Chapter 4
It finally clicked.
I understood the naked hatred in May's and Tina's eyes. I understood why they said I was waiting to jump ship and remarry. In their eyes, Zane had already left me.
Maybe this whole silent war between Zane and me was never really about that stupid document.
It was because Zane had already grown tired of me, and he'd already made up his mind to walk away.
Changing his emergency contact to Sophie was the proof. Zane didn't need me anymore.
All-consuming shame and regret washed over me, swallowing me whole.
I didn't even have the right to question Zane, or to be angry.
Because I was the one who pushed him away. I was the one who left the door wide open for someone else.
I pressed against the cold wall, the room spinning. I was barely able to stay on my feet.
I deserved this. Every goddamn bit of it.
Just as I was about to collapse, a gentle female voice called out from nearby. "May, Tina, come on, don't do this. Yvette must be feeling awful, too."
I forced myself to look up.
A woman in a light-colored dress came quickly toward us.
Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, her face delicate and soft, with a perfectly measured touch of sorrow in her eyes that stirred an instinct to protect her.
It was Sophie. She actually came.
The moment May and Tina saw Sophie, they rushed to her side like she was their salvation.
May said, "Sophie, thank God you're here."
Tina said, "Quick, check on Zane. How is he?"
May even wiped away a few tears, grabbing Sophie's hand so affectionately it was as if Sophie was her own flesh and blood.
"Sophie, I don't know what we'd do without you. If you weren't here, Zane..." Tina choked out.
Sophie comforted them in a soft voice, her movements practiced and smooth, her tone tender, as if she had rehearsed this a thousand times.
Once Sophie had calmed May and Tina down, she finally turned her gaze to me.
There was a kind of pity in her beautiful eyes, something I couldn't quite place.
Sophie walked up to me, held out her hand, and gave me a flawless, practiced smile. "Yvette, the floor's cold. Come on, get up.
"Zane's still inside. He wouldn't want to see you like this."
Her voice was soft, but every syllable felt like a poisoned needle, stabbing right into my heart.
Her touch was like a scorpion's sting. I yanked my hand back.
"Don't touch me." I spat the words out through clenched teeth, using every bit of strength I had left.
Sophie's hand froze in mid-air, her face immediately looking all hurt and innocent.
She bit her lower lip, her eyes getting misty, like I was the villain here. "I'm sorry, Yvette. I know you're having a rough time right now. I don't blame you."
She let out a sigh, turned to the doctor, and instantly slipped back into that calm, rational, totally-in-command persona. "Doctor, is Zane's condition stable now?
"What's the treatment plan from here? And don't worry about the cost. Whatever you need, I'll pay it, no questions asked."
She stood there, cool and collected, talking to the doctor about Zane's condition like she owned the place.
And me, the real Mrs. Frost, was completely shut out. I was like a sad, unwanted intruder who didn't belong.
I watched Sophie talking with the doctor, saw the trust and dependence in May and Tina's eyes. A terrifying thought began to form in my mind.
Maybe Zane and Sophie had been together behind my back this whole time. And I was the last idiot to realize it.
My heart plunged into a freezing abyss.
*****
The doctor said the surgery was pretty successful. Zane was hanging on, at least for now.
But because of the serious brain injury, he'd fallen into a deep coma. No one knew if he'd ever wake up, or when.
The next 48 hours would be the critical window.
When May heard the news, her legs gave out, and she almost fainted, but Sophie and Tina caught her just in time.
"May, don't worry. Zane's got a guardian angel watching over him. He'll pull through," Sophie said softly, trying to comfort her.
"Yeah, Mom, Sophie's here. She'll take care of Zane," Tina chimed in.
The three of them huddled together, like a family that nothing could ever break apart.
I stood off to the side, all alone, like an outsider.
I stared at the closed doors of the ICU, my heart numb.
I had no idea what I should do, or what I even could do.
Staying here would only make me an eyesore to May, Tina, and Sophie.
But I didn't want to leave. I couldn't leave.
If Zane woke up, I wanted to be the first one he saw.
Even though the odds were stacked against me.