fiancé.
The EMTs applied paddles to Esperanza’s chest, but neither the shocks nor the injection of something into the woman’s chest produced the desired result.
After Esperanza’s body was taken away, Piper was grateful that Elysium was a private facility and that the media were not allowed on the grounds. She wouldn’t want her parents, or anyone else for that matter, to see what she had just seen. The only pictures of Esperanza Flores had been taken by the police photographer.
It was a sight that Piper doubted she would ever forget.
Chapter 20
I f she positioned herself in just the right way, Wendy could catch a glimpse of Cottage 7 from her window. She had watched people running past her own cottage and had seen a crowd form in front of the other building. Wendy had wanted to go see what was happening, but that was out of the question.
There was no way she would venture out there and show herself to all those people. She couldn’t deal with their averted glances and outright stares. Wendy completely understood people’s reactions. If she couldn’t stomach the way she looked, how could they?
In their therapy sessions together, Dr. Ben was trying to help her come to believe that how she looked wasn’t the essence of who she was. Dr. Ben said that her appearance was just the outer, less important shell. What was inside—her mind, her feelings, her personality, her spirit—made up the real Wendy. That’s what Dr. Ben believed.
Or that was what Dr. Ben said anyway. When it came right down to it, Dr. Ben was marrying one of the most gorgeous women Wendy had ever seen. Wendy doubted that he’d been initially attracted to Jillian Abernathy by her mind. Maybe he came to love her after getting to know her better, but he had to want to get to know her in the first place. Initial physical attraction counted. There was no denying that.
Who was ever going to be attracted to a woman with almost no nose?
She was a freak show.
While her father blamed Dr. Abernathy’s surgery, Wendy knew she had to take some responsibility. Her own obsession with her appearance had brought her to this place. She hadn’t liked the way her nose looked and had badgered her father to pay for fixing it.
Her father had been so resistant. He’d insisted she was beautiful just the way she was. Her nose was unique and made her face the one he had loved since the day she was born. It was as much a part of her as the freckles sprinkled across it, her curly red hair, and her big brown eyes. But Wendy kept at him and kept at him until she wore her father down. She convinced him that she hated her nose so much that she could never even begin to be happy until it was changed. And ever since Wendy’s mother had deserted them years ago, her father was desperate to make his daughter happy.
She hadn’t been satisfied with the results of the first surgery. The second surgery only made it worse. When the bandages were taken off after the third surgery, there was very little cartilage left.
Her father said it was a nightmare and that Dr. Abernathy would have to pay. He had talked to an attorney about it. But Dr. Abernathy was trying to stave off the lawsuit. Wendy could stay at Elysium free of charge while she recuperated and Dr. Abernathy tried to figure out how to proceed with further corrective surgery. In the meantime she was in therapy with Dr. Ben to help her cope.
She would give anything to look the way she once had.
Wendy was diverted from her thoughts by the knock on the cottage door.
“Who is it?”
The door opened.
“It’s me.” Her father poked his head in and smiled at her. Wendy knew his smile was forced.
“You’re early today,” said Wendy as George Ellis put his key in his pocket and gently kissed his daughter on the cheek.
“Couldn’t wait any longer to see my girl. How are you?”
“Okay, I guess,” said Wendy. “Something must have happened at Cottage Seven. That’s where the woman who worked for Jillian
The EMTs applied paddles to Esperanza’s chest, but neither the shocks nor the injection of something into the woman’s chest produced the desired result.
After Esperanza’s body was taken away, Piper was grateful that Elysium was a private facility and that the media were not allowed on the grounds. She wouldn’t want her parents, or anyone else for that matter, to see what she had just seen. The only pictures of Esperanza Flores had been taken by the police photographer.
It was a sight that Piper doubted she would ever forget.
Chapter 20
I f she positioned herself in just the right way, Wendy could catch a glimpse of Cottage 7 from her window. She had watched people running past her own cottage and had seen a crowd form in front of the other building. Wendy had wanted to go see what was happening, but that was out of the question.
There was no way she would venture out there and show herself to all those people. She couldn’t deal with their averted glances and outright stares. Wendy completely understood people’s reactions. If she couldn’t stomach the way she looked, how could they?
In their therapy sessions together, Dr. Ben was trying to help her come to believe that how she looked wasn’t the essence of who she was. Dr. Ben said that her appearance was just the outer, less important shell. What was inside—her mind, her feelings, her personality, her spirit—made up the real Wendy. That’s what Dr. Ben believed.
Or that was what Dr. Ben said anyway. When it came right down to it, Dr. Ben was marrying one of the most gorgeous women Wendy had ever seen. Wendy doubted that he’d been initially attracted to Jillian Abernathy by her mind. Maybe he came to love her after getting to know her better, but he had to want to get to know her in the first place. Initial physical attraction counted. There was no denying that.
Who was ever going to be attracted to a woman with almost no nose?
She was a freak show.
While her father blamed Dr. Abernathy’s surgery, Wendy knew she had to take some responsibility. Her own obsession with her appearance had brought her to this place. She hadn’t liked the way her nose looked and had badgered her father to pay for fixing it.
Her father had been so resistant. He’d insisted she was beautiful just the way she was. Her nose was unique and made her face the one he had loved since the day she was born. It was as much a part of her as the freckles sprinkled across it, her curly red hair, and her big brown eyes. But Wendy kept at him and kept at him until she wore her father down. She convinced him that she hated her nose so much that she could never even begin to be happy until it was changed. And ever since Wendy’s mother had deserted them years ago, her father was desperate to make his daughter happy.
She hadn’t been satisfied with the results of the first surgery. The second surgery only made it worse. When the bandages were taken off after the third surgery, there was very little cartilage left.
Her father said it was a nightmare and that Dr. Abernathy would have to pay. He had talked to an attorney about it. But Dr. Abernathy was trying to stave off the lawsuit. Wendy could stay at Elysium free of charge while she recuperated and Dr. Abernathy tried to figure out how to proceed with further corrective surgery. In the meantime she was in therapy with Dr. Ben to help her cope.
She would give anything to look the way she once had.
Wendy was diverted from her thoughts by the knock on the cottage door.
“Who is it?”
The door opened.
“It’s me.” Her father poked his head in and smiled at her. Wendy knew his smile was forced.
“You’re early today,” said Wendy as George Ellis put his key in his pocket and gently kissed his daughter on the cheek.
“Couldn’t wait any longer to see my girl. How are you?”
“Okay, I guess,” said Wendy. “Something must have happened at Cottage Seven. That’s where the woman who worked for Jillian
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