Love and Hate Were Foreshadowed; His Leaving Left a Trail

For our honeymoon, Andrew Sanchez's female friends brought along the whole clique, insisting on joining us.

A beach honeymoon turned into a three-day, two-night immersive murder-mystery game on a private island.

Minnie Henson clung to my arm, wheedling.

Queenie, five of us together is so much more fun. Isn't that better than just you two off on your own?

When the game started, she took it on herself to draw everyone's character scripts.

The character she handed me was the mistress.

She and Andrew drew the roles of lovers.

And I stood there watching the two of them run the story as if no one else existed.

The confession, the hand-holding, the embrace.

When the plot reached the chapter where the lover is discovered by the female lead, Minnie slapped me, and my cheek swelled up in an instant.

She feigned panic.

"I got a little too into it. Queenie, you're not upset, are you?"

Andrew stroked her hair to comfort her.

"It's just a game. She won't hold it against you."

I couldn't sleep that night, so I went out for a walk and stumbled into the room where the scripts had been drawn.

The four scripts were still lying on the table.

I opened them, and every single one was blank.

So this whole game had only one person being toyed with, and it was me.

I canceled the marriage-license appointment we'd booked for fourteen days later.

Since they loved playing lovers so much, refusing to indulge them would only make me look unreasonable.

...

I put my phone away and walked out of the room.

I came face to face with Andrew and Minnie in matching couples' outfits.

Their fingers were laced together.

The moment Andrew saw me, he reflexively let go of Minnie's hand.

"What are you doing wandering around out here this late?"

Seeing my eyes land on their clothes, Minnie stuck out her tongue.

"Queenie, the script says Andrew and I have to wear matching couples' outfits, so I borrowed yours. You won't be mad, will you?"

Andrew had prepared those two outfits.

In three years together, we'd never once worn matching outfits, because he thought it was childish.

I'd assumed this was a honeymoon surprise he'd arranged for me.

Now I could see it clearly.

The clothes had never been meant for me at all.

I clenched my fists and said nothing.

Just as the air turned awkward, two of the other friends came over carrying armfuls of bags.

"Andrew, everything's ready. We can head out now."

"Get back quick after the sunrise, before Queenie Cobb notices and starts a fight with you again."

They only spotted me after they'd finished speaking, and froze on the spot.

"What are you doing here?"

I tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"Sorry. I showed up on my own honeymoon and ruined the mood for everyone."

Andrew's face darkened at once.

"Queenie Cobb, quit with the snide remarks."

"We didn't tell you because we've got a couples' task coming up, and we didn't want to upset you when you saw it."

He lifted a hand and rubbed at his brow, his voice impatient.

"Get some rest. Wait for us to come back."

This script had five characters in total. They were two couples, and I was the extra one, the mistress.

I looked at him.

"I didn't say I was going."

I turned to leave after that, but Minnie caught my arm.

"Since you're already up, we obviously can't just leave you here alone. Come watch the sunrise on the beach with us."

She turned to Andrew and wheedled.

"Let's all go together."

Andrew gave her a doting smile.

"All right, whatever you want."

Twenty minutes later, we drove out to the beach.

The predawn sea wind carried a chill. Andrew took off his jacket and draped it over Minnie.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught me standing with my arms wrapped around myself, and he grabbed a blanket from the car and pushed it into my arms.

"Wrap up. Don't catch a cold."

Minnie's face changed. She rushed over and yanked the blanket out of my hands.

"You little slut, flirting with Andrew right in front of me. Have you no shame at all!"

The next second, she flung the water in her hand at me.

Before anyone could react, she offered her explanation.

"It's an immersive murder-mystery, so everyone has to play their part. It's no fun if someone keeps breaking character."

"Right now Andrew and I are the couple. Queenie, surely you're not a sore loser?"

Water dripped down the strands of my hair.

I looked at Andrew.

"You want to keep playing this too?"

Andrew frowned.

"Queenie Cobb, don't put on that pitiful act. Right now your role is the mistress no one can know about."

