Chapter 126: The Two Mrs. Sebastians

Victoria set her handbag on the nearest chair because holding it suddenly took more effort than it should have.

"So you came back, divorced me, and married Andrei’s mother almost immediately afterward."

"Victoria."

"What? That’s what happened."

"We’d been separated for years."

"I remember."

"Our marriage ended long before we signed those papers. The divorce only formalized something that had already been true for a very long time."

Victoria looked at him.

"And apparently you couldn’t wait very long before formalizing something else."

That landed.

Conrad looked away.

Helena remained beside the bed, but she’d moved far enough away to give them space. She hadn’t interrupted or tried to defend herself, even when Victoria’s attention finally shifted toward her.

"You don’t have anything to say?"

Helena seemed surprised by the question.

"I don’t know what I could say that wouldn’t make this harder for you."

Victoria hadn’t expected that.

She’d expected defensiveness, perhaps even an explanation for why everything had happened so quickly.

Some version of Conrad chose me, whether Helena had enough manners actually to say those words or not.

Instead, there was none of that.

Victoria folded her arms.

"You could start by telling me whether you knew he was still married when the two of you found each other again."

"Yes."

The answer came immediately.

Victoria’s expression hardened.

"But nothing happened between us while you were married," Helena continued. "Conrad didn’t tell me how he felt until after the divorce."

Victoria looked at Conrad.

He nodded.

That should’ve helped.

Strangely, it did, although not nearly enough to make the situation painless.

"I asked you," Victoria said.

Conrad frowned.

"At the law office. I asked whether there was someone else."

"I answered you."

"You told me she didn’t know."

"She didn’t."

"You could’ve told me it was Helena."

Conrad remained silent.

"You knew exactly who I was asking about."

"I did."

"Then why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because I thought naming her while you were signing our divorce papers would be cruel."

Victoria stared at him.

"And this is better?"

"No."

At least he had enough sense to admit that.

Victoria turned away.

For years, she’d wondered about Helena Laurent.

Helena had been the first love, the woman who existed before Victoria entered Conrad’s life. Then Andrei had appeared and proved that Conrad’s past had left behind considerably more than memories.

Now Helena stood beside Conrad’s hospital bed, carrying his surname.

Mrs. Helena Sebastian.

The title shouldn’t have mattered.

Victoria had chosen to remain Victoria Sebastian. She’d carried the name for most of her adult life and had no intention of surrendering an identity she’d built simply because Conrad was no longer her husband.

Still, knowing another woman now carried the same name because she was married to him felt different.

It hurt.

Victoria could admit that much privately.

What she refused to do was confuse pain with wanting Conrad back.

She didn’t.

Their marriage had been over for years, and she’d known that before she signed the papers.

But knowing a house had been empty for a long time didn’t make it any less unpleasant to discover someone else had already moved in.

Helena spoke quietly.

"Victoria."

She looked at her.

"I know this must feel terribly sudden."

"It is sudden."

"To you, yes."

Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Helena didn’t back down.

"I don’t mean that as an insult. Conrad and I have a history that began long before yesterday. We’ve had conversations you weren’t part of because you had no reason to be. But you shouldn’t have had to discover our marriage by walking into a hospital room."

That was unexpectedly reasonable.

Victoria almost resented her for it.

Almost.

"I didn’t marry Conrad because I wanted to take something from you," Helena continued. "And I don’t expect you to be happy for us."

"That’s fortunate."

A trace of sadness crossed Helena’s face.

"I also know you loved him."

Victoria’s jaw tightened.

"Don’t."

"All right."

Helena stopped immediately.

She didn’t argue or attempt to explain Victoria’s own feelings to her.

That helped more than Victoria wanted it to.

Conrad looked between them.

"Vicky—"

"Don’t call me that right now."

He wisely closed his mouth.

Victoria’s attention returned to the hospital bed.

For the first time since entering the room, she properly looked at Conrad.

He looked terrible.

Not as though he were about to die that very second, but ill enough that her anger had to make room for something considerably more frightening.

He was pale and tired, with enough lingering swelling around his face to make the changes impossible to ignore. Even sitting upright appeared to require more effort than the Conrad she remembered would’ve ever allowed anyone to notice.

