Chapter 34
Healy remembered his father’s and Miss Jean’s warnings and pouted. “I don’t know her name.”
“You didn’t ask her?” Blanche’s voice was gentle; she had always trusted Healy. He was an honest, sincere child-never one to lie.
But now, something in her wavered.
Healy faltered, unable to meet her eyes or offer an answer. Blanche’s disappointment was palpable as she let go of his hand and stepped away.
She left Tia’s room and nearly collided with Eddy and Hedwig in the hallway.
Healy saw the sadness on his mother’s face and remembered the sting of his father’s slap-a memory that still left him shaken. If Dad knew he’d upset Mom again, there would be more scolding, maybe worse. He couldn’t let that happen.
Healy rushed out after Blanche. Right in front of her, Eddy, and Hedwig, he blurted out, “Mom, her name is Lara.”
The name slipped out before he realized Eddy was standing there too. Healy froze in place, startled, then stumbled backward and landed on the carpet with a thump.
Blanche’s long lashes trembled violently; her eyes widened with shock as she turned to Eddy. In a flash, she grabbed him by the collar, her voice a raw whisper. “Her name is Lara? That little girl’s name is Lara?”
Her sorrow seemed to overflow, drowning everything in its path.
She had loved this man for ten years, and now he was doing this to her? Eddy-he had no heart
at all.
How dare he ask her to raise his illegitimate child? How dare he let her call herself Clara, how
dare he humiliate her and her Lara like this?
Eddy steadied Blanche’s trembling body, holding her close and speaking softly. “Honey, if you don’t like the name, once we adopt her, you can change it to anything you want.”
“Lara? Who’s Lara?” Hedwig pulled Healy up and brushed the dust from his clothes, her voice filled with confusion. Why was her sister-in-law so agitated at hearing that name?
Healy kept his head down, not daring to look at Eddy. He’d promised his father never to tell anyone about Lara. Now he’d broken that promise.
“She’s a little girl your sister-in-law and I are planning to adopt,” Eddy explained politely to Hedwig. “She’s about Tia’s age, maybe four.”
“Oh, I see. Then Tia and Healy will have someone new to play with.” Hedwig tried to sound cheerful, determined to chase away the gloom left by Vincent’s betrayal, though exhaustion was written all over her face.
As her in-laws chatted, Blanche pushed Eddy away and walked slowly down the corridor toward the stairs. She wiped her tears, determined not to shed another for Eddy. She couldn’t bear any more hurt from him. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed into despair.
When she awoke, she was lying in the third-floor bedroom she and Eddy shared.
“The lady fainted from emotional distress and low blood pressure. She’ll recover with some rest.” Sophie’s voice drifted in from outside the door.
A few minutes later, Eddy entered the room.
Blanche met his worried gaze, then closed her eyes, shutting him out. She felt the bed dip and a large, warm hand gently clasped hers. She was too weak to pull away.
His familiar voice, tinged with sadness and regret, filled the silence. “Honey, can’t we just treat this child as if she were our lost Lara? Please?”
Blanche’s lips were dry and tightly pressed together. Not a word escaped her. The ache in her chest was hollowing her out, leaving her wishing for oblivion:
She wanted him gone.
But she could only listen as Eddy continued, “Please, don’t keep hoping for another pregnancy. Don’t keep waiting for Lara to come back. I’ve already lost Lara-I can’t bear to lose you too.”
The room was silent for a long time.
Eventually, the housekeeper hurried in with an errand. After listening, Eddy squeezed Blanche’s hand one last time and said quietly, “I’ll come back later and stay with you.”
Blanche opened her bloodshot eyes, forcing herself out of bed. She walked to the desk and began drafting a divorce agreement.
For “Reason for Divorce,” she wrote: Irreconcilable differences due to my husband’s infidelity and betrayal.
She scheduled the document to be sent by email on the day she planned to leave-the system would deliver it to Eddy automatically.
Eddy didn’t come home for two days. Instead, a bodyguard dropped off a brand-new phone.
Blanche remembered how, no matter where she went, Eddy always managed to find her. She plugged the phone into her computer, scanning it for tracking software. Nothing unusual showed up.
How did he always manage to find her?
Two days passed. Blanche never once left her room.
Meanwhile, Hedwig and Loraine’s constant bickering echoed through the house.
