THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL
OH GOD, I thought. I don’t want to do this. I was a professional jumper with thousands of skydives behind me, but as the small plane climbed, everything felt wrong.
My mind kept wandering to my two babies waiting for me at home. April was almost three years old and Ben was only five weeks. I should be with them, not here. The jump had been my husband Emile’s idea, something we could do together, he’d said, which is mainly why I agreed.
In the end he didn’t join me as he couldn’t find anyone to look after the children. Now alone, I crouched by the plane’s exit, strapping my helmet up tightly. Sound engulfed the plane in a roar of engine and wind, and my nerves bubbled. Still, I couldn’t back out now.
It’s now or never, I decided. Pausing for a split second, I pushed my fears to the back of my mind. Without another thought, I jumped.
The cold air hit my face and immediately I felt calm. I know what I’m doing, I thought, letting the relief wash over me. Expertly, I spread my arms out in front of me, maintaining control of the fall, and with my right hand I reached for the parachute strapped to my back. I found the toggle at the base of the rig and pulled down, deploying the parachute.
Its canopy billowed out above me but instead of slowing me down, I felt an uneven jolt. That’s odd, I thought, looking up. I was shocked to see that the lines keeping me