"You agreed to play this game, so don't go ruining the mood."

I found it unbelievable.

"Play it among yourselves. I'm taking a boat and leaving."

The other guy, Quinn Dickerson, blocked my way.

"You can't leave right now."

"This is an immersive murder-mystery. Once the game starts, a boat only comes to pick us up after it's played out to the end."

"You're already here. Finish the game before you go."

The four of them sat on the mats they'd laid out, waiting for the sun to come up.

I sat alone in the car with the heater on, drying my wet hair and shirt.

Today was the first day of my period.

I'd taken painkillers before we left, but between the cold sea wind and being soaked with water, I couldn't stop shivering.

As the sun rose, Andrew and Minnie struck one couple pose after another, holding up a phone to take selfies.

Quinn spoke up.

"The scenery's so good right now. You two should take some kissing photos."

His girlfriend, Elisa Fox, egged them on from the side.

"Right, I remember the mission sheet says you have to take ninety-nine kissing photos to complete the task."

Minnie glanced shyly at Andrew.

"That doesn't seem right..."

The next second, Andrew slid his arm around her waist and bent down to kiss her.

Elisa covered her mouth and squealed.

Quinn held up his phone, moving around for every angle.

That one kiss lasted a full five minutes.

I watched them with no expression at all.

The four of them were a tight little group that had gone from grade school all the way through high school together, while Andrew and I had only been college classmates.

Every single time Andrew met up with them, he refused to bring me along.

"We grew up together. You wouldn't get half of what we talk about. You'd just sit there."

Even at our own wedding reception, he sat at a table alone with his little group and left me, the bride, off to the side.

"Queenie, you'll just be bored with them. Sit with your girlfriends instead."

I really used to believe Andrew was looking out for me.

But now I understood.

If I joined them, I'd throw off the balance between the four of them. I'd be taking Minnie's place.

Once my hair and clothes were more or less dry, I got out of the car and walked toward the little grove nearby.

On the way here I'd seen a puppy playing over there.

I love dogs.

But Andrew was allergic to dog hair, so he never let me have one.

I'd barely crouched down when the puppy trotted over and nudged my hand with its nose.

Some of the ache inside me eased.

Just then, footsteps came up behind me.

Minnie ran over and scooped up the puppy.

"Andrew, this puppy is so cute. Let's take it home and keep it, okay?"

The words came out of me before I could stop them.

"He's allergic to dog hair. He can't keep it."

Andrew took the puppy from Minnie's arms.

"We can keep it."

Minnie shot me a look.

"Who said Andrew was allergic to dog hair? We even raised a dog together back in grade school, our little dog son."

Quinn laughed.

"I still remember you two saying you'd raise eight dogs once you grew up and got married."

Andrew's mouth curved.

"She can't even take care of herself. How would she take care of a puppy?"

I opened my mouth to ask Andrew whether the allergy had been a lie.

But Minnie was already carrying the puppy toward the car.

"The puppy looks hungry. Let's take it back to the villa for something to eat. I'm hungry too, actually."

The four of them left all at once.

I swallowed the words back down and followed after them.

Just as I was about to get in, Minnie put out a hand to stop me.

"There's no more room. The puppy needs a seat."

Andrew looked at me.

"Don't you like hiking? The scenery along this road is pretty nice, and it's not dangerous. You can just walk back, take your time."

I pressed a hand to my stomach.

"I'm on my period and I don't feel well. I can't walk that far."

"I can squeeze in the back with the puppy in my lap."

But Quinn cut in.

"Queenie, we all know when your period is. Every month around the end, Andrew has to stay home to take care of you and skips our dinners."

"Though this whole act suits your part as the mistress pretty well. Playing pitiful on purpose so Andrew feels sorry for you."

A few days ago, for the wedding, I'd taken medicine to push my period back on purpose.

I'd just started to explain.

Andrew hit the gas and drove off.

Three hours later, I finally made it back to the villa.

My white pants were soaked red with the blood that had come through, impossible to miss.

