Chapter 3 - THE NIGHT NORA STOPPED OBEYING
Daniel pushed through the clinic doors.
"Nora."
Two nurses looked up.
Daniel ignored them.
His tuxedo jacket was gone.
His bow tie hung loose around his collar.
The polished businessman from the ballroom had disappeared.
What remained was the man Nora knew behind closed doors.
Impatient.
Controlling.
Furious whenever something refused to obey him.
"We're leaving."
Nora stood between him and Lucy.
"No."
Daniel stopped.
"What?"
"Lucy is still being treated."
"I've already spoken to our family dentist."
Nora stared at him.
"She has a dentist."
"We're going home."
"No."
Daniel looked around.
His voice lowered.
"Do not do this here."
Nora almost smiled.
There it was again.
Appearance.
Always appearance.
"You weren't worried about doing things publicly when you grabbed me."
Daniel stepped closer.
"Arthur Whitmore is manipulating you."
"No."
"He's using this situation to destroy me."
"You destroyed yourself."
His face hardened.
"Give me Lucy."
Lucy shrank behind Nora.
Daniel noticed.
For a fraction of a second, pain crossed his face.
Then anger replaced it.
"Lucy."
She didn't move.
"Come here."
Lucy shook her head.
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"I said come here."
Nora stepped forward.
"Don't speak to her like that."
"I'm her father."
"Then why is she afraid of you?"
Daniel froze.
Lucy started crying silently.
Nora looked directly at him.
"She told me about your office."
Every trace of color disappeared from Daniel's face.
"What office?"
"You and Celeste."
Daniel glanced toward Lucy.
Nora saw the calculation in his eyes.
"She misunderstood."
"She saw you kissing."
"She's seven."
"Exactly."
Nora's voice sharpened.
"Which makes threatening her even more disgusting."
"I never threatened her."
"Celeste did."
Daniel didn't deny it.
Nora felt sick.
"You knew."
He looked away.
"You knew Celeste grabbed her."
"Celeste lost her temper."
"With a seven-year-old."
"It wasn't serious."
Nora stared at him.
"Everything is 'not serious' when you're not the person being hurt."
Daniel stepped closer.
"We can fix our marriage."
Nora laughed once.
"You think this is about our marriage?"
"Lower your voice."
"No."
His eyes narrowed.
Nora continued.
"You cheated."
"Nora."
"You lied."
"Nora."
"You let your mistress frighten our daughter."
His face darkened.
"And tonight you watched her hit Lucy."
"I didn't know she would hit her."
Nora stopped.
Daniel realized too late what he had admitted.
Nora's voice became very quiet.
"But you knew she was going to do something."
Daniel said nothing.
"That's what the nod meant."
"It wasn't like that."
"Then what was it?"
Daniel looked toward the nurses.
"We'll discuss this privately."
"No."
"Nora."
"Tell me now."
Daniel's mouth tightened.
Finally, he spoke.
"Celeste wanted you embarrassed."
Nora stared at him.
"What?"
"She thought if there was an incident, you would leave early."
"Why?"
Daniel looked away.
Nora suddenly understood.
"You wanted me out of the ballroom."
Daniel said nothing.
"Why?"
His silence answered enough.
Nora took a step closer.
"What were you planning?"
Before Daniel could respond, Arthur entered.
He wasn't alone.
A woman carrying a leather briefcase walked beside him.
Arthur introduced her.
"This is Rebecca Shaw."
Daniel's face changed.
Nora noticed.
Rebecca extended her hand.
"Mrs. Hale."
Nora shook it.
"I'm an attorney."
Daniel interrupted.
"She's not hiring you."
Rebecca looked at him.
"I don't believe anyone asked your permission."
Arthur almost smiled.
Daniel's anger intensified.
"This is a family matter."
Rebecca opened her briefcase.
"No."
She removed several papers.
"Once a child is assaulted and evidence of intimidation exists, it becomes several different kinds of matter."
Daniel looked toward Nora.
"You're seriously going to involve lawyers?"
Nora stared at him.
"You involved your mistress."
Daniel flinched.
Rebecca turned to Nora.
"You need somewhere safe tonight."
"I have a home."
Rebecca shook her head.
"You have a jointly occupied property with a man whose behavior concerns me."
Daniel laughed.
"Concerns you?"
Rebecca ignored him.
"We can arrange temporary accommodation."
Nora thought about Lucy.
Then she remembered something.
Her grandmother's house.
A small brownstone Nora had inherited before marrying Daniel.
Daniel hated it.
Called it sentimental clutter.
Nora had never sold it.
"I have somewhere."
Rebecca nodded.
"Good."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Lucy isn't going anywhere without me."
Rebecca turned toward him.
"Are you threatening to prevent the child from leaving medical treatment with her mother?"
Daniel stopped.
"You lawyers love twisting words."
Rebecca smiled without warmth.
"Then choose yours carefully."
Daniel looked at Nora.
His expression changed.
Softer now.
Manufactured.
"Nora."
She knew this version too.
The apology version.
The flowers-after-the-fight version.
The man who appeared whenever cruelty stopped working.
"I made mistakes."
Nora said nothing.
"We both have."
Nora's eyes hardened.
"Don't."
"I'm saying nobody is perfect."
"Don't put your choices in the same sentence as my imperfections."
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Think about Lucy."
"I finally am."
That hurt him.
Good.
For once, Nora allowed herself to think it.
Daniel looked toward their daughter.
"Lucy."
She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Daddy loves you."
Lucy whispered.
"Then why didn't you help me?"
Daniel had no answer.
The silence stretched.
Lucy looked at him.
"Why did you let her hit me?"
Daniel opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Lucy started crying.
Nora pulled her close.
Arthur turned away.
Even Rebecca's expression tightened.
Daniel finally whispered.
"I didn't know."
Lucy shook her head.
"You looked at her."
Daniel froze.
"I saw you."
The seven-year-old wiped blood from her lip.
"You smiled at Celeste before she bumped me."
Nora's heart stopped.
That wasn't visible clearly on the security footage.
Lucy had seen it herself.
Daniel looked toward Nora.
"Nora—"
She raised one hand.
"Don't."
He stopped.
"Don't say my name."
Daniel stared at her.
Nora took Lucy's coat.
She helped her daughter into it carefully.
Then she picked up her purse.
Daniel blocked the doorway.
Arthur stepped forward.
Daniel looked at him.
For several seconds, neither man moved.
Then Arthur said quietly.
"Move."
Daniel moved.
Nora walked past him.
She had taken five steps when Daniel spoke behind her.
"If you walk out that door, don't come back."
Nora stopped.
For ten years, those words would have terrified her.
Tonight, they sounded like freedom.
She turned.
"I wasn't planning to."
Then she left.
But as the elevator doors closed, Nora saw Daniel pull out his phone.
And she saw the name on the screen.
CELESTE.
Daniel answered immediately.
Nora couldn't hear everything.
Only four words before the elevator doors shut.
"She knows about tonight."
May you like
Then Daniel said something that made Nora's blood run cold.
"Destroy the other evidence."
