Chapter 3 - The Wolf at the Door
At three o'clock that afternoon, a knock sounded at the door.
Claire quickly slipped the laptop into her tote bag, kissed my forehead, and stepped out through the adjoining bathroom just as the heavy wooden door creaked open.
Evan stepped into the room.
He had changed out of the rumpled shirt from the night before into an expensive slate-gray cashmere sweater. He had shaved, but his eyes were bloodshot, and he held a massive bouquet of white lilies—the very flowers I had told him years ago reminded me of my mother's funeral. Behind him, walking with calculated humility, was his mother, Evelyn Cole.
""Meggie,"" Evan whispered, rushing toward the bed with his arms outstretched, his face contorting into an elaborate mask of grief and relief. ""Oh God, Meggie. You’re awake.""
I didn't flinch, but I didn't reach for him either. I allowed his hands to hover over my blanket-covered shins, watching him through half-lidded, vacant eyes.
""The doctors said it was touch and go,"" Evan stammered, pulling up the very chair Marcus had vacated twenty minutes earlier. He buried his face in his hands, producing a muffled, dry sob. ""I was terrified. I thought I lost you. I was out in the hall praying every single second.""
""Were you, Evan?"" I asked, keeping my voice faint, weak, fragile. ""I remember seeing you through the glass.""
His body went completely rigid for a fraction of a second before he lifted his head, his eyes searching mine frantically for any sign of certainty. ""The glass? Meggie, you were delirious. Your blood pressure had crashed. You were hallucinating from the anesthesia.""
""Was I?"" I whispered. ""I thought I saw a woman with you. Wearing a cream coat.""
Standing near the foot of the bed, my mother-in-law, Evelyn, chimed in with her trademark condescending purr. ""Now, Megan darling, don't work yourself up into a frenzy. Evan called me the second things went sideways. Vanessa from his office was simply dropping off the emergency deliverables Evan needed to sign before the client canceled their six-figure retainer. She was being a helpful colleague. You know how volatile your nerves have been since the hormone treatments.""
The sheer audacity was breathtaking. Evelyn had never approved of me; she came from old Raleigh society and had spent six years subtly reminding me that my family’s mid-tier construction company was beneath the Cole family lineage.
""A helpful colleague,"" I repeated slowly. ""At midnight. In the maternity ward.""
Evan reached out, grabbing my limp fingers with an urgent, sweaty grip. ""She was trying to take the pressure off me so I could focus entirely on you, sweetheart. That was all. She left immediately afterward. Look at me, Megan. Look at me. We have our twins. We have Caleb and Maya. That's all that matters now.""
He said their names so effortlessly, as if he hadn't already earmarked the money meant to feed them for his girlfriend's shell company.
""Have you seen them?"" I asked, my voice trembling with genuine emotion. ""Have you gone to the NICU?""
Evan’s eyes flickered away, a telltale sign I had known for eight years. ""They... they said only one parent could go in during the stabilization period, and since Claire arrived first with your family clearance, she went down. Besides, seeing all those tubes and wires... it broke my heart, Meg. I wanted to wait until you were strong enough so we could go down together.""
He hadn't visited them. His son and daughter had survived emergency surgery and premature delivery, and their father hadn't even bothered to walk down two flights of stairs to touch their glass incubators. He had spent the morning coordinating with Vanessa and his mother on how to mitigate the disaster of my unexpected survival.
""Evan,"" I whispered, allowing a tear to slip down my cheek. ""I’m so tired. Everything hurts.""
""I know, baby. I know,"" he said, smoothing my hair with a touch that made my skin crawl with revulsion. ""You just focus on healing. I’ll take care of everything. The house, the finances, the insurance claims. You don't have to worry about a single bill. In fact, while you're recovering, I brought some paperwork for you to sign—just standard authorizations so I can manage the medical billing and temporary power of attorney for the twins' health insurance enrollment.""
He reached into his leather messenger bag and produced a manila folder. He couldn't even wait twenty-four hours. He couldn't even wait until the surgical drains were removed from my abdomen. He wanted my signature while I was drugged on post-operative narcotics.
""Leave it on the table,"" I whispered, closing my eyes as if drifting into sleep. ""My eyes can't focus on the letters right now. Tomorrow, Evan. Tomorrow morning.""
He hesitated. I could feel his frustration radiating into the sterile air of the room, but he couldn't push harder without shattering his facade of the doting, sorrowful husband.
""Of course,"" he murmured, his lips pressing against my temple. ""Rest, Meggie. I love you.""
May you like
""Rest, Megan,"" Evelyn echoed coldly from the doorway.
The latch clicked shut. I opened my eyes. I reached over, took the manila folder from the bedside table, and slipped it directly into my pillowcase. The war had officially begun.
