Chapter 28
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The silence in the examination room was deafening, broken only by the hum of the air conditioning vent overhead. I stared at Chloe, trying to reconcile the image of the golden child my mother had favored with the broken, exhausted young woman sitting in front of me. She was wearing an oversized, stained hoodie, and the dark circles under her eyes spoke of profound, chronic stress.
"What are you doing here, Chloe?" I asked, my voice instinctively dropping into a cold, protective register. I had fought too hard for my peace to let my family drag me back into the dark.
"I didn't know where else to go," Chloe sobbed, burying her face in her good hand. "I drove all night. I slept in my car. Please, Maya, don't throw me out. Please."
I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, fortifying my emotional boundaries. I bent down, picked up the clipboard, and took a slow, measured breath. I was not the terrified girl I used to be. I was a sovereign woman in my own territory.
"I am not going to throw you out," I said calmly, stepping closer to inspect her wrist. "But you are in my clinic, which means right now, you are my patient. Let me look at your arm."
Chloe sniffled, holding out her swollen wrist. I gently manipulated the joint, my clinical training overriding my emotional shock.
"It's not broken," I diagnosed softly. "It's a severe sprain. How did this happen?"
"Mom," Chloe whispered, staring at the floor. "She got angry. She wanted me to sign over the trust fund Dad left me to cover her new credit card debts. When I finally said no, she grabbed me and threw me against the heavy oak staircase."
My blood ran completely cold. The physical violence was a new line, even for Eleanor.
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"I left," Chloe continued, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. "I packed a single bag and ran. She cut off my phone, my cards, everything. I have nothing, Maya. You were right about her all along. She's a monster."
"I know," I said, my voice softening as I reached for an ice pack and an elastic bandage. "You're safe now. Let's fix this wrist first."