The moment Andrew saw it, the color drained from his face.

"Queenie!"

Andrew came over fast, stripped off his jacket, and knotted it around my waist to hide the worst of it.

"Go to the room and change your clothes."

I didn't have the strength to say anything. I gave a numb little nod.

I got to the room and found the door standing open, my suitcase torn apart and everything strewn around.

Minnie was standing in the middle of it.

The moment she saw me, she flung the matching lingerie set I'd so carefully packed right in my face and screamed at me.

"You slut! Is this what you used to seduce Andrew?"

I raised a hand and pushed the underwear off my shoulder.

Then I took clean clothes and a pad from the suitcase and walked into the bathroom.

"Minnie, I'm exhausted right now. I don't have time to act out your little script."

But Minnie acted like she hadn't heard a word, still lost in the murder-mystery world.

"Don't think you're getting away."

She rushed over and shoved me hard.

I wasn't braced for it and went down against the floor, my elbow cracking into a chair and turning red at once.

The crash was loud enough to bring the three of them in from the living room.

Andrew had barely stepped inside when Minnie threw herself sobbing into his arms.

"What's so special about this woman? Why won't you just get rid of her?"

"Andrew, I'm the one who's your legal wife!"

She pulled two red booklets from her pocket and threw them at me.

"Queenie Cobb, open your eyes and take a good look at what this is!"

I picked up the red booklet by my hand.

Opened it.

The holders listed inside were Andrew Sanchez and Minnie Henson, the two of them in white shirts on the red-backed photo, smiling like newlyweds.

There was an embossed seal stamped under the photo.

The marriage certificate was real.

My eyes dropped to the date underneath.

Something buzzed inside my skull, and every thought in my head just stopped.

That same day, on my way to choose my wedding dress, I'd been in a car accident.

After the surgery, the doctor told me I'd been three months pregnant, and that the baby hadn't made it.

I called Andrew, crying.

He hung up on me more than twenty times in a row.

In the end I sent him the medical report.

He answered in a second.

Wait for me. I'm coming right now.

That day he'd knelt at my hospital bed and cried until his eyes were red.

"I'm sorry. If the company hadn't called a last-minute meeting, I could've gone to see the dress with you, and none of this would've happened."

"Queenie, get your strength back. We'll have another baby someday."

All the details I'd made myself overlook came into focus.

He'd said it was just a meeting at the office, but he'd done his hair, worn a new suit, put on cologne.

So that was the day he went and registered a marriage with Minnie.

No wonder he'd kept finding one excuse after another to push back the date for us to make it legal.

I lifted my head.

"Andrew, then what am I? What was that wedding?"

Andrew looked away from me.

"I'll explain everything to you once the game's over."

Minnie clicked her tongue.

"Queenie Cobb, the facts are right in front of you. Do you even need to ask?"

Quinn came in behind her, arms crossed over his chest.

"That's the point. Andrew and Minnie are the real couple. You, Queenie Cobb, are just the mistress."

Andrew said, low, "All of you, that's enough."

He took Minnie and Quinn by the arm and walked them out of the room.

Before shutting the door, he left one line behind.

"It's not what you think. Don't let your mind run off with you."

I sat up slowly and went to the bathroom to change out of the soiled pants and shirt.

Once that was done I picked up my phone, meaning to quietly arrange a boat to come to the island and take me away.

But the full signal bars in the corner of the screen suddenly vanished.

It wasn't just the cell service that was gone; the villa's WiFi was down too.

At the same moment, Minnie's voice came through the door.

"To make sure everyone gets the full game experience, the staff have switched on the island's signal jammer."

"There won't be any signal until the game ends tomorrow afternoon."

I didn't bother answering her.

I locked the door from the inside.

A whole night without sleep, plus nearly three hours of walking, and the moment I touched the bed I blacked out.

The next time my eyes opened it was to knocking.

Minnie was shouting outside the door.

"Queenie Cobb, open up! You've got the nerve to sleep?"

