Drifting Secrets

He can't cheat anymore and neither can she. The small town of Ashborne is one where nothing happens. A place where everyone knows everyone and if you don't then you will within a few weeks. No matter what street or part of the town you are in there is always at least one smiling person. This secluded town is the perfect getaway or place for couples who want to settle down. Once people move here they don't want to leave. For both Mia and Adeline, this was the case. The two have both grown up here and been friends since elementary school. Although Mia did leave to attend a four-year university away from the town. She just couldn't help but give in to the urge that had her wanting to go back. With her return to her childhood town, she brought back a man named Jason. She met him during her first year of college, at a party that she was dragged to by her roommates. Ever since that moment, Jason has been a part of Mia's life. During their third year of college, the two got married. After graduating the two decided to move and settle down in Mia's hometown.

The first three months of being settled down in Ashborne were peaceful. Both Mia and Jason had well-paying jobs that don't interfere with time for them. In the eyes of the town, the two seemed like the definition of a perfect happily ever after. However, this was not the truth; and there was no way the town could know what happens within the walls of their home. Just like all couples they argue and have fights where objects are thrown at walls. Lately, the arguments have been about why Jason has stayed out so late and so often. Times have been hard on them both ever since six months into living in this small town. Mia went to the doctor because she was concerned by the fact that she was not pregnant. That was the moment where everything for her had fallen apart. She did not believe the first doctor and visited two others. They told her the exact same six words." you are unable to have children..." Just hearing the three doctors repeat the same thing even with the hope that they are wrong, completely crushed her.

Jason was devastated when he heard this news. A week after the news the two were still a wreck. However, Jason could not take Mia's continuous sobs. He understood she was upset, but she set her whole life to the side to cry in bed and not get up for anything. To him, it seemed as if she didn't care what his feeling was. That is when he started going and staying out late. What Mia didn't know is that he wasn't wearing his wedding ring while out. Of course, he is still in love with Mia, but he wants kids of his own. He wants kids of his own. He wants a child with his genes in their DNA. A kid he can throw a baseball within the backyard or dress up and have a tea party with. But that will never happen with Mia, so he did the one thing he should have never done. When Jason was out, he would get a drink then find a nice-looking girl. A girl who had too many drinks to realize who he was and that he was married. Jason would start doing this weekly. He would go out and cheat on his wife but then act as if he had just gone out and did nothing wrong. Until he met Adeline at the bar one night. She was just returning from a year getaway traveling across South America. Jason did not know her and that's what made her catch his eye. That night Jason cheated as usual except he made plans with her and exchanged numbers to see her again. Although what he didn't know is that he would see her again, a lot sooner than he expected. The next day both Jason and Adeline were in for a surprise.

Mia had found out that Adeline was back in town and invited her over so the two could spend some girl time and catch up on the past couple of years of their lives. However, Mia did not expect Jason to be at the house, so she did not tell him about the invite of her best friend. So, when Jason found out they were having company, he was in shock. He was expecting Mia to lay around the house for at least another month. But he thought to himself that he could act like a good husband for the day. So, when the company arrived, he got up and offered to answer the door while Mia was focused on finishing cooking. To his surprise, he came face to face with Adeline. She gaps out of shock and realizes the guy Mia had been talking about none stop was the guy she hooked up with the previous night before and planned on hooking up with again. Quickly turning on her heels she tries to walk away because she knows that it is wrong of her to want him even though she now knows he is a married man.

Before Adeline could get very far Jason grabs her arm to get her attention and try to convince her to stay. He explains how things would look even more suspicious if she showed up to only leave when he is the one who opened the door. Jason was about to continue with his explanation when Mia shouted down the hall "what's taking so long aren't you going to invite her inside?" With those words spoken Adeline looks over at Jason and sighs before walking into the house leaving him outside to think about the situation. None of them know how complicated things are about to become and the web of lies is about to become even more intricate.

