Chapter 4 - The Unraveling of Chloe
The news of Eleanor’s arrest hit the front pages of the local papers by Saturday morning: BRIDAL DREAMS BUILT ON STOLEN SURGERY FUNDS: PROMINENT MOTHER ARRESTED AT REHEARSAL DINNER.
I spent Saturday morning taking my first unassisted steps down the hospital hallway, holding onto a walker while a physical therapist cheered me on. The physical pain was fading, replaced by a strange, raw sensation of freedom.
When I returned to my room, Chloe was sitting on the vinyl couch in the corner.
She didn't look like the flawless bride who had scoffed at my agony in the ER three days ago. Her hair was unwashed, her makeup was smeared beneath her swollen eyes, and she was wearing a oversized hoodie over her rehearsal dress from the night before.
She stood up the moment I walked in, her hands shaking.
"Harper..." she sobbed, taking a step toward me. "Harper, please... you have to tell the police to drop the charges."
I pushed the walker aside and sat down on the edge of my bed, looking at her with an empty, unreadable expression. "Why would I do that, Chloe?"
"Mom is in a county jail cell!" Chloe shrieked, her voice high and desperate. "They set her bail at $250,000! Nobody in the family can afford that! And... and Greg's family canceled the wedding!"
I leaned back against my pillows, crossing my arms gently over my bandaged abdomen. "Greg's family has common sense."
"Greg left me, Harper!" Chloe cried, dropping to her knees beside my bed, grabbing the bedsheet with white knuckles. "His parents said they won't let him marry into a family of thieves! The venue locked us out! The florist took back the arch! The dress shop came to the hotel and repossessed my gown because the charge bounced!"
"And where were you when the nurse reached into my jacket, Chloe?" I asked, my voice low and quiet.
Chloe blinked, her sobs faltering. "What?"
"Where were you when I was bleeding out on that gurney?" I repeated, looking directly into her eyes. "You told the nurse I was being dramatic. You told the doctor you had a cake tasting in two hours. You looked at a human being who was dying in front of you—your own sister—and your only thought was that I was ruining your schedule."
"I didn't know!" Chloe wailed. "Mom told me you gave her that money voluntarily! She said you made a huge commission on a security contract and wanted to gift it to me!"
"Did you check the account name on the transfer receipt?" I asked. "Did you ask why a gift came from a medical savings trust? Or did you just close your eyes because you wanted forty-thousand-dollar flowers?"
Chloe couldn't answer. She pulled her hands back from my bed and buried her face in her lap, weeping hysterically.
"You knew, Chloe," I said softly. "Deep down, you knew Mom was stripping me bare to feed your ego. You just didn't care... until the bill came due."
The door opened, and Sergeant Vance stepped in. "Miss Reed, visiting hours for unannounced guests are over. Your sister needs rest."
May you like
"Harper, please!" Chloe begged as Vance escorted her toward the door. "What am I supposed to do now? I have no money! The bank froze the venue refunds!"
"I suggest," I said, turning my gaze out the window toward the sunny sky, "you find a job."
