She sees my stony expression and reaches out to touch my arm. “You’ll find out when you’re in love and get married. You don’t live for yourself anymore. You want the other person’s happiness more than your own.”
That will never be me.I live for my own happiness, and I will never sacrifice myself for a man.
Ever.
“Go if you have to go,” I say, unable to keep a lid on my frustration. I want better for her. She’s like me. Someone trapped. Someone forced to feel small. Counted out.
Powerless.
I rub the bump in my collarbone and my stomach roils.
No one should be made to feel like this.
Kelly’s lips curl up in a sad smile. “I’m sorry if I upset you. I didn’t mean to. I just… I just wanted to say thank you. It’s been a long time since… I’ve had a friend.”
She turns with her bag and leaves.
I want to call Kelly back. I want to give her a big hug and tell her it’s the same for me. That I’ve been lonely for a long time and she was a really nice friend to me.
But something on the screen catches my eye.
The elevator stopped.
The doors are about to open.
Shawn is leaving.
I scoop up my laptop and patch into the elevator’s exposed interface. Little known fact: modern elevators are more connected than people think. And it’s not just elevators. I could shut down this entire hospital if I wanted.
But that’s not what I’m after right now.
With one line, I stop the elevator doors from opening. Next, I pop my earbuds in and connect to the elevator’s surveillance system.
A giant video of Shawn clawing at the elevator doors pops up. I laugh at the panic in his face. His eyes are wide, pupils dilated. He looks absolutely terrified.
A dark head bobs in the corner of the elevator.
Is someone else in there with Shawn?
I realize that I didn’t specify to Bailey that I wanted Shawn in the elevator alone.
Oh well.
The head of dark hair keeps swiveling as if he’s looking at Shawn and then at the elevator buttons. From his urgent movements, he’s probably tapping the emergency button, but nothing’s happening.
The hospital is busy, and they don’t have dedicated staff watching the elevators. Why would they? It would be a waste of resources.
No one is coming to save them.
The helpful stranger seems to be making things worse. Shawn, by now, has realized that the emergency button is a dud. He’s crying loudly and clamoring like an animal at the doors.
“Please! Please!”Shawn bangs against the door. His entire face is red. “Let me out! Let me out!”
“No, Shawn.” I speak calmly to the laptop.
“Please! Someone help! Let me out!”
“Your parents should have taught you that you shouldn’t hit girls. But since they didn’t, I have to teach you now,” I lecture the screen.