"Your parents killed themselves. They couldn't live with the shame of you being a mistress."

"Get out here, now!"

Her words snapped me fully awake.

I didn't even stop for shoes. I twisted the lock open and shoved the door back.

"Tell me exactly what you mean. What happened to my parents?"

Minnie saw the panic in my eyes, and a strange little smile crossed her innocent face.

"Your parents found out today that you're the other woman. They couldn't stand the shame, so they drank pesticide and killed themselves."

My whole body was shaking. All I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat.

"There's no way they'd"

The tears came before I could stop them.

Then Quinn let out a low, muffled laugh.

"We all thought it'd be a drag since Queenie couldn't play a murder-mystery party. Turns out she's really getting into character, isn't she?"

That was when it hit me that I'd been played. It was that cursed script again.

I turned to go back to my room.

Minnie grabbed my hand and dragged me out to the living room.

"Queenie, we already set up the memorial for your parents. Go on, light some incense for them."

I looked where she was pointing.

On the table sat a burner with incense sticking out of it. Behind it were framed black-and-white photos of my parents, and off to one side stood two urns.

A mocking smile hung at the corner of Minnie's mouth.

"Friendly warning, don't touch the urns. They're full of Fluffy's poop."

"Oh, right, Fluffy's the name I gave the puppy I brought back this morning. Cute, isn't it?"

Fluffy was the pet name Andrew had given the baby we lost.

I looked at Andrew, standing off to the side.

He said it flatly.

"Just a coincidence."

Minnie shoved me in front of the portraits and pressed down hard on my head.

"Kneel and bow, then light the incense. It's your task in the script."

I raised my hand and brought it down hard across her face.

"Minnie! You brought this on yourself. If you dare joke about my parents, you'd better be ready for the consequences."

She hadn't expected me to hit her. The slap left her stunned.

When she came to, she staggered and threw herself at Andrew.

"Andrew, it hurts so much."

She wept like a broken flower in the rain.

Andrew stared at my red, swollen eyes, his voice cold.

"Queenie, apologize to Minnie."

I pointed at the altar.

"She curses my parents, photoshops their memorial portraits, and you just let her run wild?"

He frowned.

"It's only a part of the game. Don't take it so seriously."

Minnie pouted, tossed the portraits into the trash, opened an urn, and poured the dog feces out over the photos of my parents.

"Fine, I won't play. No need to go hitting people."

I watched my parents' faces get smeared with dog feces, and the tears of injustice still fell.

Quinn shot me a look.

"I told you we shouldn't have brought Queenie along. She just can't take a joke."

Elisa held an ice pack to Minnie's face.

"There's no doctor on the island. Get Minnie to a hospital, quick, before her face is ruined."

Andrew was out of patience entirely.

"Contact the staff now and get a boat ready. We leave immediately."

He looked at me.

"Queenie, we're taking Minnie to the hospital first. You stay here and think hard about what you've done."

"When you understand where you went wrong, I'll come back and take you home."

The four of them took their luggage and drove off toward the dock.

I was left alone in the villa.

That was when the lights overhead went out. The whole villa had lost power.

I took out my phone to use it for light.

There was a message the staff had sent me five minutes earlier.

Miss Cobb, ending the game early is still charged at the full rate.

Please gather your luggage and belongings. All staff are leaving the island along with your group.

I had covered the entire cost of this trip, which was why the staff messaged me.

But before I could dial for help,

the signal that had only just come back cut out again the moment the staff left the island.

Elsewhere.

After Andrew got Minnie's face treated at the hospital,

to make up for the group's ruined mood over the game, the four of them bought tickets that same day and went off to a beach resort.

Seven days later.

The moment Andrew got off the plane, he called the staff to send someone to the island for Queenie.

On the other end of the line came the staff member's startled cry.

"Mr. Sanchez, are you saying Miss Cobb is still on the island?"

"That day Miss Henson said you'd all left. The whole island's water and power are shut off, and there's no one there."

The phone slipped from Andrew's hand and hit the floor.

The screen cracked.