Chapter 2 - The Papers on My Hospital Bed
Vance Development had belonged to my father.
When he died, everyone expected me to sell it.
The company had four failing properties, enormous debt, and a reputation that frightened away investors.
Instead, I rebuilt it.
Seven years later, the company was worth nearly forty million dollars.
Julian knew every detail of that story because he had watched it happen.
He had also watched me inherit the family trust containing our house, my father's lake property, and the majority of my personal assets.
I had made Julian chief operating officer because I trusted him.
He owned no shares.
I never imagined that distinction mattered to him.
Until Eleanor shoved the pen closer.
"Sign."
"No."
The word came out weakly.
Eleanor's eyes narrowed.
"What did you say?"
"I said no."
Julian stepped toward the bed.
"Genevieve, don't make this harder."
"Harder for whom?"
Victoria smiled.
That smile hurt almost more than seeing her wearing my husband's coat.
"She's always been stubborn," Victoria said.
I looked at Julian.
"How long?"
His eyes shifted away.
"How long have you been sleeping with her?"
"That's irrelevant."
I laughed once.
It hurt my incision.
"Interesting definition of irrelevant."
Eleanor slapped her palm against the documents.
"This isn't about your marriage."
"Then what is it about?"
"Reality."
She leaned closer.
"A helpless woman suffering from postpartum confusion cannot run a corporation."
My blood went cold.
There it was.
Not grief.
Not concern.
A strategy.
"You've already decided I'm incompetent?"
"We're protecting the company," Julian said.
"My company."
"Our company."
"No."
I looked directly at him.
"My father founded it. I rebuilt it. You work there because I hired you."
Something ugly appeared in Julian's expression.
For years, he had hidden resentment behind charm.
Now I could finally see it.
"I built that company too."
"You were paid very well for it."
Victoria stepped forward.
"You never appreciated him."
I almost laughed.
"You're standing in my hospital room half-dressed six hours after I gave birth, and you want to discuss appreciation?"
Her face hardened.
Eleanor picked up the pen.
"You are going to sign."
"No."
She leaned closer.
"Think about your daughter."
I looked toward Hazel.
That was when fear finally overwhelmed anger.
"What about her?"
"If you're medically incapable of caring for yourself, you're certainly incapable of caring for an infant."
Julian said nothing.
That silence told me everything.
"You'd use Hazel against me?"
"Nobody is using anyone," he replied.
"Look at me and say that."
He couldn't.
I turned toward Eleanor.
"No."
Her jaw tightened.
Then her hand moved.
Fast.
The slap cracked across the room.
My head snapped sideways against the pillow.
Pain exploded across my cheek.
Hazel woke screaming.
Every maternal instinct inside me fired at once.
I reached toward her.
"Hazel!"
My legs wouldn't move.
I couldn't sit up properly because of the incision.
I stretched my arms toward the bassinet.
"Bring her to me."
Nobody moved.
"Julian!"
My daughter screamed harder.
"Give me my baby!"
Julian calmly placed both hands on Hazel's bassinet.
For one hopeful second, I thought he was bringing her closer.
Instead, he rolled it away.
Just beyond my reach.
Something inside me shattered.
"Julian..."
He wouldn't look at me.
Eleanor bent close enough that I could smell her perfume.
"Who's going to believe a paralyzed woman?"
Tears filled my eyes.
They thought those tears meant surrender.
They didn't know about the phone beneath my pillow.
They didn't know Sarah was already suspicious.
And they certainly didn't know that every threat, every admission, every word was being captured.
So I stopped fighting.
I let my shoulders collapse.
May you like
I let my voice tremble.
And for the first time in my marriage, I deliberately allowed Julian to underestimate me.
