Chapter 2: The Woman Who Thought She Was at the Dentist
For a long moment, neither of us moved.
Then Marco stepped toward me, hands raised, voice low and urgent.
"Please.
Let me explain before you say anything."
"Explain WHAT, Marco?" My voice cracked.
"You told me you worked at a hospital.
You told me for THREE YEARS."
He closed his eyes.
"I know what I told you."
"Then why does this look nothing like a hospital?"
He didn't answer.
And that silence was worse than anything he could have said.
I turned and looked at the room again.
The soft lighting.
The framed certificates on the wall — but not the kind I expected.
The long mirror.
The chair positioned just so.
Then I saw the photograph on his desk.
A woman.
Before and after.
Smiling in both, but differently.
My throat went dry.
"Marco…
what do you actually do here?"
He opened his mouth.
Then the door behind me opened.
The receptionist leaned in, completely unaware of what she was walking into.
"Sorry to interrupt — your three o'clock is here.
She says it's urgent.
She also said to tell you…" She glanced at a note in her hand.
"She said to tell you her husband still thinks she's at the dentist."
The room went completely still.
Marco looked at me.
May you like
I looked at him.
And I realized I hadn't even asked the right question yet.
