Chapter 11 - The Operation
Surgery took nearly four hours. When I woke, my leg was wrapped in layers of bandages, and Greer sat beside me reading a magazine she'd never liked.
“The surgeon says it went as planned,” she told me. “But you're going to need patience.”
Patience was the one thing my family had always demanded from me while offering none in return.
I spent the next day practicing the tiny movements a physical therapist showed me. The first time I shifted to the edge of the bed, sweat ran down my back. Before the fall, I'd climbed ship ladders carrying heavy inspection equipment. Now moving to a chair took two people and a careful count to three.
I cried when the therapist left. Greer didn't tell me to be strong. She sat beside me until I was ready to speak.
“I keep thinking I should have gone home when Sloan complained about the brace,” I said.
“You shouldn't have had to predict that your sister would hurt you.”
My phone held messages from clients who'd heard I'd been injured. Most wished me well. One offered to help with remote claims reviews when I was ready.
Then Dad's attorney sent a letter. It asserted I'd volunteered to cover event expenses and threatened legal action if I continued describing the authorization as fraudulent.
Nora called it an attempt to scare us away from the facts. She asked me to focus on healing while she handled the response.
That evening, Greer wheeled me toward the hospital window. Below us, cars moved through the rain with their lights on.
“I used to think being self-sufficient meant never needing anyone,” I admitted.
“No,” she said. “It means being free to choose who helps you.”
May you like
As she spoke, my banking app notified me that the disputed wedding charge had moved from pending to posted. The bank was investigating, but the money was still at risk.
And a second document arrived claiming I'd promised to pay for the entire canceled ceremony.
