Paulette grabbed a passing nurse by the arm and jabbed a finger in my direction. "Nurse, you be the judge! This woman has a terminal illness and she's trying to drag her husband to the grave with her! She poisoned his food!"
Most of the doctors and nurses in the corridor knew Thaddeus. The moment those words landed, their gazes swiveled toward me, dripping with contempt.
"That's Dr. Gilbert's wife? She looks so harmless, but she's rotten inside."
"I heard she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Must've snapped."
"Poor Dr. Gilbert. Married a psychopath."
The whispers buzzed around me like flies.
I walked to a bench, sat down, and pulled the diagnosis report from my bag. I snapped a photo and sent it to my lawyer.
Draft an asset-preservation motion. And pull Paulette Fox's hotel records.
After I hit send, I looked up—straight into Paulette's venomous stare.
She clicked toward me in her stilettos, towering over me with the smugness of someone who believed she'd already won.
"Pearl, you're finished. The second Thaddeus wakes up, I'm telling him exactly what you did. You can rot in prison."
She raised her hand to slap me.
This time, I didn't flinch.
The instant her palm was about to connect, I caught her wrist, twisted, and cracked her across the face with everything I had.
Paulette staggered back several steps. The left side of her face swelled red almost immediately.
"How dare you hit me!" She clutched her cheek and shrieked.
"Because I feel like it." I stood and closed the distance between us. "I am Thaddeus Gilbert's lawfully wedded wife. And what exactly are you? A nameless, titleless mistress—screaming in my face like you have the right. You think you're worthy?"
"You—!" Paulette was shaking with rage. She spun toward Mrs. Gilbert Sr. "Mom, look at her!"
Mrs. Gilbert Sr. scrambled up from the floor and lurched toward me.
"Enough!" A sharp voice cut through the hallway.
Dr. Harmon emerged from the emergency room holding a set of scans, his expression grave. He was Thaddeus's department chief and had always thought highly of him.
"What is all this noise? This is a hospital!" He shot Mrs. Gilbert Sr. and Paulette a withering look, then turned to me, something unreadable in his eyes. "Family of the patient? Come with me to my office."
Mrs. Gilbert Sr. wiped her tears and shoved her way to the front. "This woman tried to kill my son! Doctor, was my son poisoned by her? Is it poison?"
Dr. Harmon ignored her and walked away.
We followed him inside.
