It felt good to walk around and clear my head. I let the cool, snowy air of Paris numb my face as I walked the city by the river. I stopped to look at shop windows and bought an espresso at a cafe, but I mostly just lingered on the banks of the Seine, thinking about it all.

Finally though, I headed back to the hotel, my stomach rumbling, my head still spinning, and my heart wanting only one thing.

Because after a day away, I just wanted to be near him.

It was such a dumb thought, but there it was. I needed him near me. I wanted his touch.

His lips.

And yes, I wanted him physically, but it was more than that. There was something about this proximity that just soothed me, and made me feel whole.

And I needed that after this day.

There was still no word from my mother as I walked back into the hotel lobby. I felt my heart tense up again thinking about the earlier email from my dad, how they’d found something on a scan on her ovary and wanted her to come in for testing. Of course, he’d said there was nothing to worry about, but that’s all I’d done all day.

I was heading for the elevators — every intention of walking straight to Colin’s room and knocking on his door, when an older woman in a black coat stepped out in front of me.

“Pardon, do you have the time?”

I paused, glancing at my wrist. “Oh, its five-thirty.”

She smiled. “American?”

“Yes,” I smiled back. “Just visiting.”

“Me too,” she said, still smiling at me. Her eyes dipped over me in this strangely curious way that made me hesitate.

“I’m visiting my children you see.”

“Oh!” I smiled. “That’s so wonderful. Do they live here?”

She shook her head. “Just visiting as well.” She nodded at the elevator. “Going up?”

“Yes, you?”

She nodded as we stepped in. The doors closed.

“Yes, they’re here with their father,” she said with a wave of her hand.

“Well that’s so nice that you get to visit them.”

There was something off about her, something about the way she kept staring at me — not to mention the smell of gin on her breath — that rubbed me the wrong way.

“Yes,” she nodded again. “They’re here with their dad for the holidays.”

I nodded.

“With him and his little whore of a nanny.”

I froze at the sharpness of her words, turning to her with my brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

I gasped as she suddenly shoved me against the wall, slamming a finger into the stop button in the elevator.

“You!” she hissed, her face turning into a look of fury.

Oh, God.

And suddenly, I knew who this was.

“You stay away from my children you little slut!”

I quickly shook my head. “Helen, it’s not—”

“Oh don’t give me that,” she hissed. “He already did. And we both know it is exactly what I think it is.”

She reached into her purse and yanked out her phone, unlocking the screen before she shoved it into my hands.

My heart sank.

Oh my God.

There on the screen were pictures — pictures of Colin and I from the night before, on the balcony.

“You dirty, slutty little tramp,” she hissed, snatching the phone back. “That is my husband, you know!”

“Your ex-husband.”

My eyes went wide as the words boldly left my lips, almost unbelieving that I’d actually just said that.

Helen snarled at me. “Well, my children.”

I wanted to toss something back, but I knew that was a step too far. As horrible as Colin had made the whole thing sound, and as attached as I was to Lillian and Beckham, this was their mother. I wouldn’t go there — not here, like this.

“Please let go of my arm,” I said quietly.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, honey,” she hissed. “You’re going to leave.”

“It’s my job to be—”

“I don’t give a shit what your job is! Was it your job to take my husband’s cock in your mouth?! Hmm?”

I froze, my face turning red and my heart sinking.

“You’re going to leave, and that’s final. Not another peep to Colin, and no more contact. Especially not with my fucking children.”

I shook my head, my eyes narrowing at her. “You can’t keep me from—”

“Watch me, honey!” She suddenly paused and smiled wickedly again.

“Such shame to hear about your mother.”

I froze. “What?”

The word felt cold on my lips.

“What are you talking about?”

“Her ovarian cancer.”

The whole world spun.

“That’s not true,” I said quietly. “She just went in for a test.”

“Oh it is, dear. You just haven’t heard yet because your father is delaying calling to tell you.”

Something shattered inside of me. The world around me came crashing down as I staggered back, gripping blindly at the wall of the elevator.

“How—” I shook my head. “How do you know that?” I whispered in a brittle voice.

“Colin’s not the only one with friends in high places. His friends sit in Washington and in board rooms. Mine sit on the board of directors for Mass General Hospital, in Boston.” She smiled wickedly. “That is where your mother is being treated isn’t it?”

I nodded dumbly.

Oh God, this wasn’t happening.

“My mom—”

“Oh, she’ll be taken care of,” Helen said flippantly with a wave of her hand. “They have a wonderful cancer wing there — huge recovery rate.” She turned her eyes to me again, smiling wickedly. “If she gets care.”

I looked up sharply. “What?”

“Like I said, I have friends in high places too. Friends who can pass over your mother’s diagnosis, delay treatment.” She shrugged. “Paperwork, dear. You know how it can just get lost somewhere along the way.”

The rage boiled over inside of me as I felt something clawing at the air in my lungs. “You’re a monster.”

“Yes I am,” she hissed. She pushed the elevator buttons again, and we started to rise. “But we both know I’m going to win this.”

The elevator doors opened at the top floor, and she smiled as I numbly walked off. “Here’s how this works, you little bitch. You’re going to go to your room, pack your shit, and leave.”

She handed me an envelope. “I even bought you first fucking class, you little whore.”

I turned, numb, still searching for the air in my lungs. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because that man has what’s mine, and I want it back.”

“You can’t just—”

“Oh, I can, sweetheart. And I will.”

Helen grinned one more triumphant, wicked smile at me. And then the elevator doors shut, leaving me shattered in the hallway.