Chapter 4

Samuel had finished signing out of the hospital and came back with a gift box in his hand.

"Tania, I got you these vitamins. The doctor said you need to build your strength back up."

Tania did not take them, simply saying, "Let's head home."

When they got home, Tania stopped short in the living room. A bunch of strangers were huddled around her phone, trying to break into it.

Lucy was lounging on the couch with a coffee, looking like she did not have a care in the world. She even gave Tania a challenging look as she walked in.

"What's going on here?" Tania asked, her voice frosty.

Samuel came up behind her, dangling a necklace with a smile.

"Don't be upset, Tania. Lulu was worried you might have taken pictures of her, so she's just making sure. If there's nothing on your phone, they'll give it right back.”

"See, I even got you this necklace. It'll look great on you."

Tania avoided his motions to put the necklace on and fixed her eyes on Lucy. "Ms. Canfield, there are no pictures of you on my phone, just research data.”

"If you don't stop them now, I'll call the police to report you for stealing and leaking confidential information!"

Lucy set her coffee down and stood up, walking over amidst hushed voices.

"Call the police? Got any proof? Do you really think Samuel will take your word over mine?"

Samuel frowned and gently took Tania's hand. "Tania, please calm down. Lulu is just having it checked. If it's all good, you'll get it back."

Tania yanked her hand away and spun around to head for the door. "I'm going back to school.”

"You can't go!" Samuel caught her arm. "The doctor said you need to rest. Can't you just listen for once and not make things harder for me?"

"I’m making things harder?" Tania was so upset she started shaking. She was about to argue so she did not see Lucy sneak up behind her.

Lucy grabbed the vitamin bottle from the table and waved it about. "Samuel, it’s no wonder you two haven't had kids after three years. Tania's been popping birth control pills!"

Samuel's face went pale. He rushed over, grabbed the bottle, and when he looked at Tania again, his eyes were icy cold. "Tania, do you look down on me because of my genetic disease? You don't want to have a Ferguson baby, so you've been lying to me by using birth control?"

"That's not true!" Tania burst out. "Those are just vitamins. She's making it all up!"

"Making it up?" Lucy's eyes welled up with tears. "Samuel, why would I lie? I'm just looking out for you. I don't want her to fool you.”

"See? She's still denying it, not even sorry for what she's done!"

Samuel's anger flared up like wildfire.

Samuel had always felt like there was a sword of sickness hanging over his head, but he kept going, believing he could be cured. He thought Tania was the only one who got him, the only one who would want to start a family with him.

However, Lucy had spilled a secret: Tania had been lying.

She did not want to have kids with him at all.

With a loud smack, Samuel's hand struck Tania's cheek hard.

"You lied to me!"

He yanked her hair and dragged her to the basement, "I told you when we got married that we could beat my sickness and have kids. You said yes!”

"Tania, why did you break your promise? Why take birth control without telling me?”

"How long would you have kept this from me if Lulu hadn't found out?"

He shoved Tania into the basement and locked the door, not waiting for her to explain.

Tania sat against the cold metal door, holding her bleeding forehead, curled up tight.

Time passed, and then Lucy's voice sneaked through the door crack, "Feeling sorry for yourself? You knew what it meant to be a stand-in!”

"Samuel wouldn't look twice at someone as plain as you if you didn't look a bit like me.”

"I know you weren't taking birth control. That's just how strong a first love can be. I've been gone for five years, but I can still make Samuel do whatever I say!”

"Oh, and your phone? I've deleted almost everything and messed with some important stuff.”

"What do you think Samuel will do when he finds out his important medicine got messed up because of you? Do you think he'll hate you more?”

"And your baby? It's gone. However, it wasn't anything special anyway.”

"Do you really think having a baby will make you Mrs. Ferguson for real? That's just wishful thinking!"

Each word felt like a sharp jab to Tania's heart.

She slowly lifted her hand and pulled a voice recorder from her sleeve.

Recording important talks was something she started doing when she was doing science projects. She never thought it would be useful today.

Lucy's words from before were all saved on the recorder.

Tania had been stuck in the basement for three whole days.

In all that time, Samuel only came once to give her some bread and water. He did not even look at her, and just left the food and walked away.

On the fourth morning, the basement door finally opened.

Samuel stood there, looking at her. "Have you learned your lesson? If you have, come upstairs with me, act right, and maybe I'll forgive you."

Tania, leaning on the wall, slowly stood up and said firmly, "I did nothing wrong."

Samuel's face turned stormy. He lifted Tania up and carried her to the bedroom.

"It looks like you haven't learned your lesson yet."

He dropped Tania on the bed.

Tania smelled Lucy's perfume and saw the messy bed sheets and a torn lace undergarment on the floor.

It was not hers.

She could almost picture the awful things Samuel and Lucy must have done in that room while she was away.

She grabbed Samuel's arm tightly, trying to shove him away. "Don't you dare touch me!"

Samuel's eyes were red with anger, and he easily held her down. "You've been hiding and taking pills for three years so we wouldn't have a baby, and now I'm not allowed to touch you?”

"Stop acting like you're so pure. Didn't you have fun on the swing when we went camping?"

"I was pregnant, Samuel!" Tania cried, tears streaming down her pale face. "The baby's gone! It's all because of you and Lucy! Please, don't touch me..."