No Retreat by Hannah Brahms

Author:Hannah Brahms
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Psychological Fiction, Mental illness, Obsession, Disturbing reality, Friendship, Loneliness and depression, Literature & Fiction, Novella
Publisher: Wild Mushrooms Publishing Group
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

I spent the weekend with family, keeping quiet about my problems at work and my involvement with Alice’s schemes. I was relaxed and happier than I had been since the onset. When I returned home, the burden of responsibility crushed me. My suspension was the least of my concerns; It was the lack of sense in allowing Alice to take advantage of my forgiving nature. I was writhing in knots.

I sank into the sofa and mulled over things. The dread grew. Could I be certain that the woman investigating the fundraising activities had concluded everything was legitimate? What if she’d found evidence that the money Alice had raised was greater than what she had proffered? Both of us would face fraud charges. I may not have benefited from the money, but I was still culpable and it scared me.

Desperate for answers, I paced around the room, my mind flooded with rapid images of a courtroom and the looming presence of a prison cell. There was nothing I could do, apart from admitting guilt for embezzling money from a reputable charity. My actions will stain my character forever. I could never forget what I’d done to be such a gullible idiot.

The anxious thoughts went on and on like riding a carousel. Stealing from a charity was deplorable, yet I’d condoned it. Could I trust her to put things right? I had doubted her integrity, but that was before I knew the about the situation with her son, which had made it easier to tolerate. That must be my focus … for the sake of my sanity. She’d taken the money for a reason; I had believed she’d borrowed it. Paperwork could never account for desperate personal measures. The charity should receive what was rightfully theirs.

Despite doing my utmost to reassure and calm myself, I felt no better than moments earlier. My gut was churning, and I felt sick to my core. Unable to contain myself for a moment longer, I reached for the phone and dialled Alice’s number.

There was no reply.

My panic elevated my pulse. I tried repeatedly, weirdly, hoping that I’d dialled the wrong number, but still no answer. Maybe she was busy. There are so many reasons people ignored calls; no reason to panic. She could be in the bath; deep in conversation with someone; or out at the cinema or enjoying a meal.

I was so jittery, my logic and reason had leapt through the windows. Alice’s silence might be something sinister. I touched my red cheeks, trying to decide the true nature of her refusal to make contact, but nothing soothed me. Instead, I reflected on our relationship, focusing on the same things over and over.

Alice and I had shared countless good times together. It was great being around her, full of laughter and vibrancy, loved her selfless attitude and her desire to help others. I admired her for the time she spent raising funds for charity. She was a wonderful person who would not deliberately wrong me.

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