Standing in the full length mirror in their bedroom, Alice dragged a brush through her hair, her body covered in a silk slip that was the same pristine white of the wedding dress Max had chosen for her to wear. She hadn’t had much say in the matter when they went to the small boutique to select the dress, but she wasn’t unhappy with his choice. She convinced herself that if the style selected made Max happy, it made her happy as well.
"You're so beautiful. Just as I knew you would be. We'll get you dressed...get you ready for your new life. You'll shine, Alice. It'll be what you always wanted. An escape from the life that has done nothing but hurt you. Even in dreams, you could never escape."
His palms rubbed the length of her bare arms before he released her to retrieve the dress from the closet. Coming back over to her, he helped her step into the expensive material, taking his time to fasten the small buttons that ran the length of her back. She’d protested against the cost of the dress, especially because it would only be the two of them at the wedding, but Max had insisted.
Turning around, Alice looked over the beautiful cut of the black suit he’d chosen to wear, the silver grey vest that matched his tie. With a white shirt underneath, he looked dapper and worthy of the life of ease and leisure he lived.
Taking Alice’s hand, Max led her from the bedroom, down the stairs and out into the space that would eventually be her garden. The officiant waited for them beneath the thick boughs of the live oaks, the moss hanging from their branches creating dancing light and shadow over the patch of land where they stood.
The wedding was quick, their vows those that had been used for years by husbands and wives that came together before them. When the officiant left, they remained beneath those stately trees, Max staring down at his new bride with possession behind his eyes.
"We're married, you and I. You are now my wife."
His expression grew serious, his focus severe.
“Until death, Alice. Promise me.”
Her eyes shimmering with tears of happiness, she nodded her head.
“Until death,” she promised.
12:38 p.m.
“It was the beginning of a dream,” Alice whispered, her voice breaking as the memories flooded her mind. “At least, I thought it was a dream.”
Her head turned to face the doctor, her body balled on the couch with her back pressed against the backrest. Her bent legs were tucked up against her chest, her arms wrapped tightly to hold them in place. Slowly she rocked where she sat, the springs of the couch creaking with the subtle movement.
“But the dream didn’t last, I assume. How long were you married before the truth of the man you married started coming to light?”
Her eyes clenched shut to remember the first time Max’ anger caused her harm. “A year, maybe a little less. He was always so busy working on the basement. He wanted the entire house finished. He was so particular about those things. Everything had to have its place. Everything had to be in order. Everything had to be perfectly clean. He said it was because he didn’t want things to be ugly – not like us.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Dr. Chance waited for her to open her eyes. Once he knew he had her full attention, he said, “You’re not ugly, Alice. What occurred to you when you were a child didn’t make you an ugly person.”
A bark of humorless laughter blew over her lips. “Didn’t it? If it wasn’t for what my father did to me, I might have made different decisions when the truth of Max came to light.” Her voice shook over the words, her body beginning to tremble as bits and pieces flooded back, images she could never erase from her mind.
“I was the perfect target, it seems. I’d been conditioned by my father to accept abuse, and Max used that to his advantage. I was tired. I was estranged from my family. I had no friends.”
“He took advantage of not only your life, but also the love you had for him. He was a predator, Alice.”
“And I was the perfect prey,” she answered.