Sandra''s leg fracture meant she couldn''t follow Hannah, and her appointment was already scheduled. She had no idea what Hannah and the Temples were doing there.


    By the time she finished her check-up, Lionel had arrived and texted her, asking for Hannah''s location. Instead of answering, Sandra told him where she was.


    When Lionel found her, he was surprised to see her pushing her own wheelchair, with no maid or assistant in sight.


    "You''re alone?" he asked.


    Sandra forced a weak, pitiful smile. "Yes. My parents and I had a fight. They''ve been trying to set me up on more blind dates, and when I refused, they told the staff to ignore me." She dabbed at her eyes, her voice thick with unshed tears. "My leg needed a new dressing today, but the driver said he couldn''t go against my parents'' orders. I had to wheel myself to the street to catch a cab. I had to do all of this by myself."


    She sniffled, waiting for the familiar words offort. In the past, a story like this would have had Lionel fuming on her behalf, ready to fulfill her every whim.


    But thefort never came.


    .n


    Sandra knew things were different now; she had made mistakes. Still, she waited, and waited, but Lionel remained silent. Confused, she. looked up, only to find him scanning the hospital lobby his attention clearly elsewhere.


    "Lionel, what are you looking for?" she asked, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. This was the first time he had ever ignored her distress. Was he still angry about what happened? Was it because she had deleted the apology post? She''d only done it because she thought they''d be divorced soon anyway, making the apology pointless.


    "Where''s Hannah?" he asked, his gaze finally settling on her. "You said you saw her here with the Temples. Where did they go?"


    Sandra''s mind went nk. What? It was as if he hadn''t heard a single word she''d said. He wasn''t asking if she was okay, if the journey had been difficult. He was asking about Hannah.


    "Lionel, I came here all by myself


    today," she tried again, her voice


    trembling. "No one helped me It was so hard, and I''ve never felt so alone. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force out a tear, but her eyes remained stubbornly dry.


    "You wouldn''t have to deal with any of this if you hadn''t jumped," he said dismissively, his focus still on the crowd. "Are you sure you saw her?"


    His words were like a knife to her heart. The tears she had been trying to produce now flowed freely.


    "Which way did she go?" he pressed, his frustration growing. He couldn''t see Hannah anywhere. A suspicion began to form in his mind-what if Sandra had made it all up?