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The wind whipped up around me, pulling at my hair and chilling the sweat that clung to my bare skin. A quick Google search of the new facility told me that I would never be able to afford those bills in a million years, but, to his credit, the treatment was groundbreaking.
It would be a kindness from anyone else. From Eli, it was twisted manipulation and I was at a complete loss at how to proceed. My poor mother didn’t deserve to be carted about like some prized sow.
Hopelessness washed over me, and my heart ached. Tears sprung into the corner of my eyes and my feet caught on each other while I struggled to walk down the street.
I was completely and utterly lost.
Then, my phone buzzed in my hand. I ignored it, expecting it to be another concerned text from Bianca about where I’d ended up—until another one came through straight after.
I looked down through my tears and blinked, causing them to roll down my cheeks and land on my phone screen. The words warped and bubbled under the tear drops while nausea flashed through me at the text.
From Eli.
‘Stay close to your phone. I’ll call you later to discuss repayment.’
13
CALLIE
“What do you think he wants?” Bianca pressed the large glass of wine into my trembling hand and sat on the couch next to me.
“I have no idea,” I murmured, only half listening as hold music played over the phone pressed against my ear. “I can’t even think straight. A normal person would never do something like this, right?”
“Definitely not,” she agreed, taking a large gulp of her own glass.
I stared down into the crimson liquid, watching as light tremors danced across the surface from my shaking.
I’d been shaking ever since I left that old facility and now that I was with Bianca, the fear hadn’t faded. If anything, it had gotten worse since I’d been on the phone with the police for the past twenty minutes trying to get someone to help me. The problem was, they weren’t taking me seriously.
“Sorry about that,” came a voice returning to the call. “So, let me get this straight, given the information you’ve provided me with today.”
“Okay,” I nodded.
“You want to file a complaint about a man who is claiming to be your husband moving your mother to a better treatment hospice to give her better care and pay the medical bills?”
When it was listed out like that, it did sound ridiculous and my stomach flipped tightly.
“It’s not as nice as you make it sound,” I replied. “He did this against my wishes. He has taken my mother to a different facility, and I don’t care that it’s better! He also lied and said we were married but that isn’t true!”
“Ah yes. I contacted the other facility, and they told me the paperwork went through without any complaints or revisions from you. So you… didn’t notice that he was listed as your spouse?”
“I… I didn’t look. I ran out of time, and it went through automatically. I’m not married so I wouldn’t even look there.”
“Right.” The annoyed disbelief in the voice only served to heighten my frustration.
“You have to arrest him or something! He can’t just steal my mother!”
“Are you unaware of her whereabouts?”
“No, I know where she is but that’s not the point! How are you so casual about this?”
“Ma’am, please do not raise your voice to me. I am trying to understand the situation so I can best help you.”
“You’re absolutely no help at all. Fucking Eli Talbot kidnapped my mother and all you care about is a marriage box on a form?”
“Ma’am—.”
“No! You’re supposed to help me. My mother has been taken, none of this has been done with my permission and I don’t understand how you can act like this is my fault or that there’s nothing wrong here.”
