“Sir, you don’t understand,” she said, her voice slipping into that practiced tone of concern. “Your wife has been unstable for weeks. I’ve been trying to manage her condition. She becomes aggressive, confused… sometimes she doesn’t even recognize reality. I’ve done everything I could to help—”
“Be quiet.”
My voice came out low. Too calm.
Ashley hesitated.
“Mr. Daniel, if you’d just let me explain—”
“I said be quiet.”
I took off my jacket and wrapped it around Lily’s soaked shoulders. She was shaking uncontrollably. Not from cold.
From fear.
“Hey… hey… it’s me,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not taking you anywhere. I’m not letting anyone hurt you again. I swear.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“But… Ashley said you couldn’t stand me anymore… that you were embarrassed of me… that you were already talking to doctors… that you were going to sign papers before the baby came…”
Each word hit like a blade.
I turned slowly toward the coffee table.
That’s when I saw it.
A beige folder.
I hadn’t noticed it when I came in.
I opened it.