Mia and Adeline immediately click and talk as if they haven't spent the past four years of their lives away from each other. Spending the entire day catching up and just talking about practically everything. Jason did not walk back into the house, so Mia figured he just went out as usual. When he does walk back into the house it's around 9 o'clock at night. The girls are still in the living room laughing at photo albums. However, the laughter seizes when Mia sees him walk up the stairs without acknowledging her. Adeline looks at her best friend and just hugs her. She can tell that just by that action and Mia's response to it that their marriage truly is falling apart whether Mia realizes it or wants it not to. Although Adeline still is hugging, Mia can't hold back the smile on her face as she thinks about their love drifting in different directions. Eventually, Mia stops crying and decides that Adeline has the right to know what's going on. She explains how Jason goes out almost every night and doesn't come back till the early hours of the morning. Mia even explains the part about how she is unable to have children and she thinks that's the reason her marriage is falling apart. The only thing Adeline can think of to say is "going talk to him about it, communication is the most important thing when it comes to any relationship."

The next day Mia really takes into consideration what Adeline said. That day when Jason got home, she tried talking with him like asking how his day was and if he wanted something to eat. Jason didn't say anything except " I'm tired and heading up for a nap." She had a look of disappointment but did not say anything about it. All she thought is that she needs to try to work harder to keep her marriage and that she should've never gotten that distant from him. Without even meaning to she pushed away from the one person she cares about most and now realizes she is at risk of losing him and she just does not realize how far gone he is. There is no way she could have known when the only words spoken between them were when they were arguing about where he had been.

Jason and Adeline continue to meet up at her house at least once a week. Sometimes more often because of Mia getting on Jason's nerves and him needing someone to vent to. Mostly he has vented about how clingy Mia has become suddenly. It's as if she just randomly decided to start caring about his feelings when she hasn't had much since the news. But that didn't stop Jason from wanting to see Adeline if anything it made him want to see her more. The two spent their days texting each other but no one would ever know about them or so they thought. One night while Jason thought Mia was asleep he called Adeline. His voice was soft, so it wouldn't wake Mia up even though she is a heavy sleeper. What he didn't know is Mia was awake and heard every word of the conversation except for the woman's name that was on the other end of the phone call. She didn't get up and scream at him even though every muscle in her body was telling her to. Mia just laid there and began to think. A bunch of questions running through her mind and her heart slowly shattering from the betrayal of her husband. Later in the week while he was at work Mia invited Adeline over and told her everything. Of course, because Adeline already knew all of this because she is the other woman. She put up an act of surprise and comforted her best friend. That's when the tone of the conversation got dark. Mia was so enraged by the idea that she told Adeline she wanted to murder her husband and she was going to need her help to do it. Mia's words running through her mind as they sat there on the couch with Adeline holding Mia's sleeping form. Good thing she turned off her ringer because Jason decided to call her and see how her interview went. Carefully she lifted Mia up without waking her and placed her back on the couch with a blanket covering her. Slowly and quietly closing the door behind her she answers the call with a shaky voice. Anyone would be able to tell something was off with Adeline, but she blew it off and acted like there was a small pit in her stomach filled with guilt. Only because of how shockingly serious Mia looked like she was being then she would have never given the conversation a second thought. But the thought just would not leave from her head even as she tried distracting herself by telling Jason that Mia knows he is cheating but not with who. When the call was overall Adeline thought was "maybe Mia is right, and we need to put an end to him." Here is the thought that is changing everyone's lives forever.

A couple of hours later Mia is still asleep on the couch until Jason walks in as loud as ever. Finally, she was determined to get the answers she has waited to get for days. Marching up the stairs and entering their room she hears the shower running. Slowly Mia sits on the bed and waits for him to get out it's either today she confronts him or it's never. Looking around the room for a book to read while she is waiting, Mia sees his phone on the charger. Quickly getting up and turning it on before he gets out she goes through his phone. To her surprise, he didn't delete his text messages but there is a number with no name listed. Although the number looks vaguely familiar, so she pulls out her own phone and begins comparing it to her possible contacts. Adeline's was the last one she checked and when she saw the number was the same the phones almost went flying across the room. But the shower turned off so quickly she plugged it in again and sat on the bed waiting to ask him. Although she knows now not to ask who the woman is and can handle her after she finishes handling her husband. Jason steps out of the bathroom and freezes in his spot, but quickly regaining his composure he walks to the other side of the bed and is about to lay down when Mia begins talking.

