Every time my brother-in-law drove me home, I would lose consciousness and wake up with unexplained aches and pains. My husband would only laugh and say, “You’re just out of shape, that’s all.” After the fourth ride, I secretly slipped a voice recorder into my purse and said nothing. That night, I listened to a phone conversation between the two of them that revealed my blackouts had never been accidental.

After Ellis left, Priya and I ordered soup.

It sat untouched between us.

At nine, an email arrived in an account I rarely used, the one Julian didn’t have bookmarked on our home computer.

The sender appeared to be Meridian Wellness Partners.

The subject line read: Patient Experience Survey.

Inside was a cheerful message thanking me for attending a recent follow-up appointment.

It asked me to rate the care I had received and included a reference number under my married name.

I read the sentence three times.