The Price of a Perfect Lie

hed against the nurse' s g

She fell to her knees beside my bed. "Please, Isabella,

lingering around her shoulders. The gesture w

voice calm and reasonable, as if he were asking m

e knew that. He had sat by my bed for days while doctors lectured me

r me. I let them take my blood. What was one more violation,

r came. I waited for two days. The nurses would come in, their faces a m

ad spent an entire afternoon making funny faces just to coax a smile out

story to Jaden. A video of them laughing together in the hospital playroom. A picture of the three of them, as

text that chan

he cafe across the street. I ha

oth, a smug smile on her face. She

she said. "A non-fat l

ffee. "What do

to understand your place. You' re the past, Isabella. I am the future

o recorder across the

s, weak and frail, from a few months ago bef

it with that woman. You a

"Isabella is stronger than you think. And

oked at Holly, my eyes

ed. "When my mother had her

gued. Her heart just... gave out. It was a shame." She took a delicate si

ngled it in front of me. It was my mother' s. The one m

d her," I choked out, lunging

back! You

eamed and stumbled backward, clutching her stomach. "My baby!" she cried

scene-me standing, her on the floor, weeping. He did

re doing?" he snarled, his face a

the broken locket on the floor. "That

er, then back to Holly, who was now sobbing

y quiet. "Tell her to kneel and apolo

ooked at Gregory, a silent p

nees. "I' m sorry, Isabella," she whimpere

, grieving woman on her knees. He saw me, st

He scooped Holly into his arms, ignoring the stares o

ng me alone with the shattered pieces

he broken silver and the tiny, faded photograph. A s

ut into it, not caring that I was getting soaked to the bone. The

d let this woman

egs gave out, and I collapsed on the wet pavement,

nding over me. "We need a family member to

hollow sound. "I don