The Butterfly Garden
Read The Butterfly Garden Online
Authors: Danielle Greyson
The
BUTTERFLY
Garden
A Gripping Thriller
By Danielle Greyson
Copyright © 2016 Danielle Greyson
All rights reserved.
My name is Karen Walker, I am happily married with Edward Walker for almost 6 years, and we have an amazing son of 4. I am in the best phase of my life, seriously living the dream. I live the best life I could ever imagine possible with him and everything he gives me, most of my friends envied my life and they are not afraid to say, making me feel proud of my kind and successful husband.
He was the only one providing for the family, Edward was an amazing man and he insisted to be the only one working.
Edward is 10 years older than me, and he was already well financially secured when I met him. When we got married we moved to his huge manor, with 11 large en-suites, inside and outside pool, Jacuzzi, cinema and a panic room, and with a beautiful green garden with the most magnificent roses, in the most exquisite area in our small town.
My life before Edward was very humble and living now in this huge house is just like living a fairy tale with my prince charming. This family house was so enjoyable to live in and Edward was planning already having more kid’s right after Junior was born.
Although I had started a degree in law, I never finished it because I have Edward who provides for me. My husband and I decided that I would personally take care of our family during the first years. We lived very comfortably only with his income, I very happy as a housewife with my own expensive convertible, a monthly allowance to manage the house, and to buy things I love.
Working in finance, he was even able to provide for maids to keep the house always sparkling clean, a cook, and a gardener, I only needed to take care of Junior and I was so proud to get to enjoy my son playing with him, teaching him news things, he is my life, my everything.
Every day I prayed to my angels thinking how lucky I was, for having it all.
My favorite place in the huge manor is and will always be my garden, I love the smell of clean cut grass, and my roses, they are so delicate and yet so powerful, I am sure some of those roses are rare, they have such vivid colors and all petals are indescribable beautiful, this roses are in my garden like forever. But this garden has something magical for me, I can seat in my sofa and relax watching all the flowers and the most amazing butterflies’ busy flying from flower to flower, I love the view and it’s like a relaxing therapy to me. I could watch them for hours.
Everybody jokes about my favorite place in the manor, when I talk about it. But the only person who seems to understand me, is my baby sister, she is a finance finalist and is already working as an intern in Edward’s company. She is beautiful and determined, I never saw her interest in a boyfriend and I never questioned her, because she was always talking about her dream of becoming a successful businesswoman, and I was so proud of her.
Angela used to come over almost every weekend and stay we us to catch up, she loved studying in my glass house, which I arranged with comfortable garden furniture. My sister says every time that my garden is so inspiring, and I believe her, because this garden has the same effect on me.
Each time Angela is around, Edward takes a couple hours to give her some study advices. When Edward talks about Angela, I know he cares about her as family, and he likes how determined Angela is to be successful, she reminded him when he was young.
My friends love to come over and stay for lunch or tea time in my garden, and my girlfriends are always saying how lucky I was to have married with Edward, he was so handsome and wealthy.
We had at least holidays abroad twice a year, sometimes more, depending from the time of the year, we could go skiing or rent a villa next to a private beach and stay there for two whole weeks, sometimes Edward used return to work for a couple days, but only when he couldn’t avoid important meetings and then he would meet us again at our holiday spot.
Today we are celebrating our sixth anniversary, and Edward has a surprise for me, I feel it’s big because all of the hush, hush. The only thing I know is that I need to wear a long gala dress.
After leaving Junior at school, I had time to treat myself in my favorite spa with a body massage, a special facial, and with hair and make-up done I am ready to pick up my precious boy. On the way home I received a call in my car, it was Edward letting me know he already arrived home, on his voice I could perceive he was waiting impatiently for me, because we would have probably a great night ahead and going out is only part of his surprise.
I arrived home in pins and needles, excited to know what he had arranged this time, he was the type of man who liked to make beautiful surprises to me and each year I had a different surprise. He never forgets an anniversary, and I love him so much, he is and always will be the love of my life.
And once again, I knew he wouldn’t disappoint me this year, he has something prepared to make me feel special and unique. When I went upstairs to our bedroom, I had a beautiful, long dress with a classic sleeveless sweetheart cut and a pair of diamond earring studs and a diamond bracelet to match on top of the dress. That was really an extravagant surprise, and I can’t even imagine if he continues giving me expensive gifts like this, what will he give me when we will celebrate our 25
th
anniversary?
