Chapter 3 3

Elenore stared at the "Account Frozen" notification until the pixels seemed to blur into a gray smudge. Her stomach twisted into a knot so tight it made her nauseous.

The landline on the desk rang. It was a shrill, demanding sound that cut through the silence of the room.

She knew who it was. She picked up the receiver, her hand damp with cold sweat.

"Ms. Parsons?" The voice was the billing administrator from Pinecrest. The name sent a jolt of cold relief through her; at least they were adhering to the NDA. "We just received a decline on the autopay for your mother's respiratory support unit. Code 05: Do Not Honor."

"It's a mistake," Elenore said quickly. "A banking error. I'll sort it out."

"We need the funds by close of business, Ms. Parsons. The policy for life support systems is strict. If the account isn't current within 24 hours, we are required to transition the patient to the state-subsidized ward."

The state ward. It was a warehouse for the dying. Understaffed, overcrowded. Hazle wouldn't last a week there.

"I will handle it," Elenore promised, her voice cracking. She hung up.

Her cell phone buzzed again. A text from Sylvia Vance.

My office. 2:00 PM. Behavioral Review.

Elenore closed her eyes. It was a summons.

She drove her five-year-old sedan to the city. She wasn't allowed to drive the luxury cars in the garage; those were for "public appearances." The drive to Manhattan took two hours in traffic. Her AC was broken, and the heat in the car was stifling, but she felt freezing cold.

Fields Tower pierced the skyline, a monolith of black glass and steel. Elenore parked three blocks away to avoid the valet fees she couldn't pay.

She walked into the lobby. The receptionist, a woman who had worked there for three years, looked up.

"Name?" she asked, as if she didn't know.

"Elenore Parsons."

"Have a seat. Ms. Vance is in a meeting."

Elenore sat on the hard, modernist bench in the corner of the lobby. Staff members walked by, glancing at her. She heard whispers.

"That's her. The charity case."

"I heard she's basically an indentured servant."

She sat there for forty-five minutes. She kept her back straight, her hands folded in her lap, refusing to let them see her crumble.

Finally, her phone buzzed. Come up.

She took the elevator to the 40th floor. The air up here was thinner, colder. She walked into Vance's glass-walled office.

Vance was sitting behind her desk. She was holding an ice pack to her cheek. She lowered it as Elenore entered. The bruise was faint but visible.

Vance didn't speak. She slid a single sheet of paper across the polished mahogany desk.

CONDUCT APOLOGY & LIABILITY WAIVER

Elenore read the text. It was a confession. It stated that Elenore Parsons admitted to "emotional instability," "unprovoked hysteria," and "physical aggression." It absolved the company and Cedrick Fields of any liability regarding her mental health.

"Sign it," Vance said. Her voice was muffled slightly by the swelling in her jaw.

"If I sign this," Elenore said, looking up, "you unfreeze the account?"

"Immediately."

Elenore picked up the pen. It was heavy, a Montblanc. She felt the weight of it like a weapon aimed at herself. If she signed this, she was giving them ammunition to use against her in court later. She was admitting she was crazy.

But the image of her mother, gasping for air in a crowded state ward, flashed in her mind.

Elenore signed. The ink was black and permanent.

Vance smiled. It was a triumphant, ugly expression. She typed a command into her keyboard. "Done. The transfer is processing."

Vance leaned forward. "Don't ever touch me again, Elenore. Or I pull the plug on your mother myself. I won't wait for the bank."

Elenore turned and walked out. Her legs felt like they didn't belong to her. She felt hollowed out, scraped clean of dignity.

She passed the breakroom. A large television was mounted on the wall, playing Entertainment Tonight.

"Tech Mogul Cedrick Fields: The Family Man?" the headline blared.

Elenore stopped.

The footage was grainy, taken from a distance with a telephoto lens. It showed Cedrick walking down a street in SoHo. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt-clothes Elenore had never seen him wear.

He was carrying three pink shopping bags. He was smiling down at a little girl skipping beside him. Julianna was on his other side, linking her arm through his, laughing at something he said.

They looked perfect. They looked happy.

A junior analyst bumped into Elenore's shoulder. "Oh, sorry," he muttered. He glanced at the TV, then at Elenore. He leaned toward his colleague. "That's the paid companion. Awkward."

Elenore couldn't breathe. The lobby felt like it was shrinking, the glass walls pressing in.

She ran to the elevator. She hit the button repeatedly, gasping for air.

When she reached her car, she locked the doors and screamed. No sound came out. It was a silent, guttural heave of her chest. She pounded the steering wheel until her palms ached.

Her phone chimed.

From: Cedrick

Coming home. Dinner at 7. Be presentable.

Elenore looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were red. Her hair was messy from the humidity. She looked broken.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand. The roughness of her skin against her cheek grounded her.

"Not yet," she whispered to the empty car. "Not until I win."

She put the car in gear. She was going back to the lion's den.