Callum speaks again, almost sadly.
“We grew up watching Mom count out coins to pay the heating bill. You worked your butt off to get into medical school while other people had connections and private schools. You became one of the best surgeons in the country all on your own, through sheer hard work. And now you’re going to let a family like the Chapmans turn you into their shameful secret?”
Nerissa feels a tight lump in her throat.
“It’s not a shameful secret,” she murmurs.
Callum looks at her and tries to take her hands. But Nerissa pulls them away.
“Then tell me one single thing she’s sacrificed for you.”
The surgeon opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Because there is no answer.
Maeve exhales slowly, running a hand through her hair.
“That’s the problem, honey.”
Nerissa’s jaw trembles for a second before hardening again.
“I won’t let you turn her into a monster,” she says, looking at both of them.
“No one’s saying she is,” Maeve replies. “But maybe she’s a woman who’s too scared to give you what you really need.”
Callum picks up his beer again and takes a long swig.
“And you’re too proud to admit that she’s tearing your life apart.”
Nerissa feels the pressure behind her eyes. A deep, almost physical exhaustion. She’s been in control of everything for years. She never loses control. Never. And yet, all it takes is a message from Seraphina Chapman to leave her gasping for breath as if she’d been shot in the chest.
She runs a hand over her face, exhausted.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Well, you’ll have to at some point,” Callum insists. “Because right now, you’re in love with a fantasy.”
“It’s not a fantasy,” she retorts vehemently.
“Then prove me wrong. Make her leave her husband. Make her choose you in front of the whole world.”
The cruelty of the statement leaves the room frozen. Maeve glares at Callum.
“You’re a heartless bastard.”
“I’m just being realistic, little sister,” he replies with a shrug.
Nerissa stands up, her heart pounding so fast it feels like it’s about to burst out of her chest. For a moment, she’s tempted to grab her phone and call Seraphina. To tell her to come see her. To stop hiding.
But the message is still there.
“It’s over.”
Maeve approaches her.
“I don’t want to see you suffer like this.”
Nerissa laughs without humor, a hollow laugh that echoes through the loft.
“Well, get used to it, because it looks like this is how it’s going to be.”
