Free The Wrong Sister by Leanne Davis

is?”
    She jumped to her feet and ran into the bedroom. Donny followed her. The gun was still in its lock-box in the nightstand drawer. Her heart simply crumbled into her guts. She fell onto the side of the bed, staring at the gun. “No. Where is he? What is he doing? I yelled at him. Terrible things. Oh, God…”
    Donny’s voice stopped her cold. “Tracy, there’s a note on your bed.”
    Donny held it out to her. An envelope was sealed with her name on it. She took it between her thumb and forefinger and just stared at it. Was this Micah’s suicide note? “What do you think it is?”
    Donny’s expression was bleak. When he raised his eyes to hers, she could tell he didn’t want to reply; but he thought he knew the answer, and felt nothing but pity for her. Her hand shook as she took the envelope. What? What was it? And why couldn’t her brain process that something very, very bad was about to be revealed to her? No, she felt a detached numbness settling in the base of her skull that soon spread to the rest of her body.
    She shoved the paper at Donny. “I can’t. I can’t read it.”
    He hesitated, but finally took it and tore open the letter. He lowered his gaze after a long profound glance at her. With a noticeable swallow, he shook his head, as if to fortify his emotions before he pulled out the sheet of paper. Then he started to read.
    Tracy,
    It became clear to me last night that I can’t go to prison. I don’t think I could handle it. I wanted to pull that fucking trigger yesterday. But I chickened out of that too. I have no words for what I’ve done to you. To our kids. To the rest of our life. But I can do this for you. I can stop this.
    I’m gone. I ran. I’m in hiding. Don’t look for me. You won’t find me. I’ve created an entirely new identity and hopefully, a new life.
    I’m sorry. The weakest words in the English language. But I am. I love you. I love Ally and Kylie, but I can’t face this. I can’t go to jail. Know that I never meant for it to end up like this. I never meant to hurt you or us. I will forever love you and both our daughters. Please tell them that, even if I don’t deserve it.
    Nothing in my life matters now. Whether you believe it or not, this is how I think I best end this for you, the kids, and yes, myself.
     
    He didn’t even sign his name to it. Donny slowly lowered the paper and his expression was stricken. He looked shocked, with both sympathy and horror.
    Micah had simply left her.
    Tracy bent over as a stabbing, sharp pain started in her stomach. She closed her eyes and tasted bile climbing up her throat. He left her. He was gone. For good. The sound she uttered from her throat was something between a sob and an animalistic cry of severe injury.
    Donny grabbed her and pulled her next to him. His arms surrounded her as his voice whispered into her ear. “Breathe, Trace. Please. You’re going to pass out. Come on, breathe for me.”
    She couldn’t. She was suffocating. She was going to die. The pain. The betrayal. The reality of his abandonment would literally kill her.
    She loved him. After everything, she still loved Micah and yet… he left her. He walked out of the kitchen today, fully intending to never see her again. And he only paused momentarily. A small hesitation. That realization made her legs collapse. Donny’s arms tightened around her as he held her up. She didn’t sense his presence. Or his support. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing again could ever matter.
    She started to cry. What else was new? All she’d done for the last four days was cry. She was close to dehydration at some point. No human could possibly survive after losing as much water as she had with her tears.
    She vaguely felt her mattress pressing against the back of her legs, her butt, and finally her back as Donny’s arms let her go. He pulled up covers and kept talking to her. She had no idea what he was saying. He left; then he came back. He helped her swallow