Wendy looked at him, feigning surprise. "Nathan, have you been drinking? What''s in there besides your clothes? Were you hoping to find a beautiful woman hiding in there to keep you warm at night?"


    Nathan was speechless. A chill of fear ran down his spine. What was happening to him? Was he developing Alzheimer''s? But Wendy was supposed to be the one losing her mind, not him.


    "Wendy, did you take your tonic today?"


    She shook her head, her expression turning angry. "Now that you mention it, I haven''t been taking ittely. That stuff you gave me was making my memory worse, and I felt sluggish, so I stopped. I''m starting to wonder if you''re trying to poison me."


    She stared at him, her gaze sharp and usatory.


    Nathan was terrified. "Wendy, don''t be ridiculous! How could I do something like that? I would never hurt you. I was only trying to help."


    Wendy''s expression was unreadable. "Yes, I know you love me most. I''ve switched to a new tonic. I''ve felt much better thest couple of days. I even signed a major deal that stabilized thepany."


    Nathan''s heart sank. The n was failing.


    Wendy nudged his shoulder. "Hurry up and get dressed. What''s wrong with you? You didn''t even put on a shirt." She walked out, looking disgusted.


    Nathan stood there, his face pale, and looked down at his bare chest and briefs. He was so confused. He was sure he had been wearing pants. Where did they go? No, wait. He had been fully dressed when he came out of the bathroom. Where were his clothes?


    "Wendy, I swear I was wearing clothes just now!"


    She turned back. "Are you crazy?


    You''re acting so strange tonight et


    Del


    When were you ever wearing


    clothes? She walked away without another word.


    Nathan stood frozen, his mind reeling. He pped himself twice,


    hard. The sting was real. He dreaming, and he wasn''t


    hallucinating. He must have


    drunk and forgotten to put on,


    clothes. But what about the things m the closet? Was that a hallucination too?


    He was lost in a fog of fear and confusion.


    From the doorway, Wendy watched him, her eyes dark. Nathan, now you will get


    a taste of my revenge.


    her room with a


    She returned to h


    smile. Nathan had indeede out fully dressed. A brief, drug-induced hallucination had caused him to strip without realizing it, leaving a gap in his memory. The things he''d seen in the closet were real, too, projection she had turned off with a remote. It was all a carefully orchestrated illusion designed to make him believe he was losing his mind. And of course, the new "tonic" she was giving him every day wasced with the very same poison he had been giving her.


    Soon enough, his dementia would be real.


    Wendy stared out at the dark night, her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes glowing with a cold, red light.


    "Natalie,” she whispered, "just wait. As soon as Mama cleans up this mess, I''m bringing you home."


    The next day, as soon as Natalie arrived at her office, Luna rushed to her side, furious. "Verna Young stole our designs!"