Chapter 6 - Behind the Locked Door
Everything happened the following afternoon.
Too quickly for Leah to fully understand.
A behavioral-health specialist arrived shortly after lunch.
She introduced herself as Dr. Meredith Sloan.
Leah answered every question calmly.
No, she did not want to hurt herself.
No, she did not want to harm Eli.
No, she was not hearing voices.
No, she did not believe strangers were following her.
Yes, she believed her husband and mother-in-law were trying to portray her as unstable.
Dr. Sloan wrote something down.
Leah immediately regretted the sentence.
Nathan sat in the corner.
Doreen sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
When the interview ended, Dr. Sloan asked them to step outside.
Ten minutes later, Mae entered.
Her face was pale.
“Get up.”
Leah stared at her.
“What?”
“Now.”
“I can barely walk.”
“I know.”
Mae locked the wheels of Eli’s bassinet.
Then she took Leah firmly by the arm.
They moved through the far end of the maternity ward.
Leah’s incision burned with every step.
Mae opened an unmarked door.
“Inside.”
Leah stumbled into a cramped supply closet.
Mae pulled the bassinet behind her.
“Do not come out until I return.”
“What is happening?”
“Not even if Nathan calls your name.”
Leah’s heartbeat hammered.
“Mae.”
Footsteps approached outside.
Mae slipped out.
The lock clicked.
Leah stood in darkness except for the glow of a narrow frosted window.
Then voices stopped directly outside.
Doreen spoke first.
“Once the psychiatric hold is approved, the baby goes home with the family.”
Leah covered her mouth.
Nathan answered.
“And if she challenges it?”
“She’ll be medicated.”
Doreen’s voice remained calm.
“By the time she is released, emergency custody will already be filed.”
Nathan lowered his voice.
“You said this was temporary.”
“Don’t be naïve.”
“She’ll never forgive me.”
“She doesn’t need to.”
“What about the trust?”
Leah froze.
Doreen continued.
“The trust becomes irrevocable once the first male grandchild is registered.”
Nathan whispered something Leah could not hear.
Doreen answered more loudly.
“Your father designed it that way.”
“Eli controls forty-two million dollars through his guardian.”
Leah felt the room tilt.
Forty-two million.
Nathan spoke again.
“You said I would control it.”
“You will.”
“If Leah is removed.”
Leah looked down at her sleeping son.
Suddenly, the nightmare made sense.
Nathan holding the baby.
Doreen watching.
Leah unable to reach them.
Then another voice joined the conversation.
Simone.
“What about me?”
Doreen sounded annoyed.
“You were supposed to keep Leah emotionally unstable until after delivery.”
Simone snapped.
“I did what you asked.”
“You failed.”
Nathan whispered.
“Keep your voice down.”
Simone laughed bitterly.
“You promised me Leah would be gone before anyone knew about us.”
Silence followed.
Leah stopped breathing.
May you like
Then Simone said the words that destroyed whatever remained of Leah’s marriage.
“I’m carrying your child too, Nathan.”
