Chapter 356: Rebuild My Face
Chapter 356: Rebuild My Face
[Victoria]
The private medical facility's sterile white walls felt like a prison as I waited in the recovery room. Half a month had passed since the incident, and today was the day Nora would finally see the extent of the damage. The doctors had been carefully monitoring her healing process, keeping her face heavily bandaged to prevent infection and psychological shock.
I sat in the chair beside her bed, watching as Dr. Martinez carefully began unwrapping the layers of gauze. Nora's hands trembled as she gripped the bed rails, her knuckles white with tension.
"Remember, Miss Cross," the doctor said quietly, "the scarring is extensive. We've done everything we can to minimize infection, but reconstructive surgery will be necessary."
As the final layer of bandage fell away, Nora's reflection became visible in the mirror I held up for her. The sharp intake of breath that followed was heartbreaking. The left side of her face, once carefully sculpted to mirror Sarah's features, was now a landscape of angry red scars and twisted skin.
"Monster! Monster!" Nora's voice cracked as she screamed, her hands flying to cover the damaged area. Tears streamed down her face—only the right side could produce them properly now.
I set the mirror aside and leaned forward, my voice soft but laced with calculated venom. "Nora, listen to me. This wasn't some random attack. This was Sarah Sullivan. She hired someone to do this to you, to turn you into this... this terrible sight."
Nora's remaining good eye fixed on me, desperation and rage warring in her expression. "Sarah? But why would she—"
"Because you were getting too close to the truth," I interrupted, letting my own fabricated pain show through. "She couldn't risk you exposing her lies, so she had you disfigured. She wanted to make sure you could never impersonate her again."
The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but it was necessary. Nora needed to believe Sarah was responsible—it was the only way to channel her fury in the right direction.
"I can help you," I continued, reaching out to touch her uninjured hand. "If you help me get revenge on Sarah, I'll ensure you receive the best reconstructive surgery available. Multiple procedures, if necessary. We can rebuild your face, make you beautiful again."
Nora's breathing grew more labored as anger began to override her despair. "I want to rebuild my face," she whispered, then louder, "I want to rebuild my face!"
The transformation was exactly what I'd hoped for. Her grief was crystallizing into something much more useful—pure, unadulterated hatred.
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[Sarah]
The Hampton estate felt peaceful in the evening light, a stark contrast to the chaos that had dominated my life recently. At thirty weeks pregnant, I found myself moving more slowly, but the oceanside air helped clear my mind. William sat across from me on the terrace, picking at his dinner while we discussed his upcoming return to school.
"I'll be heading back to Boston next week," he said, not quite meeting my eyes. "Classes start up again, and I want to get settled before the semester gets crazy."
I nodded, understanding his need for normalcy. "That makes sense. You've had enough disruption this year." I paused, considering how to broach the topic that had been weighing on my mind. "William, I should mention that Theodore is planning to move here more permanently. To help with the baby when it arrives."
The fork in William's hand clattered against his plate. His jaw tightened in a way that reminded me painfully of his father. "I'll treat him like air," he said flatly.
"William—"
"No, Mom." His voice carried a finality that startled me. "I won't acknowledge him. Emma won't either. And I sure as hell won't let the new baby think of him as family."
The vehemence in his tone made my heart sink. I'd hoped that time might soften his feelings, but clearly, my son's resentment ran deeper than I'd realized. "Honey, I think you might be misunderstanding my intentions here."
William stood up abruptly. "I'm going to finish packing. And just so we're clear—when the baby comes, Theodore Pierce means nothing to me. Nothing."
Later that evening, I was reviewing some ultrasound images on my tablet when I absentmindedly sent them to the wrong contact. Instead of Theodore, the photos had gone to Olivia. My phone rang almost immediately.
"Sarah!" Olivia's voice was breathless with excitement. "Oh my God, the baby looks perfect! But also—I have huge news!"
"Liv, what—"
"I'm pregnant too!" The words tumbled out of her in a rush. "James and I found out yesterday. We're about eight weeks along. I was going to wait to tell anyone, but seeing your ultrasound just made it feel so real."
My heart leaped with genuine joy. "Olivia, that's incredible! How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted and nauseous, but so happy I could cry. Actually, I am crying a little." She laughed through what sounded like tears. "Sarah, our kids are going to grow up together! This is perfect."
"I'm so excited for you," I said, meaning every word. "When can we celebrate? We need to get together and talk about everything."
"Actually, I'm going to drive out to you right now. James is in back-to-back meetings all afternoon, and I'm too wired to sit still. I need to see you in person and talk about baby stuff."
"Drive carefully," I urged. "The traffic heading out to the Hamptons can be brutal."
"I will. I should be there by early afternoon. I'm leaving right after I grab some of those ginger cookies you like."
After we hung up, I spent the morning trying to rest but finding myself frequently checking the driveway for Olivia's car. She was notorious for underestimating travel time, but as the afternoon stretched into evening, worry began to creep in.
By six o'clock, I couldn't stand it anymore. I dialed her number, only to hear the automated message that her phone was powered off. A cold dread settled in my stomach as I tried James's number instead.