"So, who is it? Who is the woman you go out with when you are not here at home if you even consider this home anymore?" Jason turns over to look at her then turns back only saying "There is no woman but even if there was it would not matter because you do not care about anything other than yourself." Mia looks shocked at by what he just said but she smiles and continues to smile, and he would not perceive her smile now was at the thought of his murder. She gets up and walks out of the room with the profound thought of his dead body on her mind she thinks this because she knows the truth. Jason is a liar and a cheat, but so is Adeline. "How could they do this to me? Especially since she can have children and I cannot. Were all those times saying "I love you" fake? Has he never loved me from the start? Did my leaving to college really affect her that much?" These are the questions that run through Mia's head. Now the only thing left to do is finish what she was already planning and go through with the plan. Just have to add a couple of extra parts to it. But for now, Mia must act as if she knows nothing. She must act as if nothing has changed when in reality everything has. Oh, poor Adeline she has no clue about what is coming her way. As for Jason, Mia just hopes he will enjoy a watery grave.

The next few days Mia and Adeline have spent plotting the means of how they are going to go about killing Jason. They finally agree upon the idea of bringing him out to the woods and shooting him with a gun that has a silencer. With everything in order, the women just had to figure out how to get him to the spot they have picked out. That's when it hits Mia, she and Jason have their second anniversary next week. It was the perfect opportunity and quite funny that he is going to die on the day that celebrates their two years of marriage. Mia couldn't help but have an evil smile on her face as she thought about how his life ends on the same day that their lives began together. The days went by slowly as Mia and Adeline wait for the big day to arrive and Jason just is being clueless and not knowing he is just wasting the last days of his sad pathetic life. Finally, the big day arrives without a doubt the plan runs smoothly. Jason showed up to the spot being as naive as ever and thinking that Mia wanted to meet there for their anniversary to make up for her "false" assumption. The next thing he knows there is a pain in his leg and he collapses only to see blood pouring out of the wound. More pain appearing on different parts of his body as Mia continues to shoot him without killing him. Her having lost her mind because of everything stepped out from behind the tree just so she could look him in the eyes as she took his life from him. She thought it was only fair because he had taken her sanity from her. The life fades from his eyes and Adeline steps out from her hiding spot.

Adeline decides to break the silence and say "Do you feel guilty? Like at all?" Mia turns her head around and responds with "I don't have time to feel guilty and neither do you. Now help me drag my cheating husband's body to the water before we get caught." The two begin dragging the body and don't stop until the water is at waist height. Mia nods her head at Adeline and they let go of the body, watching as the current takes it away. As his body drifts away, Mia mutters "Till death does us part." Only when it is out of sight, do the women even consider getting out of the water. Heading back to Adeline's house, not a single word, was said. They only discarded their clothes and got out mugs to drink coffee. The rest of the night the only words spoken were "We got away with it and no one is going to figure out who the real killer of my husband is." A comfortable silence is left, and the two women just sit and contemplate what they have done. Although the next day Adeline begins to feel strange, so she calls up Mia. Ten minutes later there is a knock on the door. The last thing Adeline sees before she collapses is Mia running through the door towards her. What she doesn't know if Mia knew this was going to happen, how could she not when she is the one responsible, but Adeline will never know that. As she was on the phone with 911, she had an enormous smile on her face as she began to fake cry and panic while on the phone. Everything was falling into place just like she wanted.

The paramedics arrive and begin working swiftly to securing Adeline on the stretcher to make transporting her to the hospital easier. Mia stayed at the house to talk with a police officer as the ambulance went straight to the hospital; to help her to the best of their ability since there was not one in town but in the town over. The police officer left Adeline's house once he thought he acquired all the information when that the things he wrote down were far from the truth. But it's not like anyone would comprehend that because Ashborne is so small the police force is just five people. They have no resources so even if they did try investigating no evidence would lead to anyone. She went back to her house and packed one of Jason's suitcases full of his clothes to make it look as if he left for a business trip. She just had to figure out how to get rid of his car then in two weeks report him as a missing person. That night she slept the best she had ever and woke up the following day refreshed only to have her day ruined when the hospital called her at 12 o'clock in the afternoon.

