“Enough.” Beth still held her hand out, palm facing Crystal, then used her finger in a slow, deliberate sweep over Crystal’s body. “This little performance? You can stop now. It won’t work.”
She paused, letting the words settle in the air.
“I don’t care what you had with Bryce. I don’t care what game you’re playing. We’re done. He is my husband. Not yours. Whatever you thought this was—or hoped it could be—it’sover.” She said each word with an unshakable calm. She walked to the bathroom and opened the door without looking inside. She already knew—he wasn’t in there.
Then Beth bent and retrieved Crystal’s discarded scrubs next to the couch. She tossed them at her, voice calm but commanding—filled with a confidence Crystal never imagined she possessed.
“Get dressed. We both know you’re not sleeping with my husband.”
Crystal scrambled to pull her clothes on, never taking her eyes off Beth, unsure if she might lash out.
Goodness knows, if the roles were reversed, I probably would’ve.Crystal thought.
“And Crystal—if you ever pull another stunt like this or keep playing the games you’ve been playing since we announced our marriage, it won’t only be me you’re dealing with.” Beth took a step forward. Her voice wasn’t raised, but it carried weight.
“I will file harassment charges. You want to keep your job? Your license? Stay out of his office. Stay away from us.”
Crystal nodded, glancing feverishly around. She grabbed her shoes and scurried to the door, not bothering to put them on.
Beth watched her flee. In that moment, she heard it—that quiet conviction she’d ignored in Vegas.
She exhaled, heart full.
Lord, I won’t ignore You again.
As Crystal’s fingers wrapped around the doorknob, Beth spoke—not with the commanding tone she’d used moments earlier, but with a voice that was quieter. Warmer. Compassionate.
“Wait.”
CHAPTER 34
Crystal stopped. She didn’t turn her shoulders rigid.
“I’m sorry our marriage hurt you,” Beth said softly. “But even if Bryce had married you, it wouldn’t have filled the void you’re trying to numb.”
Her words were tender, laced with empathy—something Crystal had never experienced before.
“I see the pain in your eyes. I see how you lash out because you don’t know how else to cope. But Jesus—oh Crystal—Jesus can take that pain. If you let Him. He already paid the price to heal you.”
Crystal still didn’t turn around, but in the mirror beside the door, Beth saw the shimmer of tears.
Beth’s voice stayed steady despite the erratic pounding in her chest.
“You don’t have to live like this,” Beth said gently. “Romans 10:9 says, ‘If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead—you will be saved.’”
Silence blanketed the room—thick and heavy, like the moment was holding its breath. Then, a whisper.
“Why are you doing this?” Crystal’s voice wavered, her face blotchy, eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Why are you being kind to me?”
Beth didn’t flinch. “Because Christ was kind to me first.”
Crystal turned, hesitant and vulnerable. “You can’t really think… He’d love someone… like me. Do you?”
“He already does. The next move? That’s yours to take.”
“I… I don’t know how to pray,” Crystal admitted. Her voice trembled as she wiped her nose on the collar of her scrubs. “What do I even say?”
Beth’s eyes stung. Compassion welled in her chest so deeply, she wasn’t sure how to hold it all.
