Chapter 2
Calista borrowed a phone and called the Juniville estate. Clover Carpenter, one of the household staff, answered. “Hello?”
Calista’s voice was ice cold as she said, “It’s Calista.”
“Ma’am! Where have you been? Ms. Wendy’s been looking everywhere for you.”
Wendy Quinsley was Lucien’s mother and Calista’s mother-in-law.
Calista was too exhausted to give much of an explanation. She simply asked Clover to bring her phone from her room as she needed it to pay the medical bills.
An hour later, Clover arrived carrying a small bag. But she wasn’t alone. Wendy had come too.
Wendy wore an expensive dress and carried the latest designer handbag. She looked at Calista lying in the hospital bed with pure disdain.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding? In a hospital? How pathetic. You think making yourself look pitiful will get Lucien’s attention?
“Let me make something clear, Calista. Stop deluding yourself. Lucien and Ophelia are still on their business trip for another two weeks. No one’s going to fall for your little performance.
“Do yourself a favor and divorce my son. You were never good enough for the Fenwick family anyway.
“Stop lying there pretending to be sick and get up. You’re coming to the Fenwick estate right now. Lucien’s grandmother wants to see you.”
Wendy assumed that Calista was faking her condition entirely.
Calista didn’t blame her. She really wasn’t good enough for Lucien, and she didn’t deserve the title of Mrs. Fenwick.
Everyone in the Fenwick family, even the staff, had never treated her with any respect. Now that the baby was gone, Calista finally saw everything clearly.
“The doctor said I can’t get out of bed yet, so I can’t go see Grandma,” Calista said coldly. She had never expected anyone from the Fenwick family to help care for her anyway.
For a moment, Wendy was speechless. Calista had never talked back to her before!
In the past, Calista had been completely submissive, always trying to win her approval. She followed every order without question and never dared show the slightest attitude.
“Getting brave now, are we? Still putting on this act? I told you to get up, so get up! If you won’t walk out, we’ll drag you!
“Clover, get her out of that bed!”
Clover was utterly loyal to Wendy. She was strong and easily hauled Calista off the bed without hesitation.
Calista crashed to the floor and screamed in pain. Her ribs, which had just started healing, felt like they’d broken all over again.
It wasn’t until they heard her agonized cry that both women noticed the terrible burn covering Calista’s arm. The flesh was charred and raw. It was absolutely horrific to look at. She’d gotten it when the ambulance had burst into flames.
Calista lay curled on the cold hospital floor, writhing in pain.
Clover immediately panicked. “Ms. Calista… Are you…”
Wendy hadn’t expected Calista actually to be hurt this time. She stood there completely lost.
If Lucien’s grandmother, Serena Stewart, discovered that Calista had been in the hospital this whole time with no one from the family knowing or caring, there would be hell to pay.
Just then, someone came running down the hall. “Cali!”
“Anthony?”
The sight of Anthony Cannon made all of Calista’s bottled-up emotions spill over. The tears just wouldn’t stop. Anthony scooped Calista off the floor and carefully set her back on the bed.
“Hey, I’m here now. You’re safe.”
Calista kept crying as she looked at him. Anthony pressed the call button, and doctors came rushing in.
Her ribs had cracked open again. She needed surgery right away, or her condition could deteriorate. Seeing Calista get wheeled back into the operating room, Wendy just dumped everything on Clover without even pretending to care.
“You stay and watch her.” And with that, she bolted like she couldn’t get away fast enough.
Calista felt like she was dancing with death all over again. Fortunately for her, she was too stubborn to die.
She could hear Anthony losing his temper outside her door, and within minutes, he’d sent Clover packing. Anthony’s distinct features were tight with anger as he walked into the room.
Calista weakly asked, “Anthony, weren’t you and Clarice back home? What are you doing in Dorcan?”
Anthony pulled up a chair next to her bed. “The highway pile-up made the news. I saw someone in the footage who looked like you from behind. When I called and you didn’t answer after several tries, I got worried it really was you, so I rushed over.”
Anthony had been searching everywhere, going from hospital to hospital, until he found Calista. She noticed that he was still wearing his blue work pants and canvas shoes, which were both covered in mud. He’d clearly come in a real hurry.
Seeing this made her throat tighten with emotion. Anthony was wearing the old clothes he had worn while working on the farm. He seemed self-conscious about how out of place he looked in the pristine hospital and shifted uncomfortably.
“Anthony…” Calista felt something break inside her, and the tears came harder. “I miss Mom. Can you take me home?”
“Yeah. Once you’re better, I’ll take you home.”
Anthony tucked the blanket around her properly. Calista closed her eyes, her long lashes still wet with tears. He gently wiped them away.
He knew that even back with the Marchand family, Calista’s life hadn’t been easy, let alone these past three years married into the Fenwicks.