When she heard the male on the other side of the phone say, "We need you to come here to the hospital it turns out your friend is pregnant. We need you here because we find it best to go over how important it is for her to take care of herself while there is someone close present." The cup full of tea in Mia's hand falls and shatters upon impact with the floor. Her whole plan is ruined because of course; he would get her pregnant that's exactly what he wanted. Quickly composing herself she tells the guy that she will be there before the day is over and hangs up. Luckily the cup already fell or else it would have been thrown at the wall. Mia thinks to herself "What am I going to do now? I can't kill Adeline while she has his baby inside of her." Cleaning up the shards she heads out the door and drives to the hospital. She figured out how to maintain her plan just had to make a few tweaks to it.

At the hospital, Mia acts all buddy-buddy with Adeline because it is the sole way her new plan will work. If Adeline even suspects one minor thing this whole plan sinks, and Mia will just have to disappear a lot sooner than planned. It turns out Adeline is due in two months and she had no idea she was pregnant because it is ordinary for first-time mothers do not show as much. A few hours later the doctor cleared Adeline to return home and scheduled three appointments before the baby is due. In the car ride, there is much tension and neither say anything. What is there to say when her dearest friend is pregnant with her murdered husband's baby, but she isn't supposed to know that. Mia drops Adeline off at her house but before she gets out of the car she asks Mia "Will you be the godmother of my baby? We have no one else and I remember when we were little how we constantly talked about doing this. I know you can't have children, but it would mean a lot if you would consider my offer." Mia's face is full of shock and she wasn't acting this time. But replies with "Of course I would love to you have no idea how much this means to me."

The next two months flew by suddenly. The two women spent these months shopping for the baby and discussing how the future will be. Adeline's due date ultimately came, and she was about to go in for a C-section within the following hour. I'm in the delivery room with her standing next to her for support. The doctor finally comes in and after hours of waiting for the little girl she has finally entered the world. Adeline tries to lean forward to see her baby but fails. The nurse carefully wraps the baby in a blanket and shows Adeline for a second before walking away with the baby in her arms. A couple of countless hours later Adeline begins to wake up from her nap and is still exhausted but happy because she wants to see her precious baby. Reaching for the red button to get a nurse's attention and only waiting a couple of seconds someone walks in. Not waiting for the woman to stroll all the way in she is requesting to cradle her baby, so the woman just turns back around and goes to receive the baby.

Mia begins to stir from the plush chair in the room when she hears a soft baby cries. Sitting up she sees Adeline clasping the petite girl to her chest earnestly trying to coax her. Mia looks at Adeline as if seeking permission to approach the bed. Adeline nods her head and even holds out her precious daughter to her. Gently Mia grasps her from Adeline and begins to admire the adorable baby. When a nurse comes in administering Adeline's medicine. "This was precisely the moment and everything is falling into place," Mia thought to herself. Continuing to carefully look as if all her undivided attention was on Arabella when really it was on the nurse. As soon as the nurse vacated the room Mia pulls out the needle from her pocket and while Adeline isn't paying attention she puts the liquid into her IV. Adeline doesn't feel the effects until a couple of minutes later. She goes grabbing the button to alert the nurses, but it wasn't where it was before, and Mia appears over her. Adeline looks up concerned and tries to snatch her baby from Mia, but she possesses no strength left in her. The world begins to go dark, and she feels her life slipping from her. But the last words she hears are "Adeline I really didn't want to do this. I thought we were best friends, but you had to be the other woman. Although thank you for the adorable baby girl I will take good care of her after all both of her neglectful parents are now dead. Goodbye Adeline enjoy the afterlife with Jason I'm sure he will be so happy to see you. But hold onto this note for me please and thank you." With that said Mia walks out of the room with Adeline's baby in her arms and listens as "code blue" is sounded over the PA system. As she walks out of the hospital, all she is thinking is "Jason really can't cheat anymore and neither can Adeline. They both got what they deserved, and I got the baby I was inevitably meant to have."

Ashborne newspapers read, "A murderer kills her best friend and runs off with her child. The only thing we know is the baby's birth certificate was never finished, but a note on the victim was found with her body that says, "Arabella is the daughter of Mia's husband Jason who cheated on her." We do not know if this note is from the mother or the killer. After seeing the note authorities investigated and discovered Jason's lifeless body in the river. It has been six years since this tragedy and neither Mia or Arabella have been found anywhere. If you possess information, please call (810) -xxx-xxxx."