“Yes, doctor. I’ll call him immediately.”
Leo turned off the intercom.
He looked at me.
“Get ready, Mom. He’ll be here any minute.”
I smoothed my jacket and took a deep breath.
My heart was pounding, but not from fear.
It was the adrenaline of battle.
The gates of hell were about to open for Mark – and we had the key.
“Let us welcome our special guest,” I said.
Leo put on a surgical mask, covering half of his face.
He wanted to hide his identity until the last minute.
I turned the guest’s chair so that its back was to the entrance.
I picked up a magazine to cover my face, pretending to be a busy colleague.
We waited in silence.
The seconds ticked by.
Footsteps approached in the corridor.
The heavy, limping gait dragged with difficulty.
I heard a female voice complaining.
There was a knock.
“Please,” Leo said coldly.
The door opened.
The game has started.
The office door opened slowly.
Well-oiled hinges signaled the beginning of a new act in the drama of our lives.
I sat down facing the large window,
back to the entrance.
I didn’t turn around.
I wanted to hear his voice first.
I wanted to hear his arrogance before I destroyed it.
“Please sit down, sir. Ma’am,” Sarah said, polite but cold.
Heavy feet shuffled across the thick carpet.
Each step was interrupted by an irregular pause.
Continuous. Step. Continuous. Step.
It had to be Mark.
His rotting foot prevented him from walking normally.
The smell hit me immediately.
Even though the room smelled of lavender and the air conditioning was on full blast, there was an unpleasant, medicinal smell in the air.
Leave a Comment