Chapter 2 - The Smile Behind His Shoulder
Three days.
That was how long I had been unconscious.
Seventy-two hours during which surgeons had repaired the internal damage Julian caused while police apparently received a version of events that bore little resemblance to reality.
I learned pieces of it from Dr. Reed.
A house employee had eventually discovered me.
An ambulance had been called.
Julian claimed there had been a terrible domestic confrontation.
He said I had become violent.
He said the knife had been involved in a struggle.
Selina supported his story.
Of course she did.
But there was one problem neither of them knew about.
My watch.
I didn't mention it immediately.
Not even to Dr. Reed.
I needed to know whether the recording had survived.
And more importantly, I needed to understand whom I could trust.
Julian approached the hospital bed.
“Nora.”
Dr. Reed moved directly between us.
“Mr. Vance, before you come any closer, there’s a medical reality you need to know.”
Julian frowned.
“I’m her husband. Get out of my way.”
“Exactly,” Dr. Reed replied. “Which makes this all the more tragic.”
He opened my chart.
Then he removed the ultrasound.
Julian stared at it.
Two tiny silhouettes.
His expression changed slowly.
Confusion.
Recognition.
Then disbelief.
“What is that?”
Dr. Reed’s eyes hardened.
“Your wife was pregnant.”
Julian stopped breathing.
“Was?”
“Is.”
His eyes snapped toward me.
Dr. Reed continued.
“And she wasn't carrying one baby.”
He placed his finger beside the two forms.
“She was carrying twins.”
The bouquet slipped from Julian’s hand.
White roses scattered across the hospital floor.
For the first time since Selina had entered our lives, Julian Vance had nothing to say.
He looked at me.
“Nora…”
I turned my face away.
“You’re pregnant?”
My throat hurt when I answered.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“The night you came home late because Selina needed you.”
His face collapsed.
“I didn't know.”
“No.”
“Nora, I swear, I didn't know.”
I looked back at him.
“And if you had?”
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
That silence answered for him.
Because pregnancy wasn't the point.
Even if I hadn't been carrying his children, I had been his wife.
I had been a human being.
And he had chosen to believe a lie before giving me the dignity of an explanation.
Dr. Reed asked him to leave.
Julian refused.
Then two hospital security officers appeared.
Apparently, Dr. Reed had anticipated that.
As they escorted Julian toward the door, he twisted around.
“Nora, please. We need to talk.”
I said nothing.
The door closed.
Only then did I start crying.
Dr. Reed pulled a chair closer.
“You don't owe anyone conversation right now.”
“My watch.”
“What?”
“The police. Did they take my watch?”
He thought for a moment.
“Your belongings were sealed after surgery. They're in hospital security.”
“I need it.”
“Nora—”
“There’s a recording on it.”
His expression changed.
I told him what I had done.
Not everything.
Only enough.
Dr. Reed immediately called the detective assigned to my case.
Her name was Detective Maya Bennett.
She arrived forty minutes later.
Maya was in her early forties, composed, observant, and refreshingly unimpressed by the Vance surname.
She brought my belongings in an evidence bag.
My smartwatch was inside.
When it powered on, my hands shook so badly Maya had to help me navigate the screen.
There it was.
A recording.
Thirty-seven minutes.
Maya looked at me.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded.
She pressed play.
At first there was only muffled movement.
Then Julian’s voice.
“She’s gone.”
A pause.
“I… I did it, Selina. Just like you said. We’re free.”
Dr. Reed closed his eyes.
Maya didn't move.
Then Selina’s voice appeared.
Calm.
Nothing like the trembling victim she had pretended to be.
“Then stop panicking and listen to me.”
Julian said something indistinct.
Selina continued.
“You cannot call the police yet.”
“What?”
“You need time to make it look like she attacked you.”
My entire body went cold.
Maya leaned closer to the watch.
The recording continued.
Julian sounded horrified.
“You said she was dangerous.”
“She was.”
“You said she threatened to kill you.”
“She did.”
“Then why are we changing anything?”
Selina paused.
“Because nobody is going to believe the CEO of Vance Global lost control unless we give them a reason.”
Maya stopped the recording.
She looked at me.
“Mrs. Vance, I need to take this into evidence.”
“Take it.”
“Once I do, this becomes much bigger.”
“Good.”
For the first time since waking up, I felt something stronger than fear.
Not revenge.
Control.
Maya left with the watch.
That evening, Julian returned.
He wasn't allowed inside.
I heard him arguing quietly with security in the corridor.
Then someone else arrived.
Selina.
I recognized her perfume before I heard her voice.
“Nora?”
Every muscle in my body tightened.
Dr. Reed immediately moved toward the door.
“Absolutely not.”
But I stopped him.
“Wait.”
He looked at me.
“I want to hear what she says.”
Selina entered.
She wore a pale blue coat.
No tears this time.
She stared at my stomach.
Then at the ultrasound sitting beside the bed.
For half a second, genuine surprise crossed her face.
“You were pregnant.”
“Still am.”
Her jaw tightened.
“Twins.”
I watched her process that.
Then she smiled sadly.
“Nora, this whole thing went too far.”
I almost laughed.
“Too far?”
“Julian lost control.”
“Because of you.”
“I didn't tell him to hurt you.”
I stared at her.
She didn't know about the recording.
That was obvious.
So I decided to give her enough rope.
“What did you tell him?”
“That you attacked me.”
“Which was a lie.”
She stepped closer.
“You were always going to lose him.”
There it was.
No performance.
No tears.
Just Selina.
“You couldn't stand that he loved me first,” she continued.
“First isn't the same as best.”
Her smile vanished.
“You think those babies will save your marriage?”
I looked at her.
“My marriage is over.”
That surprised her.
I continued.
“You can have Julian.”
She leaned toward me.
“Then why do you look so angry?”
“Because you made one mistake.”
“What mistake?”
I let my gaze settle on her face.
“You assumed I needed Julian to destroy you.”
For the first time, Selina looked uncertain.
She left without another word.
Ten minutes later, Detective Maya called.
“Nora, we enhanced the audio.”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“And?”
“There’s more than we realized.”
“What?”
Maya paused.
“After you lost consciousness, Selina made a phone call.”
My heart began pounding.
“To whom?”
“We don't know yet.”
Then Maya told me what Selina had said.
May you like
And suddenly I understood that the attack in my living room hadn't begun that afternoon.
It had been planned long before Selina ever walked through my door.
