The words looked reassuring until she noticed that company scheduling decisions were being made by the same man who controlled the private arrangement.
At her next counseling session, Melissa admitted she felt trapped between being grateful and being afraid.
The counselor asked whether the financial promise had influenced her ability to say no to Charles.
Melissa said she would have agreed even without the money.
The counselor asked whether she was still sure.
Melissa cried for the first time during an appointment.
Afterward, she wrote a private account of each conversation with Charles that had made her uncomfortable.
She dated the entries and saved copies of relevant messages.
She did not yet understand how important the timeline would become.
At the children’s soccer game that Saturday, Grant noticed she was unusually quiet.
He asked whether she needed to sit in the shade.
She said she was fine.
When Noah scored a goal, they both stood and cheered, briefly forgetting the separation.
For the length of one game, they were simply two parents proud of their son.
The happiness made the drive home feel harder.
Chapter 19: Joanne in the Corridor
Joanne reached the hospital carrying a sweater, a phone charger, and the kind of fear that makes ordinary objects feel absurd.
She had driven through rain with both hands locked around the steering wheel.
At the admissions desk, a staff member confirmed that Melissa was receiving care and directed her to the appropriate floor.
Joanne found a corridor full of muted voices and machines that beeped behind closed doors.
She recognized Charles at once because his photograph appeared in company newsletters.
He was speaking into his phone and did not notice her approach.
“We need a clean announcement,” he said.
Joanne stopped walking.
He turned when she asked where Melissa was.
Charles ended the call and offered the practiced smile that had impressed so many donors.
He said the situation was being managed.
Joanne asked whether her daughter was conscious.
He said the doctors were doing everything necessary.
The answer did not satisfy her.
A nurse approached and explained that staff would speak to the people Melissa had authorized.
Joanne showed her identification and waited while permission was confirmed.
Charles looked irritated by the delay.
Joanne felt oddly reassured that the hospital did not treat his impatience as a command.
Vivien emerged from the family waiting room and asked whether Joanne wanted water.
Joanne shook her head.
“I want to see my daughter,” she said.
