Chapter 3 - The AppointmentThe word hung in the room.
Termination.
I couldn't breathe.
"No."
Alex shook his head.
"He had an appointment under your name."
Detective Morgan looked at me.
"Did you ever authorize this?"
"No."
"Did you sign anything?"
"No."
"Did Victor ever discuss ending the pregnancy?"
I stared at the ceiling.
"No."
Then I remembered.
Two weeks earlier, Victor had told me to sign some insurance paperwork.
He'd said it was routine.
I hadn't read every page.
"I signed something."
Detective Morgan's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"I thought it was insurance."
Alex swore under his breath.
Detective Morgan asked.
"Do you remember where you signed it?"
"At home."
"When?"
"Three weeks ago."
He wrote something down.
"That may be important."
The nurse came in.
"Mrs. Hale, the doctor wants another ultrasound."
I nodded.
As she wheeled me away, I could hear Alex and Detective Morgan talking behind me.
I didn't hear everything.
But I heard one phrase.
"Forgery."
My stomach twisted.
The ultrasound room was dim.
The technician placed the scanner against my abdomen.
The monitor appeared.
A tiny shape moved.
My daughter.
Alive.
Strong.
I started crying again.
The technician smiled.
"She's moving quite a bit."
I put my hand over my mouth.
For the first time that morning, I felt something other than terror.
Hope.
Then the doctor entered.
He examined the images carefully.
"There is no sign of immediate distress," he said. "But you've suffered significant trauma."
"Is she safe?"
"For now."
"For now?"
"We need observation."
I nodded.
He lowered his voice.
"Mrs. Hale, I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"This isn't the first concerning note in your medical chart."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"There are previous reports suggesting you refused treatment."
"I never refused."
He looked at the chart.
"They say you left against medical advice twice."
"I've never left."
He stared at me.
"Then somebody has been documenting things that didn't happen."
My blood ran cold.
"Who can alter my medical records?"
The doctor looked uncomfortable.
"Authorized staff."
"Could Victor?"
"Not directly."
"But someone could do it for him?"
He didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
That night, the hospital room became a fortress.
A police officer stayed outside.
Alex slept in a chair beside my bed.
I couldn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the stick.
At 2:17 in the morning, my phone rang.
The number was unknown.
I answered.
Nobody spoke.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a whisper.
"You should never have sent that message."
The call ended.
Alex woke instantly.
"Who was that?"
I looked at the screen.
"Unknown."
He stood.
"Did they say anything?"
I nodded.
I told him.
He immediately called Detective Morgan.
But before the detective arrived, my phone buzzed.
One message.
No number.
Just a photo.
I opened it.
My blood turned to ice.
It was my hospital room.
Photographed from the hallway.
Taken less than a minute ago.
Alex looked over my shoulder.
His face hardened.
"Someone is here."
He opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
The police officer outside was confused.
"I didn't see anyone."
Alex looked at the security camera.
"Check it."
Five minutes later, hospital security arrived.
They reviewed the footage.
A man in a black jacket had walked past the room.
His face was hidden.
He stopped for three seconds.
Looked directly at the camera.
Then walked away.
Detective Morgan arrived before dawn.
He watched the footage twice.
Then he turned to Alex.
"That isn't Victor."
Alex nodded.
"I know."
Detective Morgan looked at me.
"Have you ever seen him before?"
"No."
Detective Morgan paused.
Then he said something that made my blood run colder than any threat.
"We have."
"Who is he?"
"Someone connected to your husband's family."
"Who?"
Detective Morgan looked at the screen.
"Your husband's uncle."
I frowned.
"Victor doesn't have an uncle."
Detective Morgan stared at me.
"That's what Victor told everyone."
He turned the screen toward me.
Then he opened another file.
A photograph appeared.
An older man stood beside Victor.
I had never seen him before.
But I recognized the family crest tattooed on his wrist.
It was the same symbol engraved on Victor's wedding ring.
Detective Morgan spoke quietly.
"Your husband has been lying about his family."
"Why?"
The detective's eyes met mine.
"Because the man in that photo isn't just his uncle."
He paused.
"He's the person who owns the company Victor works for."
I stared at him.
May you like
Then Detective Morgan added:
"And he's worth nearly half a billion dollars."
