I had always assumed it was my husband sitting by my side while I was trapped in the darkness. The head of security led us to a small office to view the recordings from the past few months.
In the early footage, Simon was seen wearing a cap and a jacket that was identical to the one Trevor owned. He easily bypassed the reception desk by claiming to be the patient’s husband to anyone who asked.
Trevor slammed his fist onto the desk as he watched his own brother deceive the entire hospital staff. “I cannot believe he would do this to us,” Trevor yelled while the video continued to play.
The screen showed Simon sitting by my bed and holding my hand with the appearance of a concerned relative. However, the footage from the third night revealed a much more sinister side to his frequent visits.
After the nurse left the room at 9:17 PM, Simon stood up and checked the hallway for any witnesses. He pulled the privacy curtains around my bed and moved a heavy chair to block the view from the door.
The camera could not see behind the fabric, but the medical monitors recorded a spike in my heart rate. The alarms had been silenced for forty minutes while a nurse later noted that my gown was improperly adjusted.
I felt like the air had been sucked out of the room as the reality of the assault began to sink in. Trevor took my hand for the first time since I woke up and squeezed it with profound regret.
“Please forgive me for doubting your loyalty,” he whispered while tears finally fell from his eyes. Before we could even process the grief together, Patricia burst into the room with her rosary held tight.
“Madeline, I beg you not to destroy my son’s life over a simple misunderstanding,” Patricia pleaded with me. “Just say you were mistaken or that this happened before the accident occurred,” she suggested shamelessly.
Trevor stood up and blocked her path while looking at his mother with utter disgust and disappointment. “My wife was unconscious and unable to defend herself against him,” he reminded her firmly.
“Simon is not a monster and you are ruining this family,” Patricia screamed in response. “Then let him explain why he was pretending to be me while sneaking into this room,” Trevor countered.
