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"This is your thirty-fifth week of pregnancy, correct?"
Sitting in front of Joan was Pearlanne Scarlet in the flesh. 'The evil twin', as Vivian liked to call her. However, the more often Joan saw the woman, the more she doubted whether it was a mere joke; not a single person in the Holler could compete with Pearlanne when it came to rudeness and arrogance.
"Yes." Pearlanne placed her palm on her belly. Her every word sounded forced, as though she was doing Joan a favor simply by speaking, like she detested wasting her precious time on some pointless medical check-up.
"Didn't I ask you to visit me at least once a month?" Joan sighed as she went through the test results again. Aside from elevated blood pressure, there were, surprisingly, no apparent problems. "Your results seem normal, but I'd suggest you not to rely on luck when it comes to your health and that of your child. I really hope you at least have stopped smoking until after your pregnancy?"
Pearlanne rolled her eyes.
"She's a Scarlet. She'll manage."
That was not an answer.
Joan made a valiant attempt not to let herself violate the tenets of medical ethics by expressing her sincere opinion, or—better yet—slapping Pearlanne. If that wicked woman couldn't care less about her own health, she could at the very least think about her child's!
"You're putting her health at serious risk," she said instead.
My poor niece, Joan vividly remembered Vivian's words, with a mother like my sister, her life will end before it even begins. Pearlanne complains about Gramma Eddie all the time, but the funny thing is that she's just as awful.
Oh Vivian, the only ray of light among all Scarlets.
"With all due respect, Doctor Kelly," she spoke, her voice authoritative, her pride shamelessly on display, "I would very much like you to stop lecturing me. My daughter's problems are my own to deal with." The way Pearlanne talked about her future child radiated authority, like her girl was no more than an object she would own and use. A personal investment of sorts. "Is that all?" her gaze was piercing.
No way in hell was that 'all'. Joan could have told her so many things.
Deciding to leave Scarlet Hollow was endlessly prudent on Vivian's part. Who needed enemies with a family like that?
If only it were that easy to make this dream come true.
"Yes," she pulled herself together. "You have about three weeks until delivery. Try to take care of yourself."
"Excellent. Thank you very much." Before leaving the office, Pearlanne preached, not even bothering to spare her a glance, "I suggest you stop spending so much time with my sister. She's an awful influence, I must say."
Pearlanne Scarlet took great pleasure in manipulating people, keeping them under her thumb. She never found a way to control Vivian like that.
"Your examination is complete," Joan answered coolly, since otherwise she would have uttered too many words that were better left unsaid. "I'll see you in three weeks. Please let me know if contractions start earlier."
As soon as Pearlanne finally left the clinic, Joan slapped her palm on the table and hissed through her teeth, "What a bitch."