Chapter 7
The overhead fluorescent lights made Micah’s pale skin look bluer than it had when Evelyn carried him into the ER hours earlier. His small body, covered in wires connected to a variety of machines, seemed to be swallowed up by the adult-sized hospital bed. She wished she could be shocked like Tilly was, but she knew all of the instruments and how to read them after so many visits like this one. The most important one was finally beeping in a regular, sonorous rhythm.
Evelyn watched Tilly, who had insisted on coming, try to get comfortable in the one chair provided. She seemed to have forgotten about being scandalized by earlier events when she found Evelyn leaving the house with a lifeless Micah.
“Mrs. Harding! Where are you going at this hour?”
“Tilly, Micah is sick. I have to take him to the ER.”
“But surely it’s just a little cold and will pass.”
“It’s complicated, and I don’t have time to explain.”
“You shouldn’t be alone. Someone should go with you. Let me get Mr. Harding.”
“Tilly, you can come, but I have to leave now!”
Evelyn had put Tilly in the back seat with Micah and shown the girl how to keep his portable oxygen concentrator in place while she drove as quickly as she could. While the medical team took Micah back into a room immediately to stabilize his vitals, it wasn’t until much later he was admitted to the hospital for overnight observation.
Sitting on the edge of Micah’s bed, Evelyn saw Tilly’s phone light up. She had seen the young maid texting from the moment they left the house and wondered who was replying at three AM. Maybe Tilly hoped someone would replace her as Evelyn’s watchdog, but more likely she was reporting to Banner. Her world might turn upside down once again, depending on who she was communicating with. Not many people wanted to deal with a sick kid, which is one of the reasons she tried so hard not to be an imposition on anyone. If Michael decided this was a dealbreaker, this hospital bill would be one more she couldn’t pay.
“How’s he doing?” Lillian, the nurse on duty, asked in an audible whisper, rousing Tilly.
“He hasn’t woken yet.” Evelyn voiced her concern.
“It’s ok. He had a hard night and gave us all a scare. Right, Momma?” Lillian gave Evelyn a sympathetic look, before turning back to her electronic tablet and recording Micah’s vitals.
“What’s happening?” Tilly rubbed her eyes and straightened in the chair.
“Nothing new, sweetie. I bet you could get out of here and catch some sleep in your own comfy bed.” Lillian guided the girl to stand and move toward the door.
“But...but...” Tilly stammard.
“I’ll be fine,” Evelyn encouraged, knowing that she would be completely on her own as soon as Tilly left, but she couldn’t find it in her to care when Micah was so sick.
“Look at that little man. Do you think she is going anywhere with him like that? Now, get outta here and bring her back some food and clothes.” It was gratifying to have Lillian intervene and usher Tilly out of the room.
“Just hold him and talk about his favorite things, like you always do. He’ll hear you. And by tomorrow will be jabbering about his favorite jello flavor.” Lillian called over her shoulder, leaving the room and turning the light off.
The staff, who knew them well, were as good about taking care of Evelyn as they were of Micah. With everyone gone, Evelyn curled around Micah and drifted into a restless sleep.
She didn’t know what time it was when she was roused by Micah’s sweet voice..
“It’s ok, Mama. I’ll be ok this time. And then when I’m big and strong, I’ll take care of you instead.” he whispered and stroked her hair. Not wanting to interrupt, she kept her eyes closed.
“I’ll buy you a house, bigger and better than Mr. Michael’s. And you can decorate it any way you want. You could even put a petting zoo in the living room.”
She almost snorted a laugh at the idea of goats and potbelly pigs running around the irreplaceable antiques and leaving mudding tracks across the marble floors.
“You can have dozens of dresses in every color of the rainbow,” he continued. “But no black, because that makes you sad. And you’ll never be hungry like all those times you gave me your food.” Evelyn hadn’t realized he had noticed.
“And you’ll never have to scrub toilets or empty grease buckets, whatever those are. If you wanted to work, I would make sure everyone came out of their buildings with red carpets and flowers, begging you to work for them. But I’d rather you didn’t. I like how it’s been just you and me all the time. You are the best hide-and-seeker. But you’re really good at tickling too. I love you, Mama.” Micah kissed her cheek.
“I love you too, sweetie.”
“Mama!” She wasn’t sure if he was surprised she was awake or annoyed that she eavesdropped on him.
“Shall I sing to you to prove my love?” She clasped her hands to her chest and fluttered her eyes, like a silent movie actress.
A commotion outside their room drew her attention. She sat up when the door flew open. A crowd of people jostled toward the opening, shouting unintelligible things. The hospital staff held them back as cameras flashed.
“You all ok in here?” Lillian came in, secured the door behind her.
“What was that all about?”
“The paparazzi found out you were here and sneaked in. Our security was only seconds behind them, but it was a little chaotic for a moment.” Lillian said, fanning herself.
“I’m sorry. Would it help if I left?” Evelyn suspected Michael and his staff had intentionally told the media about their location, in hopes of running them off again.
“No!” Micah clutched her arm.
“I agree, little man. Your place is here, Momma.”
“Thank you for dealing with that.”
