A few hours later. Wife is sitting on the couch. Husband paces nearby, on the phone.
H. Yes. Thank you. Yes, we will. Thank you again. Goodbye. Silence. H. Betty was pronounced dead en route to the hospital. Silence. H. Are you okay? Silence. H. Honey? She looks up at him. H. Are you okay? W. No, I'm not okay! I am not okay! Are you okay!?! H. No, I'm not okay. W. Okay, why not? H. Someone just died in our house. W. Okay, well then why do you think I'd be okay? H. Okay! (beat) I'm sorry, I didn't know what to say, felt like I had to say something. W. Well, you don't have to! You don't have to say anything. H. (sitting on the couch) Fine, I won't. I'll just sit here and shut up. W. Good. They sit in silence. H. You want any hot tea? Supposed to be calming. Put some mint leaves in it and-- W. Stop. H. Okay. They sit. H. I'm going to go run some bathwater, it's been a long time since I've had a nice bath. Maybe it'll help my back out a bit. Also, I wouldn't mind if someone wanted to join me. Wife just sits, staring off. H. I'm just trying to help, Addie. W. (exploding) Well, I don't need your help right now. If this is your way of helping, I don't need it. Just go upstairs, take your bath and leave me alone! Husband, with nothing else to say, turns and starts upstairs. W. I wished for it! He turns back, waiting for her to continue. W. At dinner. She was calling me fat and bragging about all her success and I wished she would just drop dead. H. You think you did this? W. I had never felt so worthless, so mocked. The way she talked down to me. I am a grown woman, probably twice her age and I couldn't stand it, I just couldn't stand it and I wished for her to die and she did. She did, right here, at our dinner table. It's my, my, I, I...(breaks down). Husband goes to her and wraps her up in his arms. H. There is nothing you did to cause this or could've done to save her. We did what we could. W. Did they say what killed her? H. They're not sure yet. W. What was that rose petal there for? You saw it! It was right there in Betty's mouth. Where'd it come from? H. I don't know. W. Something strange is going on here, Louis, can't you feel it? H. Yeah, I can. Something's off lately, but that doesn't mean you killed Betty. Everybody gets upset, everybody wishes things, doesn't mean you're responsible, it just happened. W. But the petal! And what if the cops start coming around asking questions, suspecting us-- H. Stop! I don't know why the petal was there. There certainly weren't any petals in the food when we were cooking, we know that. And the cops won't come bothering us unless they have cause and they don't have any. I'm going to go start that bath. Again, you're welcome to join me, no pressure. Husband starts upstairs. W. I didn't mean to kill her. I didn't want any of this, I just want to sell that house! That's all, and I thought she could help, but she was trying to take it from me, but I didn't mean to kill her. I-- H. You didn't kill anybody, Addie. I imagine we'll hear from the hospital soon and they tell you themselves. Don't beat yourself up too much, okay? W. Okay. Husband goes. Wife sobs softly. Phone rings. W. (answering) Hello? Yes, this is she. Oh, hello! Yes, the house is still on the market. How far out are you looking? Absolutely. You and your wife? Do you have any children? I think this house may be right up your alley. When can you meet? Black out. PART 3 PART 2 PART 1
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