The Fake Wife

Good Luck With The Wife

Jake

Olly spoke as soon as they left, and I was glad he was on my side. "Mum, I hate to break it to you, but I must agree with Jake. We don't know if it's safe. The private detective could find nothing bad about the girl, but what if she, in reality, isn't lying and is sick? What if Alison does something to them while they are asleep?"

Mum brushed Olly's words aside and waved her hand. "Olly, the doctor said nothing like that will happen. Alison thinks they are family and would never hurt them."

The boys were cheerful and calm. They would not give her reasons to get aggressive or angry at them. But I was not sure if I could behave the same way. I knew Alison was nothing to me, and I would have to share my space and be nice to her. Alison was convinced that I was her loving husband. I was a nice person, even to strangers, but this situation that my mother was hell-bent on putting on my plate was too much and, frankly, ridiculous.

But Mum would not give up and kept going, trying to convince us that was the right thing to do. "Tommy could be dead right now if it wasn't for Alison. God knows what would have happened if that van had collided with his skull instead of Alison's. She's an adult and has lost her memory. Imagine him? The right thing to do is to take her home with us and play along. We will ensure she receives the best care to help her regain her memories, and only then can we resolve this confusion. In the meantime, we should prepare for her return to a place she can call home."

"Mum, why on Earth would I do that? You can't be serious if you think I will take Alison to the penthouse."

She chuckled, shaking her head, and I thought my mother had come to her senses, but the words that came out of her mouth were worse. "Of course not, Jake! You will live with her and the children at your house in Riverside."

"WHAT????" Olly and I asked in unison.

"That's what we will do, boys. And I don't want to hear any of it. I should leave now to start the preparations at Riverside." The out-of-her-mind woman walked to the door and glanced back at us. "And you, Jacob Stewart, will go to Alison's room for a visit. The poor girl hasn't seen you in five days and hasn't stopped asking about you and the boys."

She glared at my brother. "Oliver, I will wait for you in the car to help me prepare everything."

Mum lifted her head high, not leaving any room for us to say anything else. She had decided that Alison was coming home with us, and that was it. I scratched my head hard, but what I wanted to do was strangle my mother. Norma lost her mind this time. She will make me open the house in Riverside because of this girl.

Olly got up from the chair and patted my shoulder. "Good luck with the wife, pal."

I ran a hand through my hair and walked after them to Alison's room. The room looked nothing like a hospital and more like a 5-star hotel. It was a rainy, chilly day in New York, and Alison sat by the window, holding her legs to her chest and her chin on top of her knees.

She was wearing a long navy cardigan over her maxi dress of the same colour that covered her short legs. Alison watched the falling rain and looked miserable.

Does she look depressed because I did not come to visit in five days?

"Hello, Alison!" My voice was low, controlling my anger.

She lifted her face, and a bright smile appeared on her face. "Jake, you are here!!!"

Alison's long hair was braided to the side this time. I had never seen it untied before. She got up from the windowsill and jumped into my arms for a hug. She smelled me as soon as she laid her head on my chest. My body got stiff, but Alison seemed pretty relaxed.