“Wasn’t me. Security did the hard part. Then a guy named Ethan Shunderson stood in front of them, lights blaring in his face, and gave the typical privacy statement.”
“Ethan was here?”
“You know him? We thought you were sleeping so we didn’t ask if you wanted to see him. Also, he isn’t on your list, so we couldn’t answer any of his questions.”
“It’s fine. He’s my husband’s PR guy. Is he still here?”
“Nah. He left when he couldn’t get any details. I had a bunch of calls trying to get information too.” Lillian brushed it off like this happened all the time.
“I’m sorry we’re causing problems.”
“Listen here, you are not any trouble. You two need some rest. Is that husband of yours coming to help? What about your mom?”
“No, it’s just us. My mom is working night shifts. I haven’t even told her we’re here yet.” Evelyn avoided commenting about Michael, but Lillian was smart enough to read between the lines.
“You are not alone. We’ve been through a lot with you over the years. You’re a part of our family.” Lillian embraced them both.
“Thank you!”
“HOW IS IT THAT EVERYONE seems to know about Mrs. Harding’s middle-of-the-night escapade but me?” Michael paced the room, but the volume of his rant ensured his team on the conference call as well as the staff in his home office could hear him.
“It was a simple medical emergency. It’s been handled.” Blake stated.
It seemed so simple, but no one had bothered to include him in the process. Getting the update through social media was not how he planned to start the day.
“Except you didn’t think to involve me,” Michael shot back.
“Who would have thought you didn’t know where your wife and child were?” Blake defended himself.
“I went with her to make certain they were safe, like Mr. Banner asked,” Tilly showed her unfailing dedication.
“At what point did she slip away to meet her lover and stick you with the kid?” Heath demanded over the speaker.
“Sir!” Tilly and Banner exclaimed at Heath’s allegation.
“Outrageous indignation. Nice touch. So she’s bought you off too?” Heath continued to spew unfounded accusations.
“Heath, the pictures speak for themselves. Why are you stirring up trouble?” Meghan challenged.
“Pictures can be manipulated. I called the hospital myself and they don’t have anyone under any of her damn names registered there.” Heath responded with more hearsay than he would have tolerated in court.
“Counselor, perhaps you recall a little thing called HIPPA. You know as well, if not better, than I do, that the hospital is not allowed to provide you with any information about their patients.” Sabrina reprimanded.
“Michael, I was there too. It was a melee of media. You can see it yourself in this pic. Look at Evelyn’s alarmed expression, holding Micah close to her. Look at the pallor on his face and all the machines. Judge for yourself who’s telling you the truth.” Ethan pleaded, clicking through pictures to prove his statements.
“Alright, give me the summary of the unequivocal facts.” Michael sat in his plush leather chair and took a calming breath.
“Micah was unresponsive when brought into the ER around 11 PM. After being stabilized, he was admitted for observation. Per privacy laws, we were not able to gather more than that, except that this isn’t the first occurrence and the account is not under Evelyn’s name.” Meghan read from her notes.
“I suppose that’s why this information wasn’t in her background check either. Where are they now?”Michael stared at the ceiling, not sure how to feel. Evelyn had hidden so much from him and he was sure there was more to uncover.
“Still at the hospital. Room 5B.” Tilly shared.
“Michael, we should hire extra security for them. The hospital doesn’t have the personnel to be stationed at their door in case the media tries to sneak in again.” Sabrina focused on the action items.
“Can you take care of that?” Michael was thankful his team could step in at a time when he wasn’t sure where to turn.
“Certainly. We should also have someone with you when you go to visit,” Ethan added.
“I’ll get back to you on that.” He would just add to the commotion and she wouldn’t want him there, he rationalized.
“Michael?” Blake questioned Michael’s noncommittal answer, but he had a few things to take care of before he could talk to Evelyn.
“Thank you, everyone.” He disconnected the call. Meghan and his household staff rose to leave. “Banner, do you have a moment?”
“Of course.” Banner assumed a military-like stance after nodding to the others.
“Walk with me. How will she get back tomorrow?”
Banner fell into step, following Michael out of his office.
“I believe she’ll drive since she has her car with her.”
“Will you send Stevenson to pick them up? We’ll get her car another time.” It didn’t matter how he felt about Evelyn and her secrets. She had to be exhausted, and she didn’t need to deal with the media on her own.
“Sounds like an admirable idea, sir.” They ascended the stairs to the East wing.
“Banner, I’m not sure who I can trust at the moment. But I’ve known you my whole life, so I’m hoping you can help me with something. ”
“I will endeavor to assist in any way I can.”
“I need you to show me to their rooms. I know it seems strange that I haven’t been to them in the months Evelyn and Micah have lived here. I was trying to keep my distance after what happened with Evelyn last time. Now, I need some answers.”
“I understand. Which room would you like to visit first?”
“Let’s start with Micah’s.”
“This way, sir, “ Banner stated, opening a door at the end of the long hallway.
“Where are his toys, clothes, books, anything?” Michael gestured with the small toy car he found on the nightstand. He had treasured one very similar to it when he was a child. Opening the drawers and closet, he found a few articles of clothing in the bottom of the chest. There weren’t even dust bunnies under the bed.
