“Dang. Arizona is so shameless. Her child died under her care, and she’s still living under Dr. Cohen’s house.”
“Dr. Shanahan is so kind. If it were anyone else, they would have kicked that cursed woman out long ago.”
My chest tightened, but I forced my steps forward.
At the head table sat Charlton and Mariam, side by side. He listened to the harsh gossip without denying a word.
Mariam's lips curved slightly; she sipped her red wine at leisure, her laugh clear. “Dr. Crumpler has nothing after leaving prison. If she were on her own, she’d probably starve. Fortunately, I’m softhearted. I took pity and kept her on as a nanny.”
At once, the crowd around her chorused with flattery.
“You really are so generous, Dr. Shanahan!”
I searched for a place to sit, but someone sneered nearby. “Look—the housekeeper dares to show up. Does she have no shame?”
Before I could speak, Mariam smiled brightly and answered for me. “Dr. Crumpler is here to apologize to me.”
A man jeered, “The esteemed Dr. Crumpler apologizing? For falsely accusing Dr. Shanahan five years ago? How will Dr. Crumpler apologize?”
Mariam tilted her head toward Charlton with a mock-sweet expression.
Charlton lowered his gaze, his voice stripped of warmth. “She will beg for Mariam’s forgiveness. Arizona, come and apologize.”
I stared at him in disbelief. How could he say such a thing? He wanted me to apologize to my enemy?!
Mariam clapped lightly, laughter chiming. “How could I bear such a gesture? Why not let her show everyone how she lived in prison?”
The crowd erupted in mocking laughter. My face was drained of color, but before I could refuse, a voice bellowed from the back.
“0528!”
My body froze, then straightened by reflex. Without thinking, I shouted, “Here!”
For a breath, silence blanketed the hall. Then, the laughter swelled into a roar. The sound coiled around me like a venomous snake. One after another, they called out my number.
“0528, apologize!”
“0528, crawl like a dog!”
My teeth ground together as my whole body trembled. But when I tried to resist, Charlton leaned close and hissed into my ear, “Make Mariam happy. If you don’t, I will never tell you where your son is buried.”
My heart was torn open. My son… My one weakness.
My vision went blank. My body moved on its own. I sank to my knees, my palms slapping against the cold marble.
With that, applause and laughter exploded around me.