When the doctor came to examine her, she fought with everything she had, even threatening to hurt herself.
The needle left a shallow scratch along her arm.
It felt like it split my whole heart open.
I threw myself into calling every major law firm, searching for a psychiatrist.
All I wanted was to win Faye the justice she deserved.
But Barnaby never once asked about his own daughter.
Just as I was preparing to formally press charges against the attacker, he finally showed up.
A bouquet of flowers in his hands, exhaustion all over his face.
"Come home, Cora."
"Tomorrow is Faye's birthday. Maxine convinced me to come home and spend some time with the two of you."
"She says she knows everything you've done is just to get my attention. She won't hold it against you, and I don't want to bring it up again either."
I answered coldly.
"Faye's birthday was last month."
That day she'd cooked a whole table of food.
She waited all day, and got nothing but photos of Barnaby and Maxine working late at a café.
When he didn't get the reaction he expected, Barnaby rubbed his temple lightly.
"Cora, can you stop making a scene?"
"Because of your slander, Maxine hasn't had a good night's sleep this whole time, and I've been running myself ragged over it too."
"You're a grown woman. Why do you have to keep going after a young girl?"
"She's already forgiven you. Are you only going to be satisfied once you've ruined her whole life?"
Faye's life had already been ruined, and by their hands.
I knew I could never out-argue a top attorney.
So I put the divorce papers straight in front of him.
"Let's get divorced. Everything else can be settled in court."
Barnaby froze for a second, then furiously threw them in the trash.
"Cora, is there no end to this with you?"
"Our kid is nearly grown, and you want a divorce?"
"Enough. Stop making a scene."
"If you're bored, go get a facial, go out for brunch. Stop being jealous of a young, pretty girl and threatening to kill yourself over petty little things."
Even now, he refused to believe me.
Refused, still, to believe his own daughter.
I had no strength left to argue.
I was about to speak when my phone rang.
The nurse on duty was shouting, frantic.
"Miss Henson, Lawyer Farley's assistant just barged into Faye's room."
"Faye hasn't been doing well lately. I'm worried the shock will make her worse. Please come back right now."
Something in me dropped.
I shoved Barnaby aside and rushed back as fast as I could.
Barnaby came after me.
"Cora, did you hear me talking to you?"
"Maxine only went to gather evidence through the normal procedure. Why are you acting so guilty? Are you afraid she'll expose your lies?"
"Before this blows up any bigger, hurry up and apologize and put an end to it!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a familiar figure plunged down in front of me.
Then came a deafening crash.
Blood burst out across everything in front of me.
I stood frozen where I was.
Then I ran forward like I'd lost my mind.
"Faye!"
That was my daughter, my baby.
Only this morning she had promised me, so firmly, that she would forget the past and go on living.
And now she lay broken in front of Barnaby and me, like a fallen leaf.
