Wedding Bells: The Conclusion

Note: If you haven't read the first four parts of this story, you might find the conclusion confusing. Consider at least reading parts of the previous stories to bring you up to speed with the finale.

As Amanda slept peacefully in Jase's arms, inside her mind her alter was Shelly was making plans. While she really had hoped to land Jase's friend Michael as an ally, it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. She'd have to move forward on her own.

For a brief moment Amanda's subconscious recalled the memory that fractured her mind into two pieces some 20 years prior. The jolt of it kicked Shelly under and allowed Amanda to return to the surface. She awoke screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Amanda, baby, what's wrong?" Jase pulled his wife to him and held her closely, whispering terms of endearment.

"It was a dream but I can't remember it now. I'm sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep. I'm just going to get a drink of water. I'll be right back."

As Amanda made her way downstairs to the kitchen, she tried to recall the dream. She could not, although her heart beating like a drum in her chest let her know it had been frightening. It had something to do with her stepfather. That much she knew, but it was all she could remember.

Pouring herself a glass of ice water, Amanda sat down at the kitchen table as another headache threatened. Within minutes Amanda's personality had given way to Shelly's once again.

It was she who padded into the hallway to retrieve the insurance policy on Jase from the desk drawer. She took it to the hidden suitcase she kept buried in the back of the coat closet. Carefully, she placed it in the secret compartment along with her passport and the cash she'd managed to skim from the bank account over the past few weeks.

Making her way back to the kitchen, she sat down to finalize her plan. She needed to make it look like an accident out of everyone's control. However, since Michael wouldn't play along, she decided he'd be the perfect one to take the fall. That would make it easier for her to play the grief stricken wife.

Everything she needed to start the fire was already on the premises thanks to all of the construction that was taking place. She just had to figure out the best time to put her plan into action.

"You really think that hair brained plan is going to work?" The question took Shelly aback as she stared into Jase's eyes. Putting on her best Amanda act, she looked up at her so-called husband and whispered.

"Jase, it's me Amanda. Are you sleep walking honey?"

"I'm not Jase and you most assuredly aren't Amanda." The statement took Shelly by surprise and she faltered for more than a few seconds. It was long enough for the man she thought she knew to cross the room and grab her.

"Tell me the name you go by." He shook Amanda/Shelly with force enough to snap her head backward.

"I'm Shelly. My name is Shelly. Now who the heck are you?"

"I'm asking the questions here, sugar. But if you must know, my name is John." He paused for a few seconds and then spoken again. "Now isn't this a fine how do you do?"

"What are you talking about?" Shelly's mind was still whirring. It was trying to figure out if Jase was pulling her strings or if what appeared to be obvious was actually true.

"You know what I mean, sugar. You're living inside that fragile little girl and I'm living inside this big old softie."

"Jennifer!" The words escaped Shelly's lips suddenly. "You're the one having the affair with Jennifer; not Jase." Shelly's eyes narrowed as she realized the gravity of the entire situation.

"Well, you're a smart one. I'll give you that. I have to admit that little filly is a quite piece of work. She never even figured the whole thing out. She thought Jase was in love with her right up to the moment he fired her. Ha!

You know, you really aren't my type, sugar, as far as the looks department. But I gotta say, I like the way your mind works. You tell me your story and I'll tell you mine."

"My story?" Shelly knew what he meant but she wasn't sure she wanted to put all of her cards on the table.

"Come one, you know what I mean." Jase/John pushed her into a chair. "How'd you get born inside little ole Amanda?"

"Her stepfather raped her," Shelly spit out. "She was six and couldn't handle it, so she created me to take the pain. That's all I'm going to tell you."

"It figures, don't it? With Jase it was his high and mighty, oh so devoted uncle. He was seven at the time. Funny how those young minds work, ain't it? They create us so they can hide."

"Does Michael know?" Suddenly things began to make sense to Shelly. The way Michael watched Amanda with such concern in his eyes. The reason had always eluded her.

"Of course Michael knows. How do you think Jase has made it this far? Without Michael, he'd have been lost. Between him and me, we cover everything up pretty good. That's why I get to come out and play from time to time. But then, I'm much more harmless than you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shelly started to stand up but John pushed her back in the seat.

"Do you think I don't know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours? I can see it in your eyes. You think you can kill Jase, collect on the insurance and make a break for it. Unfortunately, you're dead wrong!"

"I've no idea what you are talking about," Shelly started just an instant before John put the knife to her throat. Suddenly, she knew she was in real trouble.

"Nobody hurts Jase. Got that? Nobody! Now, here's how it's going to play and this ain't open for discussion, lady. You want out to play from time to time, fine. I'll make sure you get that and some money to make it worth your while. But the rest of the time, you are going let Amanda be the devoted wife she wants to be. Got it?"

Shelly nodded carefully, aware of how close the knife was to her carotid artery. She breathed a sigh of relief as John finally pulled it away.

"You want to have a little party on the side, all you gotta due is call my name. I'll be happy to oblige. However, you and I are going to let these two poor kids live their lives for the most part. I think they've been through enough. It's a miracle they found one another and neither of us is messing with that."

Eventually Michael will get them into therapy and when he does, we're going to cooperate. That ain't up for discussion either. I've got your number, sugar. You aren't going to win this battle. I'm stubborn as a mule and I always get my way."

Amanda shook away the last vestiges of head pain. She wondered how long she's been sitting at the kitchen table. When she finally opened her eyes, she was surprised to see her husband staring at her. "Jase, when did you come down?"

"I was worried about you." Jase lifted his wife up from the chair gently and hugged her. "Come on. What you do say we get back to bed?"

"I'd like that," Amanda whispered. She planted a soft kiss on Jase's lips.

Minutes later the couple settled back into their bed and spooned as they did every night since their wedding. Inside Jase's mind, John sighed with relief. Inside Amanda's, Shelly gave in and receded into the darkness.