Chapter 4
Robert came out of Dr. Lawson’s office forty minutes later.
He walked slow. His face was pale. All the anger had drained out of him, replaced by something hollow and stunned. When he reached us, he didn’t look at me. He looked straight at Maya.
She flinched.
I stood up fast.
“Robert,” I said. “Don’t.”
He ignored me. He knelt down in front of her.
“Maya,” he said, his voice thin and strange. “Is it true?”
My heart sank.
“Robert,” I said, sharper this time. “I said—”
“Is it true?” he shouted, rounding on me suddenly, eyes wild. “Is she pregnant? Is that what they told me?”
People turned to look.
“Keep your voice down!” I hissed.
“Answer me!”
“Yes!” I said, loud enough to cut through him. “Yes, she is. And she is in danger. And someone hurt her. And we need to handle this right now before anything else happens!”
Robert froze. He stared at me like I had struck him. Then he looked back at Maya.
She was crying silently, shoulders shaking, staring at her hands.
“Who?” Robert said. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Maya... who?”
She didn’t answer. She pulled her knees up and buried her face.
I stepped between them again.
“Robert,” I said, steady and cold. “She told me. But I want you to hear me first. Whatever you think. Whatever you feel. You listen to me. She is terrified. She has been carrying this alone, in pain, for months. And whoever did this... she is afraid of him. She is afraid you will take his side.”
Robert stared at me. His jaw tightened.
“Who,” he said. “Tell me the name.”
I looked at Maya. She looked up at the sound, tears streaming, and when she saw Robert’s face, she shook her head fast.
“Don’t tell him,” she whispered to me. “Please, Mom. He’ll get mad. He’ll take Uncle Mark’s side. He always does.”
Robert went still.
His eyes widened. The color drained from his face all over again.
“Mark?” he said. The name came out like something broken. “My brother?”
Maya made a small sound and covered her face.
Robert stood up. He took a step back. He looked at Maya, at me, at the floor. He looked like he might throw up.
“That’s a lie,” he said.
My blood ran cold.
“Robert—”
“That is a lie,” he said, louder now, backing away. “Mark would never. He is family. He is my brother. He would never do something like this. You are making this up. She is making this up!”
“Robert!” I stepped toward him. “She is fifteen! Why would she lie about something this horrible? Why would she make this up and suffer in pain for months while you called her a liar? Look at her! Look at what is happening to her!”
“It’s a mistake!” Robert said, voice cracking. “The doctors are wrong. The scan is wrong. And—and if something happened... she must have led him on. She must have—”
I slapped him.
The sound cracked through the hallway.
He stared at me, hand rising to his cheek, stunned into silence.
“You dare,” I said, trembling from head to toe. “You dare blame her. You dare stand there protecting your brother while your daughter lies in that room fighting for her life. If you say one more word against her... if you take one step toward Mark... I swear to you, Robert, I will destroy you both. Do you understand me? I will destroy you.”
We stood there, inches apart, strangers now. The man I had married was gone. In his place stood someone who would choose his brother over his own bleeding child.
Robert’s chest heaved. He looked at Maya, then at me.
“This is a mistake,” he said again, quieter. “Mark would never. I will talk to him. I will get to the bottom of this.”
“You will do no such thing,” I said. “If you call him. If you warn him. I will go to the police myself. Tonight. And I will tell them exactly what you did. Exactly how you protected a monster instead of your own daughter. Try me, Robert. I have nothing left to lose.”
He stared at me, eyes hard.
Then he turned on his heel and walked away.
“Robert!” I called after him.
He didn’t stop. He pushed through the doors and was gone.
I stood there, shaking all over, until I felt a small hand slip into mine.
I turned around. Maya was standing beside me, pale and trembling, but looking at me with something like hope.
“You really mean it?” she whispered. “You’re on my side?”
I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms.
“I am always on your side,” I said into her hair. “No matter what. No matter who. Even your father. I choose you. Always.”
May you like
She held on to me like I was the only solid thing left in the world.
And somewhere, outside, Robert was driving away. And Mark was still free. And tomorrow, the police would come. And everything we ever had—our home, our family, our normal lives—was already burning to ash.