“This is it. I believe Mrs. Harding took his bear and his book with them.”
“One book? How can a five-year-old only have one book.” How could a mother deny her child everything he needed for a full and balanced life?
“I think you will find he is closer to eight. We even tried to give her some items for Micah which we said were found in the basement. She refused them because they were part of the Harding legacy.” Did she do that because she didn’t want a handout? That seemed odd, based on the marriage agreement.
“Where is the nanny’s room?” He hoped at least one adult was taking an interest in the child’s upbringing.
“There is no nanny,” Banner answered simply.
“Who takes care of the child?”
“Mrs. Harding seems quite content to spend all of her time with him.” That seemed hard to believe with the meagerness of Micah’s possessions.
“What about the nights she’s had commitments with me?”
“She makes sure he is fed, bathed, and put to bed beforehand. I confess, I placed a nanny cam in his bear for the nights when Mrs. Harding goes out. That’s how we knew he was sick.“
“Let’s proceed.” Michael was ready to walk into lavish decadence, expensive fabric strewn across the furniture without a care, as Banner opened the door across the hall.
“She didn’t change any of the decor? Where are all of her things?”
Walking into the dressing area, he found a pristine workshop. Bolts of material neatly placed in a corner next to an industrial sewing machine. Little containers of beads and thread lined the platform in the center. The clothes rack held the dress from last night, the matching shoes under it, and a drawer to the right held a few clothing items.
“This is all she will allow herself. We tried to switch out her old, threadbare nightgown, but she scolded us and took it back.”
“Thank you for the tour, it’s been illuminating.”
“Is there anything else, sir?”
“Can you show me the nanny cam footage?”
“Of course, sir. I can send the link to you also.” Looking at the live video on Banner’s phone, Michael saw the desolate mother, clutching her child as closely as she could.
“Please do.” Acknowledging the dismissal, Banner gave a nod before leaving.
His phone buzzed in his pocket as he circled the room, trying to find anything to help him make sense of Evelyn’s secrets. His eyes landed on the small writing desk and he started rifling through papers. The repeated vibration of his phone made him stop to see who was so adamantly trying to talk to him
Throwing the device on the tabletop, he sighed and ran one hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure he was ready to deal with any more of Heath’s outbursts.
Stacks of unpaid bills, overdue notices, and collection letters filled a drawer. Pulling at the next handle, he discovered a thick binder, neatly labeled with tabbed dividers of Micah’s health history. In the front pocket was an estimate for congenital heart defect surgery. The cost, without insurance, was astronomical. Even if she saved all the money from their marriage contract, she wouldn’t be able to cover it all. Especially if Micah’s hospital visits were as frequent as the documents made it appear. He watched his phone dance across the surface from the rapid pulses of Heath’s insistence, before connecting the call on the speaker.
“What the hell is so important?” Michael continued to dig in the drawer, finding a file marked ‘important papers’.
“Thought you might be ready to see reason about Evelyn.” Heath sounded calm and controlled, unlike in previous meetings.
Michael flicked through the death notices of family members until he reached the birth certificates for her and Micah.
“What the fuck?” Michael yelled.
“Yeah, I thought you would catch on to her game. How far do you think she’s run this time?” It didn’t feel so coincidental that Heath was trying to turn Michael against Evelyn at the moment he was digging for the truth.
“Micah is almost eight years old. That means Evelyn was pregnant when I had my accident.” Another secret was unveiled. The weight of them was crushing.
“Man, I told you she had something on the side. There’s your proof. Besides the pictures your dad showed you of her with another guy. I assume it's Micah's dad.” Heath could exude confidence in his statements. It made him very believable in his field of work, but Michael was having misgivings about their friendship.
“Many times, Heath.” Michael reached for a large manilla envelope marked ‘Harding.’ He poured the contents of papers and photos across the desk. The same pictures Heath had mentioned, but marked up with circles and exes.
“You had refused to see what your father and I could.” The pompous version of Heath strutted through the speaker.
Using the camera on his phone, Michael zoomed in to see the details in question.
“I’m beginning to figure that out,” he muttered.
How could he have not looked closer before? A light streak of blonde hair under a dark wig was circled. She had crossed through the tattoo she didn’t possess, to which he could attest. Even the ring was wrong. Most teenagers could do a better Photoshopping job than that.
“Heath, I don’t remember the name of the private detective my dad hired for those pictures. I was thinking maybe I should use him again since he did such a great job.”
“He...uh...I would have to look that up. I could always make another suggestion.” Michael’s dad had never explained how he got his hands on the pictures and Michael had been in too much pain and devastated to inquire. Moving to the papers, he shuffled through dozens of ominous notes. His father was threatening her over and over again if she dared to marry him.
“Weren’t you working in your dad’s office by that time? It was nice of you to help him out on these legal documents.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“A ‘cease-and-desist.’ A draft of manslaughter charges. Threats against corporations if they hired Evelyn. Do I need to go on? Because your signature is on each of these below my father’s. Even now, you’ve disparaged Evelyn at every turn. What the hell did she ever do to you?”
“She was a fucking tease,” Heath hissed.