I heard the clicking sound of the door locking. It wasn’t enough for Mrs. Sinclair. She double-bolted it to be sure. That cautious yet unnecessary action reflected her anxieties. Who was she hiding from? Her husband, the rest of the world, or her inner demons? I would have asked her that question if I weren’t just as afraid as her.
Mary Sinclair’s moist eyes turned towards me. Even from a distance, I could feel her excruciating mental pain. She was heartbroken. Whatever choice she made had entirely shattered her.
“Mrs. Sinclair...” I started.
She quickly faced the wall and hit her head against it with a gentle force. “You won’t understand.” She paused to sob for a while. “Tell me if you get this. It feels like I am standing in quicksand, neither drowning nor escaping its deadly hold.”
“Um.” I stepped forward to comfort her but stopped. It wasn’t my place to give my opinion. Though our situations didn’t have anything in common, it reminded me of when John had broken my heart and how my whole world had come crashing down with it. “Mrs. Sinclair, I want you to know that whatever your decision is, I will always support you.”
Her watery gaze shifted to me so swiftly that I feared I had overstepped a line. “How will you support me? Am I not the most horrible person in this world? You have met my husband. Did he seem worthy of this? Give me your honest opinion, Amelia.”
“Uh.” Mary had put me in a rather tough spot. I wanted to say no, but how would she react to that? No one wanted to hear how wrong they were, let alone snooty rich people.
Mary came running towards me with a disorderly energy. She halted so close and suddenly that I would have run for my dear life if I had any longer to react. “Speak your mind. I want you to say whatever is going through your head. Today, I wish to escape the fantasy world I had built for myself and return to reality.”
What reality? Had she been telling herself lies about what she was doing? I knew there was something very wrong with that woman. She needed another doctor. A doctor who could help her organize her thoughts, understand her emotions, and help her differentiate between right and wrong. The one she was fooling around with was only ruining her sanity.
“Mr. Sinclair seems delightful. He loves you and cares for his son,” I verbalized my exact thoughts. Since Mary asked for it, she better be prepared for what I would say next. “I think you should remain faithful to your husband. You have built a life together and have a wonderful grown son. That’s too invaluable to give up for a man you barely know. Pardon me for saying this. Sex can affect our logical thinking. It may seem great now, but who knows what may happen years into the future? What if you lose all feeling for Doctor Williams when he no longer remains a passionate fling and becomes the only man in your life?”
Mary was stunned by my answer. Her unblinking eyes, creased forehead, gaping mouth, and still body hinted towards shock and offense.
“I will take back my words if you want,” I continued. “My intention wasn’t to hurt you.”
“No. Not at all.” At last, Mrs. Sinclair moved her body and mouth. “I am just shocked by how wise you are. You must be at least twenty years younger and still make better decisions than me.” Though I wasn’t expecting her to say that, I waited for more before concluding anything or opening my big mouth again. “I am ashamed of my behavior. Williams was a mistake that happened in a moment of weakness. Like all mistakes, I must also correct this one. I have decided to stay with my husband and abort this child that never should have ever existed in any form.”
“What!” I exclaimed. Mrs. Sinclair's decisions were changing quicker than a psychiatric patient. She could have a change of mind on this one, too.
“Yes, Amelia.” Mrs. Sinclair nodded. She blinked, allowing the remaining tears to escape her eyes. “I have asked Williams to leave this house. He no longer shall be my son’s doctor. I don’t want to get tempted by him again. I am unsure what I would say to Nathan, but we both think it’s the best for us.”
We talked more on that subject. Mrs. Sinclair even called me the best choice for her son and gave me a diamond necklace. However, my mind was stuck on her decision. Would Doctor Williams leave the Sinclair estate for good? Thank God! I didn’t want their family to suffer because of him, especially not Nathan. He deserved better.
“Amelia. Thank God I found you,” said Frank, who had run into me in the great hall. “What did she say?”
I told Frank everything she had said, and it shocked him as much as it did me.
Frank touched his forehead in extreme disappointment. “That can’t be true. No, it is bad! She needed to stay with Doctor Williams, so...”
“How can you only think about yourself? Her decision saved a family from breaking apart. How can you be so unbelievably selfish?” I lashed out at Frank.
“Hear me out before saying how selfish I am,” Frank requested. “Do you remember I told you I was going after Doctor Williams to learn the truth from him?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“About that,” said Frank, biting his nails. “It was a lie because I went somewhere else.”
“Where?”
“To Mr. Sinclair’s office.” He tensed his facial muscles. “A letter and some photographs are sitting at his desk with all the information about Mrs. Sinclair’s affairs. He wasn’t there when I put it, but he could have read it by now. It’s too late to save this marriage and family.”