The Crash

by Freida McFadden

The Incident meant there would be no family—we had to withdraw our name from the waiting list for adoptions and foster children. We would never become parents.

Hank may be satisfied without a child, but I’m not. I never will be.

I’m not glad that it’s just the two of us. I will never be happy with our situation the way he apparently can be.

when it comes down to it, he’s going to do exactly what I tell him to do. He doesn’t have a choice.

Tegan sleeps all afternoon. It’s no surprise since I crushed twenty-five milligrams of Benadryl into the sauce I cooked her chicken in for lunch.

I have no intention of taking her to the hospital today or tomorrow. Or ever.

Tegan won’t give that baby the life she deserves. I will.

There’s some irony in the fact that the woman occupying my mother’s death bed will be the one to make my dream come true. Someday, your family will be complete.

He’s going to find out sooner rather than later that Tegan is still in our basement. It isn’t the sort of thing I could hide from him.

“The whole thing was your idea!” “Yes, but it’s your signature.” “Yours too, Polly.” “I’m aware.”

He’s right—it was my idea. But he went along with it, and that’s all that matters.

in three days, nothing will have changed. Hank still won’t want to end up in prison. Tegan will still be an irresponsible child who doesn’t deserve to raise a beautiful daughter. And I’ll still be barren. In three days, I’ll make Hank see reason. I’m sure of it.

Tegan can’t leave here until she has that baby.

My husband is the most honest person I’ve ever met. It’s something he’s always prided himself on. It’s only because of me that he’s ever bent the rules,

Hank will do what I want. He’ll do anything for me. I’m sure of it.

knew Hank would do anything for me. After all, he smashed a man’s face in for me. This is nothing.

The police are gone, and there’s no reason to think they’ll ever come back. We got away with it. Tegan’s baby will be mine.

I have no idea what the truth is. All I know is that Simon assaulted me and Jackson betrayed me.

One way or another, I’m getting Tegan’s baby.

She hates me right about now, but I can’t let that bother me. Real soon, she’s going to give me exactly what I want. I can’t let anything get in the way.

Polly, I don’t want to kill her.”

He’s too scared of losing me. He knows how this will end. And when it comes down to it, I bet he’ll help me get rid of the body too.

I’m sorry Tegan has to suffer, but she’s already in pain. What’s a little more?

I won’t let this girl keep me from getting everything I ever dreamed of.

Today is the first time in the twelve years since we met that I have hated him.

“The officer said your car had been tampered with prior to your accident.”

I won’t be here when he comes to fetch me for dinner.

I hope Sadie will be okay without me. Because after this, I don’t know if I’m ever coming home.

Jackson is making me really nervous now. I don’t know why, but it feels like something isn’t right here. Jackson’s apology feels off somehow.

the weird thing is that the two of them almost seemed like they already knew each other. Dennis even called Jackson by his name.

there’s a slight edge to his voice, like he’s upset with me for having forced him to drive in a snowstorm. He doesn’t blame me for that crash, does he?

The man who said he was her brother. Except he’s not just visiting with Tegan. Something else is going on in this room.

This man does not have good intentions.

I came here to kill Tegan Werner, to stop her from sending my husband to jail. But the truth is I never could have done it. I didn’t have it in me after all. So instead, I saved her life.

“Your brother and Lamar were business partners,”

Dennis was never as okay as I thought he was with losing his chance to go pro. I never realized he blamed me for the car accident that took him out of commission.

if it weren’t for her and Hank, I would be dead right now. They have saved me twice over. I am only here right now because of her. I owe her. But I’m still not sure it’s enough.

Tia Marie Werner.

she was the only other person with me down in that basement.

If not for Hank and Polly, Tia and I wouldn’t be here right now. And that’s worth something. That’s worth everything.

“I don’t know who Polly is,” I finally say. “I never heard the name before in my life.”

It frightens me sometimes how close I came to losing her. And how close she came to losing me.

I learned to stop blaming Hank and Polly Thompson for what they did to me.

I will never tell him what happened those four nights after the crash.

You know you’ve got someone really special when they are able to save you from ruining your own life.

I see them doing that from time to time. Whispering to each other.

I had never killed anyone before, but I didn’t even think about what I did next.

I turned around and saw her: Sadie. Standing before me, not saying a word, just staring up at me with her big eyes. She saw everything.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she finally says. She tilts her chin up to me. “You’re my dad, Hank.”

She might not have forgotten, but she understands. My daughter will never tell a soul what I did for her. We will both keep this secret.