That's when I saw them—Alexander and Victoria standing at the reception desk, his arm protectively around her shoulders.
"Mrs. Pierce, your prenatal vitamins are ready," the receptionist called out cheerfully to Victoria. "And Mr. Pierce, the special fertility supplements you ordered for her have arrived as well."
My feet froze to the floor. He'd never once purchased supplements for me during our years of trying to conceive.
"Alexander is so attentive," Victoria gushed to the receptionist. "He even installed a special air purifier in every room of our home to protect the baby."
I remembered the mold in my bathroom ceiling that Alexander had refused to fix for two years, claiming I was "being dramatic" about the respiratory infections I kept developing.
A nurse approached Victoria with a tablet. "Mrs. Pierce, I've scheduled your next three appointments. Mr. Pierce has already approved the dates."
My hand instinctively moved to my flat stomach.
Three years ago, I'd lost our baby after falling down the stairs. I later discovered that Alexander had "forgotten" to mention that he'd asked the housekeeper to wax them that morning.
When I called him from the emergency room, sobbing as they prepared me for surgery, I heard Victoria's voice in the background. "Hanging up already? But we've only just started..."
Alexander had called back an hour later, Victoria curled against him in the frame.
"Why are you always so clumsy?" he'd snapped. "You can't even carry a child properly. What good are you to me?"
Then, lowering his voice to a whisper that only I could hear: "Maybe this is nature's way of telling us you were never meant to be a mother."
The memory burned like acid in my throat.
I was about to turn and find another exit when Alexander spotted me. His eyes narrowed as he strode toward me, leaving Victoria at the desk.
"Why are you lurking around like some pathetic stalker?" he hissed.
"I wasn't—I was just leaving," I stammered, hating how quickly I reverted to defending myself.
"Wait." His hand clamped around my wrist, and I noticed Victoria watching us, her expression darkening.
She quickly composed herself and floated over, her face a mask of angelic concern.