She could hear some keys clicking as she anxiously waited for whatever would come next. A sense of dread came over her as she considered the Bible verse she had just read out. Was this some sort of religious scam of some sort? It wasn’t a verse she was familiar with, but she wasn’t exactly a Bible scholar.
“Okay, Constance. Thank you for waiting. The woman you met last night is not Kate. I’m Kate and I’m not her,” she began.
“I don’t understand.”
“Let’s just say that certain women have been helped the same way you can be helped, and they pass us along in a very covert manner so that we can be of assistance to others like them.”
“Are you a religious organization?”
“No. The verse is merely a tracking system we employ. It’s deliberately misleading. So, Constance. Tell me how we might help you.”
Constance hesitated, not sure about telling her story to a complete stranger over the phone. How did she know that she wasn’t only getting herself into more hot water somehow?
“Constance? Would you prefer to meet face to face?”
“No. I can’t. I mean, I have triplets and it’s hard to get away.”
“I understand. Can I come to you?”
“No. My husband might come home and ask too many questions. He doesn’t allow me to have friends at the house when he’s away.”
Constance realized how lame she must sound to this woman and felt ashamed. Why had she even called? This was hopeless.
“Constance, I understand. I know you are scared and alone. Many of the men and women that come to us are just as frightened. I can only help you if you want to tell me what I can do for you though. Tell me what you need.”
“I need to get away from my husband,” Constance heard herself say. Her voice sounded as if it was coming from somewhere outside her body.
“Okay. What do you need to make that happen?”
“I don’t know. I don’t have any money of my own and I have triplets that are less than two months old.”
“Did the woman who gave you the card tell you what we do here, Constance?”
“No. There was no time. She just seemed to realize that something was wrong here and gave me the card. I think she said her sister had used you. I didn’t even get her name that I can remember.”
“We specialize in helping people disappear by matching them with people who need their help. Normally, we charge both parties a small fee to match up their needs, but in a case like yours, we might be able to waive the fee or have the other party pay for it.”
“I’m sorry. I still don’t understand.”
“We’re a matchmaking service, but not in the traditional sense. You need to get away from your husband, and let’s say someone else needs to pretend they are married, for various reasons. We make the necessary arrangements; you sign a contract and the two of you play your parts for the duration of the agreement. Then, you go your separate ways.”
“I don’t understand why I would do that. I don’t understand why anyone would do that.”
“You do it because you get a new identity for yourself and your children. You also get paid for your time, just like any other job.”
“It sounds like, um, prostitution or something.”
“No. Not at all. There is no sex involved in this agreement. It is merely a means to an end for the both of you.”
“Okay. I can get some guy wanting to pretend he is married, for whatever reasons, to get a promotion or an inheritance, I guess. What man would want a woman with three babies?”
“You’d be surprised what requests we have in our system. Would you like me to look into it for you?”
Constance was quiet for a moment. She was talking to a stranger about arranging a fake marriage for money to escape her current husband. This wasn’t just about her. It was also about the girls. She bit her upper lip and considered it. It was a huge risk, but what sort of life would they have here with Blane? It would only get worse if she got pregnant again. If there were only more girls, his ire would increase and if there were boys, only they would matter. Her children deserved better. She deserved better.
“Constance?” the woman on the other end of the line coaxed.
“Yes. I’d like for you to help me.”
“Very good. I’m going to text you some info right now. Is that safe for you?”
“Yes.”
“Just read it, follow the instructions and send it back to me as quickly as you can.”
“I will.”
“Okay. I won’t reply once you send it, as you may not still be alone. Once I have the information I need, I will send you a text from a number that will just look like spam. It will be the same Bible verse that you gave me from your card. Once you get that message, call me back as soon as you can safely do so. Both your safety and our anonymity are very important, so don’t risk being caught, even if that means you are out of touch for a few days.”