Chapter 3: The Call That Silenced the Room
“Give me my phone,” Glen said.
Mark held it against his chest.
“Tell your wife who Vanessa is.”
“You have no right to read my messages.”
“And you had no right to lie to fifteen people so we’d help keep your sick child awake.”
Glen grabbed Mark’s wrist, but Mark pulled away.
Chairs scraped across the floor as Glen’s friends stood.
I lifted Emily into my arms.
Her skin felt warm again.
“Glen, look at your daughter.”
“She was fine an hour ago.”
“You haven’t checked on her once.”
Emily buried her face against my shoulder.
“Please don’t shout.”
Glen lowered his voice, but his eyes stayed on the phone.
“Mark, hand it over.
Now.”
The screen began ringing in Mark’s palm.
VANESSA.
Mark looked at me.
“Should I answer?”
“Yes,” I said.
Glen moved toward him.
Two of the other men stepped between them.
“Don’t you dare,” Glen warned.
Mark pressed the speaker button.
“Hello?”
A woman’s voice filled the room.
“Glen?
Why are you answering like that?”
“This is his wife,” I said.
“Who are you?”
Silence followed.
Then I heard a door close on Vanessa’s end.
“Glen told me you weren’t together anymore.”
My arm tightened around Emily.
“He told you what?”
“Laura, turn that off,” Glen snapped.
It was the first time all evening he had used my name.
Vanessa inhaled sharply.
“He said you were living in the house until it sold.
He said you’d agreed to sign everything on Monday.”
“What is being signed on Monday?”
Glen finally tore the phone from Mark’s hand and ended the call.
“Everybody out,” he said.
“This is a private family matter.”
Mark did not move.
“You made it our business when you lied to get us here.”
“Get out of my house.”
“Our house,” I said.
Glen gave a short, bitter laugh.
“You may want to check that.”
The men stopped gathering their coats.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means you should stop making scenes before you embarrass yourself.”
Emily stirred against me.
“Mommy, I feel funny.”
I touched her forehead again.
It was hotter than before.
“I’m taking her to urgent care.”
“You’re not taking my car.”
“The family car is in both our names.”
“The keys aren’t.”
Glen pulled them from his pocket and closed his fist around them.
Mark reached for his coat.
“I’ll drive you.”
“You’ll stay out of this,” Glen said.
Mark put himself between Glen and Emily.
“Your little girl needs a doctor.
Move.”
Glen looked around the room, waiting for someone to support him.
Not one of his friends spoke.
I carried Emily toward the front door.
“Laura,” Glen called after me, “if you leave now, don’t blame me for what happens next.”
I turned.
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s advice.”
Mark opened the door, but Glen’s phone buzzed again.
This time it lay faceup on the carpet where he had dropped it.
A banking notification glowed on the screen.
TRANSFER COMPLETE: $28,400.
I stared at the amount.
“That’s our entire savings account,” I said.
Glen snatched up the phone.
May you like
“No,” he replied.
“It was our savings account.”