Finally dressed up for our special night, we rushed out to another surprise, and as always Edward was behind me complaining a little bit that we were already late for our special dinner.
Outside our manor we had a huge black limousine waiting for us, inside, we had champagne to get us in party mood. We needed to be cautious as we are with Junior tonight, I decided to bring him along with us and Edward didn’t object.
I know he will behave very well, I teach him good manners since his first months and I am so proud that Junior is one of the most well behaved kid when we go out shopping, dinner or visit our friends, of course I let him to be a child, playing and creating kids confusion to develop his intellect at home.
Junior is naturally the most bright, genuine and caring boy in such an early age, and that’s why he cares about other kids at school, always trying to help them. I notice already he loves honesty and if I explain him all his doubts he can accept easily the word no. He is my golden child.
The driver crosses town and I watch that we are going direction marina yacht, making me believe immediately we would have dinner in the club or maybe in a yacht, and I wasn’t wrong. When the driver stopped, Edward got out of the car and helped me out of the car, holding Junior in one hand and mine in the other one, leading the way into the most amazing, new and biggest yacht in the marina.
When we put our feet in the yacht, lights went on and we saw all our friends and family inside clapping our welcome, overall there were around 50 people.
What an excellent surprise, for a moment I am feeling emotional, seeing everybody there, I am trying to compose myself but it is really hard. At the same time our wedding song started, I remember this song as if it was yesterday, it’s the amazing love song I ever heard and it’s so mean full for both of us.
After we arrived, I saw Edward making a sign to the crew and the beautiful yacht sailed immediately towards the large sea into the dark night. Luckily it wasn’t a cold night and everyone could enjoy the wonderful view outside, we all could see our small town getting smaller and smaller, until we were in open sea and there was no trace of land anymore. But nobody is afraid, not even me, we were there to enjoy that evening with cocktails and a pleasant dinner.
Everything was just perfect, I was having a great time and so were all our guests, I could see in their faces.
But when I think, having dinner in this huge yacht was the surprise for our birthday, Edward takes the next step and announced to everybody onboard that my special gift was that luxurious yacht.
My jaw drops in front of everyone present, I couldn’t believe it, this is so insane. I wasn’t a sea fan nor did I have any wish of becoming one, never in my life had I thought I would receive a gift like this. Of course, it would be a gift to share with our family. I was thinking already about the amazing trips during weekends with friends, social parties and cocktail parties for potential clients for Edward to increase his business.
This was too good to be true and everything was just a beautiful dream.
My life was a living dream, I had it all.
After dinner, Edward took me to see the yacht. Although I had seen the yacht from outside, deck and the living room with a bar lounge, Edward showed me 4 large doubles and 2 twins’ rooms, they were beautifully decorated and everything was impeccable and new. Another living room equally decorated with great taste and there was the crew area as well, which we didn’t enter to respect privacy. I noticed something weird in Edward, I didn’t know what it was, but he was acting in a very unusual way with me, and every time I tried to look in his eyes he avoided looking directly at me.
Finally we entered into the bridge he becomes very serious, and ordered the crew in the bridge to give him some privacy.
They obey and we stand there alone.
I don’t remember seeing him so serious since we meet; he was making me nervous and very anxious.
But nothing had prepared me for what was about to come next.
“My love, I have something very serious I need to tell you” Edward said in my direction, looking more serious as ever.
I was so nervous I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth, so I waited for him to continue.
“This is very serious, it’s about my work” he said and again he stopped. Edward was clearly nervous and he was having a hard time to get the right words out.
If there were words that could even describe for what he revealed to me next.
*****
We could feel the dense air for the first time between us, and the silence was too intense. I started to be impatient and I made a noisy sigh, slowly he continued, because he knew every word he would say next would stab my whole body like a sharp knife.
“I need you to know that I love and I always will love you from the bottom of my heart, and nothing that I am forced to say to you right now, will change that.”
He stopped, came close and kissed me, I couldn’t recognize him, he had the saddest look and continued very slowly:
“Sometimes, because I’ve been very successful in my business I don’t give you all the attention you and Junior deserve, but everything I do is always thinking about both and trying to give you a better life, please forgive me for that and what I have to say next”
Stopping again, making my blood running in my veins full of stress, I watch at him impatiently and he continued:
“But as you know, business can in one moment be successful and we can earn lots of money, and in another moment we put everything in stake because we believe in a certain business and it can go very wrong and with it, we can lose everything…”
He stopped, waiting for me to take a moment and assimilate what he was trying to say. Edward was hopping I could understand the gravity of the situation. Now I was trying to understand what was going on and I needed to know everything.
