Chapter 37
Mac
Mac and Rachel arrived at Cole and Ellie's house to find the door unlocked, Cole's truck in the driveway, and Sophie's car parked behind it.
They walked in without knocking.
The living room looked like a war room. Cole stood near the window. Ellie sat on the couch looking devastated, papers spread around her. Sophie was pacing, radiating protective anger.
"Mac," Cole said, his voice tight. "Rachel. Thanks for coming."
"What happened?" Mac asked, though he already knew it was bad from Cole's expression.
Ellie handed him a tablet without a word.
The article was pulled up on the screen:
"Small-Town Practice, Questionable Results: Examining Unverified Success Claims in Physical Therapy"
By Dr. Derek Matthews, Director of Sports Medicine Research, Boston Sports Medicine Center
Mac started reading, his stomach shifting with each paragraph.
The article was devastating in its professional cruelty. Derek had written it in careful, academic language that made his accusations sound reasonable rather than the character assassination they actually were.
He questioned Ellie's qualifications—her "standard physical therapy degree from a regional university" lacking "specialized sports medicine certifications typically required for treating elite athletes with career-threatening injuries."
He raised doubts about Cole's diagnosis, suggesting the injury might have been "less severe than multiple orthopedic surgeons claimed," that Ellie's "success" was actually "natural healing misattributed to treatment protocols."
The final paragraph was the worst:
"While the outcome in Mr. Hansen's case appears positive, attributing this success solely to Ms. Hansen's treatment, without acknowledging the significant limitations of her training, resources, and methodology, does a profound disservice to properly qualified sports medicine professionals and potentially puts other athletes at risk of inadequate care. "
Mac finished reading, rage building in his core like pressure in a volcano. "This is complete bullshit."
"It's character assassination," Sophie said, still pacing. "He's questioning everything. Making it sound like Cole's recovery was either luck or misdiagnosis."
Rachel stood beside Mac, reading over his shoulder. Her face had gone pale. "This is exactly what he did to the other physical therapists that disagreed with him back home. Brad told me about it, I remember some of them. I didn’t think anything of it, then."
"Except now it's published in a respected medical journal," Cole said, his voice tight. "It's not only internet rumors. It gives his lies legitimacy."
"He's calling me unqualified." Ellie looked at Cole with devastated eyes, then to Mac. "Mac, this could destroy my practice. Patients will leave."
"We're going to fight this," Mac said firmly.
"How?" Ellie wiped her tears. "Derek has credentials, published research, years of reputation in the sports medicine community. I'm just a small-town PT. Who's going to believe me over him?"
"Everyone who knows you," Rachel said quietly, moving to sit beside Ellie. "Everyone you've helped. This entire town."
"Rachel's right," Sophie added.
Cole sat on the arm of the couch beside Ellie, his hand on her shoulder. "Here's what we know: Derek filed a formal complaint with the Vermont Hockey League two days ago. We were preparing to respond to that through official channels. Now this article gives that complaint public legitimacy."
"So he's escalating," Mac said. "Complaint first, then article. What's next?"
"He probably targeted Ellie first, then he will come after Rachel," Mac said, looking at Rachel with concern. "He's already texting her from multiple numbers," Mac said.
Rachel's expression shifted, guilt, fear, shame all flickering across her face.
"Rachel, what did Derek say to you?" Ellie asked.
"Nothing. We should focus on you. It’s far more important,” Rachel said.
“What did he say?” Sophie added, she’d stopped pacing and stood right in front of Rachel with concerned eyes.
“Okay, yeah. It’s just that—" Rachel's voice was small. "The same things he said to me before. That I'm holding Mac back like I did with Brad. That he will resent me eventually. That I should leave him, for his own good."
"All lies," Mac said.
"One thing at a time. What about the article?" Sophie asked. "Do we respond publicly?"
"I say we expose him," Mac said suddenly. "Not just the article. Everything. His pattern with other PTs like Rachel said. There must be others he has trampled. We show the world who Derek Matthews is."
Cole nodded slowly. "Town hall meeting. Friday evening. The whole town will be there. We make our case publicly."
"Can we pull that together in three days?" Ellie asked.
"We don't have a choice," Cole said. "The longer Derek's article circulates without response, the more damage it does."
Rachel's phone beeped on the coffee table. Everyone looked at it.
Another unknown number. Another text visible on the lock screen, Rachel read it out loud:
Unknown: I saw you going into Cole's house with Ryan MacKenzie. Emergency meeting about my article? You should know, I have more documentation ready to publish. This is just the beginning.
The room went quiet.
"He's watching us," Rachel whispered.
Cold fury settle into his bones. “Then we end this. Friday night.”
Sophie nodded. “I’ll spread the word. Make sure everyone comes to the town hall.”
“I’ll get Jamie compiling all the evidence together with Ellie,” Cole said.
Rachel leaned forward before anyone else could speak. “I’ll handle the community side,” she said, decisive. “Mrs. Henderson knows everyone worth knowing in this town.”
Sophie grinned. "That's my girl."
Ellie looked at her, surprise flickering across her face. “Thank you.”
Rachel met her gaze. “You’re not standing alone in this.”
“Neither are you,” Ellie said.
The meeting wrapped with clear assignments. But as Mac and Rachel walked out together toward his truck, the morning sun too bright for the heaviness, he knew this was only the beginning.
And whatever came next, it wouldn’t be subtle.