The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 166

Missing The Appointment.

“Love, relax,” Nathaniel said on the phone. “Send me a picture of the results.”

The first thing Serena did when she arrived at her office was inform Nathaniel about the results. Her hands trembled as she took a picture.

She was familiar with medical terms, so she knew Alisa had epilepsy.

After sending the results to Nathaniel, she waited. He called her back after a few minutes.

On the phone, he read, “Intermittent focal epileptiform discharges in the left temporal region.”

“It means there are occasional bursts of abnormal electrical activity in a specific part of her brain,” he explained. “The left temporal lobe.”

“It is primarily responsible for memory, language processing, and emotional regulation,” he said calmly. “Sometimes social interpretation too. That’s why there are moments where she struggles slightly with reading social cues, especially toward strangers or other kids. We could say the same for her speech.”

“And as far as memory goes, Alisa has a great memory,” Nathaniel added. “So it looks like her language and social cues are the only areas slightly affected.”

“Should I worry about the seizures?” Serena asked. That was what she feared most. Severe, prolonged seizures could damage the brain if left untreated.

“No.” His voice was firm. “This is very manageable. A neurologist will evaluate whether Alisa requires medication.”

“There’s no cure for epilepsy,” he explained. “But it can be controlled with medication. Many children respond extremely well. Some even outgrow it as their brains mature.”

Serena closed her eyes briefly, listening.

“And… it’s not uncommon,” Nathaniel added. “Children with ASD have a higher rate of mild epilepsy.”

“Should I bring her to your doctors?” Serena asked, referring to the research institute’s treatment wing.

“This is uncomplicated focal epilepsy,” he said calmly. “There’s no structural abnormality, no red flags. A pediatric neurologist is more than sufficient. I can assure you, we don’t need to escalate this.”

“What’s important is to schedule Alisa for a doctor’s appointment,” Nathaniel said.

“I already scheduled it for tomorrow afternoon,” Serena answered.

“Tomorrow.” Nathaniel paused. “I’ll cancel my schedule. I can be with you tomorrow instead of Sunday.”

Serena paused.

Honestly, she did need the emotional support. It’s not every day you learn your child has epilepsy. She was very thankful that Nathaniel’s new business was in neurological studies.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said softly.

“Of course I have to,” Nathaniel said. “Alisa’s my daughter, and you are clearly panicking. Had I known, I would have gotten the results myself.”

“But you said you had important things to do tomorrow,” Serena reminded him.

But in the end, she never made it to the appointment.

Something had intercepted her on the road.

***

The next day.

“We thank you for continuing to do business with us,” Silas said, shaking Mr. Leonard Shapiro’s hand.

They were at Shapiro Advanced Care Hospital in Port Arcliff, a city next to Rexam.

“You’re welcome, Silas.” Mr. Shapiro turned to Melvin Vander. “It’s a good thing your uncle helped resolve the issues between our companies.”

Mr. Shapiro was one of their biggest clients, from whom their sales manager had solicited kickbacks. After resolving the issue, Silas scheduled a contract renewal immediately. Serena came in case Mr. Shapiro had questions about the technicalities of Vanguard’s upgrade.

Their uncle Melvin came for support. Mr. Shapiro and Melvin seemed to have formed a good relationship since helping resolve the problem.

After the contract was secured, Serena intended to leave with her brother. Unfortunately, Mr. Shapiro insisted, “You must have lunch with me, Silas, Serena, and Melvin. Let us celebrate. I’m inviting my son and wife to join us. We could drink after that.”

Silas and Serena looked at each other.