a suitcase in her hand. She was Rachael.
***Hart Industries***
Jennifer snapped a video, and then headed to Jonathan's work.
She knew that he had meetings, but frankly she didn't care.
She pulled up and parked and went inside.
She threw open the door to his office and glared at him.
He stared at her a few minutes and then he said "Guys, meeting's over. We will continue this later".
After everyone left, Jennifer stared at him.
She calmly said "Look at your text messages".
He grabbed his phone and saw that she had texted him two pictures and a message.
"I am sorry darling, I didn't check my phone because I was in a meeting".
He looked at the photos.
"She sent all these to our house?"
"Someone did. Using a credit card with your name on it. And when I called the shop to get the credit card number, they told me that there were about 300 more bouquets ordered to be delivered, and they could only deliver 50 more today. So, I told them to only send the cards and donate the flowers".
"Ok, and then what?"
"Then, I packed a bag. I decided I was going to the beach house".
"Darling, I told you I didn't do this!"
"When I got to the beach house, this is what I saw".
She showed him the video.
"I am calling the police right now. I promise you, I never gave her permission to move into our beach house. I never did anything with her, Jennifer, I swear it".
He picked up the phone and called the cops. They agreed to go evict her. He had to meet them there, though.
"Darling, come with me?"
"No thank you".
"Jennifer, honest. I didn't cheat on her, I don't even remember meeting her before last night".
She stared at him.
He picked up the phone and called his accounting department. He asked them to dig into how the credit card in his name was being used for the flowers.
"Are you really not going to go with me?"
"I am really not. I am not going to be humiliated by you and her anymore. If you want to go run to her rescue, fine. I am going to the house, and taking a long bath followed by a long nap. And you can forget about our romantic evening".
She turned around in a huff and walked out.
***Willow Pond***
Jennifer came in, asked Max to put every single bouquet on the patio, and then said she didn't want to be disturbed.
She went to their bedroom, and took a nice, long, hot bath. Afterwards, she took a sleeping pill and climbed into bed, drawing the curtains to make the room black.
It was 12:30, she wouldn't wake up till at least 7. She wrote down the time she took it, like she always did.
She fell fast asleep. She honestly didn't care if she ever woke up again.
Meanwhile, at the Beach House….
Rachael put up a good fight, but she ultimately admitted that she had not been given permission to move in. She also admitted she opened a credit card in his name. Just as she was admitting all of this, the IT guy called. He told Jonathan that it looked like she had recorded him in a regular conversation, and put the video together. Furthermore, there was no marriage license on file, there was no record of them having been married at all. After Jonathan told all of that to the police, Rachael admitted that she was trying to worm in and live the rich life. Instead. Jonathan was charging her with fraud, harassment, and breaking and entering. She was facing at least 15 to life, easy.
He stayed at the beach house till they took her away, and he made sure to get a video of her being led out in cuffs for Jennifer.
It was almost 9 p.m. before they took her to the jail. He closed up the house, did an inspection of each room making sure she had gotten everything out, and then headed home to Jennifer.
It was almost 10 when he pulled in.
He came in, said hi to Freeway, and then went straight upstairs to see Jennifer.
He was going to tell her everything, and then they would be ok.
He opened the door, and looked at the bed. Empty. He went and checked the bathroom. Nope. He went to her closet, and found it completely empty. All her clothes gone. Same with her drawers and her vanity.
He headed downstairs and looked for Max, before he remembered he had a poker game. He found a note on the piano.
"I will not live like this. -J"
His heart sank.
He called her cell. No answer.
He sent her a text.
"Darling, I love you. Where are you?"
She responded.
"Not gonna work this time".
"Are you safe?"
"Yes".
"Can we talk about it? I have something to show you".
"I don't think so".
"Jennifer, she admitted it was all a lie. Please call me".
"I don't want to hear it, Jonathan. I think we need to separate and put some distance between us".
He sank down onto the couch and stared into space.