Chapter 6: The Person Behind The Warning
I didn’t leave.
Not immediately.
Because I was tired of running away from things I didn’t understand.
For years, I had accepted pieces of my own life without questioning them.
Melissa disappeared.
Ethan became distant.
Claire appeared.
And somehow, every road led back to the same night.
Ava’s birth.
I looked at Ethan.
“You knew she was alive?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
“But you recognized the number.””
“I recognized it because Melissa used it years ago.””
I crossed my arms.
“You expect me to believe you?””
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“I don’t deserve your trust right now.””
That was the first honest thing he had said.
Claire picked up her bag.
“I need to go.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because this isn’t safe anymore.””
I almost laughed.
“Not safe?””
I pointed around the kitchen.
“My husband cheated on me in this house.””
Her face tightened.
“I know what I did.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You know what you did with Ethan.””
She looked down.
“But you don’t know what Melissa did.””
That sentence stayed with me.
After Claire left, I sat at the table.
Ethan stayed standing across from me.
“I want the whole truth.””
He nodded.
“You deserve it.””
“Start with Melissa.””
He took a deep breath.
“Three years ago, Melissa contacted me.””
“Why?””
“She said she had information about Ava’s birth.””
I stared at him.
“Why would she come to you?””
His eyes lowered.
“Because she knew something about me.””
“What?””
Silence.
Then:
“She knew I had been looking into the hospital records.””
I froze.
“You were investigating?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He swallowed.
“Because I found something strange.””
“What?””
“The night Ava was born, someone accessed your medical file.””
I felt a chill.
“Who?””
“That’s what I was trying to find out.””
I looked toward the stairs.
Toward Ava’s room.
“She was always my daughter.””
Ethan nodded.
“I know.””
“Then why did you hide this?””
His face collapsed.
“Because Melissa threatened us.””
I stood.
“Threatened us with what?””
He looked at me.
“The truth about what happened after Ava was born.””
I waited.
But he didn’t continue.
“Ethan.””
His phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
We both stared at it.
Then he answered.
“Hello?””
A few seconds passed.
His face changed.
“What?””
I watched fear appear in his eyes.
“Where are you?””
He stood quickly.
“Don’t touch anything.””
He hung up.
I stepped forward.
“What happened?””
He grabbed his jacket.
“That was the hospital security office.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why would they call you?””
He looked at me.
“Because someone broke into the old medical records room last night.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“Was anything stolen?””
Ethan hesitated.
Then he said:
“One file.””
“What file?””
He looked toward the stairs.
May you like
His voice became barely audible.
“Ava’s birth record.””