Then Victoria looked at Helena.

She’d been helping him dress when Victoria entered.

His water and call button sat within easy reach. Helena’s cardigan hung over the back of the chair beside a bag that looked large enough to suggest she hadn’t come for a brief visit.

She was staying.

Victoria swallowed.

For years, Conrad hadn’t been her husband in any meaningful sense. Yet some stupid part of her had apparently continued carrying the burden of worrying about him anyway.

Now he was seriously ill.

And Helena was here.

Not simply visiting.

She was taking care of him.

The realization brought an emotion Victoria hadn’t expected.

Relief.

Painful, irritating relief.

At least Conrad wasn’t alone.

When the doctors came, someone would be there to listen. When he insisted he was perfectly capable of doing something his body clearly disagreed with, someone else could argue with him.

Victoria knew from experience exactly how exhausting that job could become.

"You’ll stay with him?"

Helena seemed startled.

"Yes."

"Even if this gets worse?"

"Victoria," Conrad protested.

She ignored him.

Helena didn’t hesitate.

"Yes. Whatever happens."

Victoria studied her.

There was no triumph in Helena’s face and certainly no satisfaction over finally having Conrad to herself.

She simply looked worried.

And tired.

That mattered.

Victoria nodded once.

"Good."

Conrad stared at her, but she refused to look at him.

A knock interrupted them.

The nurse entered carrying a printed sheet.

"Mrs. Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

Both women answered.

The nurse stopped.

Victoria slowly turned toward Helena.

Helena looked back at her.

Conrad made the catastrophic mistake of appearing amused.

Victoria pointed at him.

"Don’t."

His expression immediately disappeared.

The nurse glanced between the women.

"I’m sorry. Mrs. Conrad Sebastian?"

Helena raised her hand slightly.

"That would be me."

Victoria felt something twist painfully in her chest.

There it was.

Such a small distinction, yet apparently it was still capable of hurting.

The nurse, mercifully unaware that she’d just stumbled into several decades of complicated family history, handed Helena the paper.

"These medications are currently unavailable from the hospital pharmacy. Someone will need to purchase them outside. We’ve listed nearby pharmacies that may have them in stock."

"Thank you," Helena said. "I’ll take care of it."

Of course she would.

Victoria picked up her handbag.

Conrad noticed.

"You’re leaving?"

"Yes."

"You just got here."

"And apparently I arrived at an excellent time."

"Victoria."

She looked at Helena instead.

"Make sure he actually takes them."

"I will."

"He’ll tell you he feels fine when he doesn’t."

Helena glanced at Conrad.

"I’ve noticed."

Victoria almost smiled.

"Then you’re sufficiently informed."

Helena’s expression softened.

"I’ll take care of him."

Something inside Victoria finally loosened.

Perhaps that was all she’d needed to hear.

She looked at Conrad.

She still had things she was angry about and others she might never completely forgive. Seeing Helena beside him also hurt considerably more than Victoria would’ve preferred to admit.

But Conrad was no longer hers to take care of.

Perhaps he hadn’t been for years.

The difference was that someone else had willingly taken the job.

"Take care of yourself, Conrad."

He held her gaze.

"You too."

Victoria headed for the door.

"Victoria."

Helena’s voice stopped her.

She looked back.

"I’m sorry you found out this way."

For once, Victoria couldn’t find anything hidden beneath the words.

There was no victory in Helena’s expression and certainly no pity. She simply seemed to understand that one person’s happiness didn’t prevent the same event from hurting someone else.

Victoria gave a small nod.

"So am I."

Her attention dropped to the medication list in Helena’s hand.

"But I’m glad he has someone."

Helena’s eyes softened.

"I know."

Victoria left before either of them could make the moment more sentimental than she was prepared to tolerate.

The door closed behind her.

Inside the room, Helena remained beside Conrad.

Victoria walked toward the elevators alone, carrying the same surname as the woman she’d left behind.

Strangely, she didn’t feel as though she’d lost Conrad all over again.

That had happened years ago.

Today, she’d simply met the woman who would take care of him from here.