Chapter 8: The Secret Daniel Buried
The hospital room was quiet except for the steady sound of the monitor beside my bed.
The doctors had checked the baby.
Thankfully, everything looked stable.
But emotionally, I felt like I was falling all over again.
Only this time there was no railing to grab.
Daniel sat beside me.
He hadn’t said much since we arrived.
That scared me.
“Who was she?””
He looked up.
“What?””
“The woman your mother mentioned.””
His jaw tightened.
“I didn’t think it mattered.””
I laughed softly.
“Daniel, apparently everyone in our life knows things except me.””
“That’s not fair.””
“Isn’t it?””
He looked down.
For a moment, he was just my husband again.
The man who held my hand during every appointment.
The man who cried when we heard our baby’s heartbeat.
Then he sighed.
“Her name was Rachel.””
I waited.
“Who is Rachel?””
“Someone from work.””
I frowned.
“Why would she call you?””
“She didn’t call me.””
“Then what?””
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
“She sent me a message.””
“What kind of message?””
He hesitated.
“A warning.””
My heart sank.
“About what?””
He looked at me.
“About my mother.””
The room felt colder.
“What?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Rachel used to work with my mother years ago.””
I stared.
“And she contacted you six months ago?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I thought it was ridiculous.””
“What did she say?””
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“She said Margaret had a habit of controlling people.””
I felt a strange feeling in my chest.
“Did you believe her?””
“No.””
The answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
Then he softened.
“I didn’t want to believe her.””
I looked away.
Because that was the truth.
Daniel didn’t ignore the warning because he didn’t care.
He ignored it because accepting it would mean admitting his mother could hurt people.
A nurse entered the room.
“Everything looks good. The baby’s heartbeat is strong.””
I nodded.
After she left, Daniel reached for my hand.
“I should have told you.””
“Yes.””
“I’m sorry.””
I looked at him.
“I need honesty now.””
“You have it.””
“Everything.””
He nodded.
“Everything.””
Before I could answer, his phone vibrated.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He stood immediately.
“Who is it?””
He didn’t answer.
He turned the phone toward me.
A text message.
Unknown number.
One sentence.
*You’re looking in the wrong place. The person who started this is not Margaret.*
My heart raced.
Daniel typed back.
“Who are you?””
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally, another message came.
*Ask your wife about the night she lost three hours. She’s not the only one keeping secrets.*
I felt sick.
“Daniel.””
He looked at me.
“Do you know what they mean?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
But there was something worse.
A tiny part of me wondered if maybe I had forgotten something.
A moment.
A conversation.
A missing piece.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
Same number.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice came through.
Daniel’s face slowly changed.
“What do you mean she wasn’t alone?””
I froze.
“Daniel.””
He looked at me.
The caller continued speaking.
Then Daniel whispered:
“Who was with her?””
May you like
The room went silent.
And when he hung up, he looked like he had just learned the truth was much bigger than Margaret.
