Chapter 15
She shook her head immediately.
“No.”
He didn't ask a question yet.
She had answered anyway.
That frightened her more.
“Vanessa,” he said.
“This is insane.”
“Have you ever been treated by Dr. Keller?”
“No.”
Rachel said nothing.
Vanessa turned on her.
“You have no right to accuse me of anything.”
“I haven't accused you.”
“You implied it.”
“I said I recognized you.”
“From a party two years before my pregnancy.”
“Three years.”
Vanessa's eyes flashed.
“You're trying to destroy my family.”
I almost responded.
Then I realized something.
She hadn't said marriage.
She'd said family.
Julian stepped closer.
“Were you seeing Keller?”
“No.”
“Personally?”
“No.”
“Professionally?”
“No.”
Charles opened his desk drawer.
“What hospital were the boys born at?”
Vanessa's face changed again.
Margaret looked at him.
“Charles.”
He ignored her.
“Which fertility practice did you use?”
“I didn't use one.”
Julian's head snapped toward her.
“What?”
She realized the mistake.
“You said we conceived naturally,” he said.
“We did.”
“Then why did my father ask about a fertility practice and you answered that you didn't use one instead of asking why he thought you had?”
Vanessa stared at him.
No one spoke.
Julian's voice became lower.
“Did you undergo fertility treatment?”
“No.”
“Vanessa.”
“No.”
He walked away from her.
For the first time, I saw something I'd never seen during our marriage.
Julian was looking at someone he loved and realizing he did not know when she was telling the truth.
I knew exactly how that felt.
Margaret pressed both hands against her temples.
“This is becoming grotesque.”
Charles picked up his phone.
Vanessa moved quickly.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling our family physician.”
“You cannot test my children because Evelyn suddenly appeared with hers.”
Charles looked at her.
“No one said anything about testing.”
Again, Vanessa had answered a question no one had asked.
Julian looked sick.
“Jesus.”
Vanessa began crying.
Real tears this time.
She turned to him.
“Julian, please. Don't let them do this.”
He stared at her.
“Then tell me the truth.”
“I am.”
“Tell me why you're terrified.”
“Because your entire family has turned against me in ten minutes.”
“That's not why.”
“You don't know what you're talking about.”
He stepped closer.
“I know what you look like when you're scared.”
The words hit me strangely.
Of course he did.
He'd had two years to learn her.
She crossed her arms over her stomach, though she was no longer pregnant.