“What are you trying to say? That you had a bad business?”
“What I am trying to tell you, is that I invested everything we have in one huge business which I thought the risk was very low and the potential of being successful was very high. But the person with who I was doing business died suddenly with a heart attack two days ago and the new responsible was in position to reject the business and without his approval and financial help, although we put lawyers from each side to deal with it, he could cancel the business. My company had put everything in stake but we couldn’t save the business, it felt through.”
I was feeling dizzy and my blood is freezing in my veins right now, what he was saying was unbelievable.
“We lost everything?”
I asked.
“Yes, everything”
“But how about this yacht and the diamonds you just give me?”
“We cancelled the deal yesterday and I had bought the diamonds already and the yacht for the surprise. But as we stand today, I can’t afford to pay for it anymore and I need to return everything. I am so sorry, please forgive me.”
Putting himself on his knees in front of me curved as a vassal, desperately to receive my forgiveness, he was genuinely sorry for everything.
I couldn’t avoid but being confused, how could a businessman who does business on a daily basis, knowing that any business is a risk and there is always the possibility of failing and why would he put his personal assets as a guarantee for a business. He should have kept at all costs safe his private assets, why didn’t he keep it apart from business? And I asked him exactly that, the only reply I got was:
“I was a complete fool, I know, I should know better. But I was so sure we had the deal, the opportunity was huge and at a minimum risk, but in the end everything felt apart. I am feeling the worst person on earth, because I was so careless.”
“What do we need to do now?”
I asked nervously, because we were about to lose everything we had along with our family home. And I knew that right now we needed to stick together and start everything again.
“Well the problem is really above huge, it’s not only about the house and all our belongings we lost, it is much more than that”
“Is there more to it?”
“Yes, basically we lost all guarantees I had give to do the business and I need to pay almost $3.000.000 back, and if I don’t do it in 2 months time I am going to jail and lose everything on top of it.”
I felt the world falling over my head, slowly the strength of my body disappeared and I felt the need to sit down to process everything, specially the possibility that Edward could now go to jail.
Edward put himself in one knee next to me and holds my hand, visible feeling guilty, but right now I was in a mix of emotions, I didn’t know what to say to him, and in an unconscious way I pulled my hand from Edwards. He got up and starts walking back and forward visibly tense, and for a moment I had the feeling he wasn’t finished with the bad news.
“What do you intent to do now?”
I asked.
He got back on his knee immediately and holds my hand again, this time I didn’t pulled away, because I wanted to know what he intent to do.
“My love there is a solution, maybe the only one and this solution will rip me apart forever, I will not forgive myself, ever. Unless, you can come up with a better one.”
He stopped for a few seconds and caressed my hand with a visible pain in his face.
He continued:
“My love, I can’t go to jail, our son can’t have his father in jail, what would his life be? You will never give him the life he deserves because we will lose everything anyway...Could you give Junior a good life like the one he has right now? A good school? A great education? Everything on your own?”
Looking me intensively in the eyes with a hard expression.
“Believe me, if I had find another solution I would not hesitate for a second doing things in another way. My love, I thought this over and over again and this is the only way I can skip jail, pay everything and keep the company running successfully, is to activate your life insurance to save everything”
I was more confused than ever, what was he trying to tell me?
“What do you mean by that? Don’t I need to be dead for you to collect my life insurance of $10.000.000?!”
“That’s a fact. But I couldn’t dare ask you what I will ask you right now, only if it was for our son’s future. But…there is a way I can get the money without you being actually dead my love…”
“I am listening…”
“Well…if you love your son and understand how important it is to give him a comfortable life, and put him in one of the best university in the country for him to be successful professionally and give him a bright future… you’ll need to disappear from our life’s and never come back. That’s the only way I can activate your life insurance. I know this is hard for you, but believe me my love it’s harder for me, because I don’t know what will I do without you and without your love that is so fulfilling.”
Tears run down his face, it was the first time I saw him so broken.
