Chapter 3

"Blood! She's bleeding!"

The ER doctor heard the commotion and came rushing out with a gurney.

"Move! Get her up here!"

"Prep the trauma bay!"

"Get the head of OB-GYN down here for a consult, now!"

Hands grabbed me from every side and lifted me onto the gurney.

Blood had already soaked my dress red.

It was a horrible sight, and when Patrick saw that pool of blood,

he took half a step back.

But there wasn't a trace of worry on his face.

Only disgust.

"Winona, you're really something."

"You'd cut yourself just to squeeze money out of me."

"Did you tuck a blood bag into your dress ahead of time?"

"You think a cheap trick like that could fool me?"

He jabbed a finger at the doctor, cursing.

"And your hospital, do you get a cut for helping her put on this show?"

"An hour ago she was running home to steal things."

"And now she's dying?"

"Tell it to somebody who'll believe it!"

The doctor pushed the gurney toward the trauma bay,

with no time at all for Patrick's ranting.

"Fetal heart rate's dropping!"

"She's dilating!"

"Prep for an emergency C-section!"

The doctor slapped a surgical consent form against Patrick's chest.

"You're the family, right?"

"Sign it, now!"

"She's hemorrhaging. She needs surgery and a transfusion immediately."

"One more minute and we lose both mother and baby!"

Patrick took the form and glanced at the estimated cost printed on it.

He let out a cold laugh.

"A C-section? A transfusion?"

"And imported clotting drugs on top of that?"

"Your hospital's just robbing people!"

"Can't she deliver naturally? Does it have to be a C-section?"

"Other men's wives have a baby for a few hundred bucks."

"She needs tens of thousands to pop one out?"

"Who does she think she is, some heiress?"

The doctor was hopping with fury.

"Do you not understand plain words! "

"She's hemorrhaging! Natural delivery will kill her!"

"Right now, is money what matters or her life!"

Patrick tossed the form onto the triage desk.

"Money matters, obviously."

"My money doesn't just blow in on the wind either."

"Cara's antidepressants cost several thousand every month."

"And she uses the cheapest generic ones there are."

"What makes Winona good enough for imported drugs?"

"Is she worth it?"

"Let me be clear, I'm not paying a single cent."

"If you're going to treat her, treat her the cheapest way there is."

"If she dies from it, then that's just her bad luck."

Off to the side, Cara dabbed at her eyes, then walked over and picked up the form.

"Patrick, don't be like this."

"We can always earn the money back."

"Winona only has one life."

"She's always been harsh with me, spreading it everywhere that I'm the other woman."

"But I can't just stand here and watch her die. Let me pay for it."

She pulled out her phone and opened her payment balance.

She held it up in front of the doctor.

"Doctor, I've got over fifty thousand here. It's money I won on a bet today."

"That should be enough for Winona's surgery, right?"

The doctor snatched the phone.

"That's enough, more than enough!"

"Get to the payment window, fast!"

"Family, sign the form, now!"

"I'd like to see anyone try."

Patrick grabbed Cara's phone back out of her hand.

He shot the doctor a vicious glare.

"That's Cara's nutrition money. Nobody touches it."

"Didn't Winona steal my gold necklace?"

"That necklace was worth at least twenty thousand at the pawn shop."

"Let her use that money for her treatment!"

The policewoman was shaking with rage.

"The money from pawning that necklace has already been seized by us as evidence!"

"Patrick, you're not even human!"

"Your wife is in there fighting for her life."

"And you're out here counting a few thousand dollars?"

Patrick squared his shoulders, righteous as ever.

"I'm a man of principle. One thing at a time."

"The fact is, she stole. If she wants me to sign and save her, fine."

"Let her sign the confession first."

"Admit she broke in and stole. Admit she tried to extort me."

"Once she signs, I'll sign for her surgery."

"Otherwise, she can lie in there and wait to die."

The doors of the trauma bay swung open, and a nurse ran out with her hands covered in blood.

"The patient's gone into shock!"

"We're losing the fetal heart rate!"

"Is the family's signature in yet? If you don't sign now it'll be too late!"

Patrick folded his arms across his chest.

"What's the rush."

"Take this confession in there and have her thumbprint it."

"She prints it, I sign."

The nurse stared at the paper Patrick was holding out.