Maxwell's scream snapped me to attention.
I looked at Vera. Her water had broken.
"What are you standing there for? Get her to the hospital!"
"I don't have time to deal with you right now."
Maxwell roared at me, then moved his car out from where he'd blocked mine. He pulled ahead to clear the way, and within fifteen minutes we made it to the hospital without incident.
Vera was wheeled into the delivery room. Mrs. Head arrived at the hospital shortly after, fuming.
The moment she saw me, she swung her hand and slapped me across the face.
A sweet, metallic taste surged up my throat. I opened my mouth to fire back, but a mouthful of blood came out instead.
"Sharon, I had no idea you could be this vicious."
"If anything happens to my grandchild, a slap will be the least of your worries."
"Who told you it's your grandchild?" I said.
Mrs. Head raised her hand again, shaking with fury. Before the blow could land, Maxwell caught her wrist.
His face was rigid, his eyes cutting like a blade.
"Sharon, what exactly are you saying?"
"That the babies Vera's carrying aren't mine? Is that what you're saying? Again?"
"What?" Mrs. Head was beside herself.
"You couldn't give us children, and I never held that against you."
"But you? You keep cursing Maxwell, over and over!"
She drove her foot into my knee.
I hadn't seen it coming. The kick buckled my legs and sent me to the ground.
"Whether they're your son's or not," I said from the floor, "you'll find out soon enough."
Maxwell didn't help me up. Instead, he seized my jaw in a vise grip, fingers digging into my skin.
"Even now, you won't quit."
"Fine. Let me spell it out for you. When Vera came to me, she was pure. Untouched. Not like you, you used-up piece of trash."
Mrs. Head's eyes went wide as saucers. She slapped me again.
Still not satisfied, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and slammed my head into the wall.
She kept going, wrenching me forward and smashing me back, again and again, until my scalp split open and blood streaked down the plaster.
Even then, she wasn't done. She spat the words through gritted teeth: "No wonder you can't have kids!"
"Must've been sleeping around so much you got rid of too many. Ruined yourself."
I let the blood run from my forehead down my face. My eyes locked onto hers, unblinking.
"Who told you I'm the one who can't have children?"
"Still talking back!" She lunged at me again.
Maxwell saw the blood covering my head and face. He didn't stop her. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
Mrs. Head noticed he wasn't intervening, and it only emboldened her. Her voice climbed higher. "Of course it's you!"
"How many years have you been married to my son? Not a single egg to show for it."
"Now he's about to be a father. So tell me, who's the one that can't conceive?"
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "So any woman who gets pregnant must be carrying your son's baby?"
She took it for jealousy and rolled her eyes at me.
"You don't have to be so nasty about it!" She jabbed a finger in my direction. "I used to think my son married above himself. Turns out you're the one who took advantage of him, you worthless tramp."
"Go ahead and wait for your little gotcha moment!" She released my hair with a shove.
"When that baby comes out, you'll see for yourself!"
The words had barely left my mouth when the delivery room door swung open.
A nurse stepped out, her expression stern.
Maxwell and Mrs. Head rushed forward.
"This is a hospital. Keep your voices down!"
"All this commotion is disturbing the patient and the surgeon."
She waited until our side had gone quiet before continuing.
"Who here is Vera Galloway's family?"
Maxwell stepped forward, tense. "I am..."
The nurse swept Maxwell with a strange look.
"Nurse, how's Vera doing?"
"Are she and the babies okay?"
"They're fine, but..." The nurse trailed off, then produced a liability waiver and held it out to Maxwell.
