Chapter 3 - The Woman He Never Stopped LovingDylan came back two days later.
He entered the hospital room carrying flowers.
Not for me.
For Haley.
He placed them beside her bed.
“Hey, princess.”
Haley opened her eyes.
“Daddy.”
He smiled.
“How are you?”
She nodded.
“You saved Ryan.”
Dylan froze.
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you save me?”
The room went silent.
I watched my husband's face.
For once, he had no prepared answer.
“I didn't see you.”
Haley frowned.
“You saw me.”
Dylan looked at me.
I knew that expression.
Deflection.
Anger.
Defense.
“Elena, this isn't fair.”
I laughed quietly.
“Fair?”
“You know it happened in seconds.”
“You had enough time to see Ryan.”
“I reacted.”
“Yes.”
“You're making this into something it wasn't.”
I stared at him.
“No, Dylan.”
I pointed toward our daughter.
“I'm describing exactly what it was.”
He became defensive.
“You're jealous of Sierra.”
That sentence stunned me.
“I am jealous?”
“Yes.”
“She watched you carry her son into an ambulance while our daughter was struggling to breathe.”
“She was terrified.”
“So was Haley.”
He looked away.
Then I noticed something.
A photograph sticking out of his jacket pocket.
Sierra.
Dylan.
Ryan.
They were smiling.
The photograph was old.
Very old.
Before our marriage.
Before Haley.
Before me.
I pulled it out.
Dylan reached for it.
“Don't.”
I looked at him.
“You still carry her photograph?”
He didn't answer.
May you like
And suddenly, the chandelier wasn't the beginning of this story.
It was only the moment I finally saw the truth.
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