Chapter 10: The Woman Behind The Door
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Rachel stared at the hospital door like she had seen a ghost.
Daniel noticed immediately.
“Who is outside?””
She didn’t answer.
“Rachel.””
Her face was pale.
“Someone who doesn’t want me talking to you.””
My heart started racing.
The door handle moved.
Just slightly.
Then stopped.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Stay here.””
He walked toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
“Daniel.””
He looked back at me.
There was fear in his eyes.
Not for himself.
For me.
“I’m not letting anyone hurt you again.””
He opened the door quickly.
The hallway was empty.
A nurse pushed a cart past us.
A visitor walked toward the elevator.
Nobody looked suspicious.
But Rachel was still shaking.
“She was here.””
Daniel closed the door.
“Who?””
Rachel looked at me.
“Margaret.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“She followed you?””
Rachel nodded.
“She knew I was coming.””
Daniel looked confused.
“How?””
Rachel hesitated.
Then opened the folder again.
“There’s something you need to understand.””
She pulled out another paper.
“This wasn’t the first time Margaret tried to control someone close to you.””
Daniel took it.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then his expression changed.
“What is this?””
“A complaint.””
“Against my mother?””
Rachel nodded.
“From ten years ago.””
I looked at Daniel.
“What happened?””
Rachel sat down.
“Your mother worked as an assistant for a wealthy family. She became very close to them.””
Daniel frowned.
“My mother helped people.””
Rachel looked down.
“At first, yes.””
The way she said it made the room colder.
“What changed?””
“She became obsessed with being needed.””
Daniel didn’t respond.
Rachel continued.
“She started making decisions for people. Speaking for them. Creating problems so they would depend on her.””
I looked at the documents.
“So she did this before?””
Rachel nodded.
“Yes.””
Daniel looked sick.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“I tried.””
“When?””
“Six months ago.””
His eyes dropped.
The message.
The warning.
The thing he ignored.
Rachel looked at him.
“I thought you deserved to know.””
Daniel rubbed his face.
“Why now?””
“Because she’s escalating.””
That word scared me.
“What do you mean?””
Rachel looked at my pregnant stomach.
“She never wanted to hurt you at first.””
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“But she pushed my wife down the stairs.””
Rachel nodded slowly.
“I know.””
“How?””
Rachel looked away.
“Because I saw her.””
The room went silent.
Daniel stepped closer.
“You saw it?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you stop her?””
Rachel’s eyes filled with guilt.
“Because I wasn’t there.””
I frowned.
“What?””
She opened her phone.
She showed us a picture.
A photo of Margaret standing outside our house.
Taken from across the street.
“The day before the fall.””
Daniel looked confused.
“Why were you watching my house?””
Rachel swallowed.
“Because I knew she was planning something.””
My heart stopped.
“What did she say?””
Rachel looked at me.
“She said she only needed one more push.””
Daniel froze.
“What?””
Rachel’s voice dropped.
“I heard her talking to someone.””
“To who?””
She looked at the door.
Then whispered:
“I don’t know.””
A loud noise came from the hallway.
A crash.
Everyone turned.
A nurse rushed past the room.
Then another sound.
A phone ringing.
Rachel looked at her screen.
Her face changed.
“What?””
Daniel looked at her.
“Who is it?””
She slowly showed us.
Unknown number.
The same number that had contacted him.
The phone kept ringing.
Finally, Rachel answered.
“Hello?””
Nobody spoke.
Then a voice came through.
A voice I recognized.
Margaret.
Rachel’s face went white.
“She knows.””
Daniel grabbed the phone.
“Where are you?””
Margaret laughed softly.
Then she said something that made all of us freeze.
“I know exactly where you are.””
The call ended.
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And at that exact moment…
the hospital lights went out.