I was in complete shock – I couldn’t believe I was hearing that, it was too much for my brain to process right now. Instantaneity I pulled my hand from his, I couldn’t bear his touch any longer, it was as if he was on fire and burning my hand. I was shaking, and a complete mess, the air was thicker than ever and after a few minutes in silence, I manage to ask:
“What do you mean disappear? How about Junior?”
“Please forgive me for everything; I couldn’t believe how stupid I was. But listen, I thought everything through. Everybody on this boat will be testimonies that you fall over board, and in a few weeks later I can collect your life’s insurance and save the future of our son. I will be forever heartbroken, but you can’t contact us ever again. You can’t contact Junior ever again. Do you understand?”
“Why do I need to fake my own dead? Why don’t you fake yours?”
“If I could, I wouldn’t hesitate doing it for you, but I can’t, my life insurance is only one million dollars, which doesn’t cover all our problems.”
“You thought this all through already didn’t you?”
“Since I had certain about the deal had fall through, yes. I needed to find urgently a solution for this huge mess.”
I was feeling as my body had separated itself in two, and I was seeing myself from above in a nightmare, that I would wake up and everything would get back together again.
I don’t have at this point the strength to ask Edward anything anymore, I was afraid there could be more to it. My worse fear turned into reality, Edward continued:
“We are here in the middle of the sea, but we are not far from the coast and you are an excellent swimmer, but only I know that. You can swim to the coast easily. But remember, the future of our son depends on you, and if you are really capable to cut contact with us and let all others believe you’re dead for real.”
I could only shake my head in disbelieve, I couldn’t believe what I was listening, this was a nightmare and finally I give up holding on and started crying. I couldn’t believe what was happening right now, I was completely in shock and was not able to think clearly. The only thing I couldn’t stop hearing in my head was that I needed to save my son’s future and I needed to pretend to be dead, how crazy was that.
Continuing with my head completely clouded with all Edwards words, confused I cried without stopping, Edward cried too and tried to calm me, but I didn’t accept his comfort, I didn’t know if I was disappointed at him or if I hated him right now. A few minutes after, which seemed to be an eternity for me, I finally manage to speak a few words to Edward:
“What do you mean by that? I need to fake my own dead tonight?! And I can’t see Junior ever again? Couldn’t we discuss this at home later on?”
“My love the time is perfect, it needs to be now. We will never have this kind of opportunity so soon. Probably tomorrow I will have already lawyers in my office to take everything from me.”
“Don’t call me love!”
I screamed at him angry without avoiding start to cry again. Tears came down as a cascade and I was not able to control my emotions right now.
Edward was sitting opposite me and waiting for me to calm down, when I finally could speak again:
“Can I at least say goodbye to Junior? Can I see him?”
“Sure, please stop crying he doesn’t need to see you like that. Can you please put yourself together?”
I tried to calm down to speak:
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready”
Edward seeing the effort I made and that I was visible calmer, he went out of the bridge and minutes later showed up with Junior.
I walked slowly in Junior’s direction –on my knees, I looked at him, in his kind bright green eyes.
“You know I love you right?”
Junior was playing with his favorite toy, a tiny red Ferrari, and looking at his toy he only nod with his head agreeing
“I love you too mommy”
He said in his sweet voice and hugs me keeping his little toy in one hand.
“I just wanted you to know that mommy will always love you, and will always think about you. Even if you don’t see me around I will always be with you in your heart.”
I touched his little heart and put his little hand in my heart. We give a long hug, Junior hugged me tight back.
It was my last hug I had from Junior.
Hugging Junior I was starting to cry again and Edward saw it in my eyes he knew I couldn’t hold for much more. He pulled Junior gently from my arms and walked back to the party, giving me his last words:
“Good luck my love and remember I will always love you.”
When they walked away, I couldn’t tolerate anymore the pain in my chest, I was completely crashed inside and slide slowly on the floor crying. With a mix of emotions my heart was pounding uncontrollably, I knew I hadn’t much time, the crew would return from their dinner at any moment and I needed to be overboard before that.
I’ve heard some time ago people falling overboard and they were never found, they disappeared without any trace, that’s what Edward is expecting from me, and that’s what I am gonna do, not for him, but for my son, who I love from the bottom of my heart and I would give my life for him. Edward knows it and he definitely took advantage having me in his hand.
I knew it was easy to fall overboard from the front of the boat, as all people were concentrated in the back of the yacht. Now I needed to hurry before I lost all my courage.
*****