Chapter 5: The Prescription That Wasn't Mine
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
I thought I had misunderstood.
“My name?””
Dr. Harris nodded.
“The prescription was issued using your information.””
I shook my head.
“That’s impossible.””
Maya looked scared.
“Mom?””
I immediately turned toward her.
“I’m okay.””
But I wasn’t.
Because the question wasn’t just who gave my daughter the medication.
The question was why someone used my name.
I had spent years trusting Daniel.
I shared my accounts with him.
My personal information.
My life.
And now my name was attached to something I never approved.
Dr. Harris spoke carefully.
“We don’t know exactly what happened yet. We’re investigating.””
“Investigating Daniel?””
The doctor didn’t answer directly.
But he didn’t deny it either.
That was enough.
Later that night, Maya was moved to a private room.
I sat beside her bed while she slept.
She looked peaceful.
Almost like the last few months had never happened.
But I knew better.
I knew every time she smiled while she was hurting.
Every time she said “I’m fine.””
Every time she protected someone who didn’t protect her.
My phone rang.
I looked down.
Daniel.
I almost ignored it.
But something told me I needed to answer.
“Where are you?””
His voice was cold.
Not worried.
Not scared.
Demanding.
“At the hospital.””
“You need to come home.””
I looked at Maya.
“No.””
A pause.
Then he laughed quietly.
“You really think you understand what’s happening?””
“I understand that our daughter was sick and you stopped her from getting help.””
“That’s not what happened.””
“Then tell me what happened.””
Silence.
“Daniel?””
His voice became softer.
Too soft.
“I was trying to protect you.””
The words made my stomach twist.
“Protect me from what?””
Another pause.
Then he said:
“From the truth about Maya.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What does that mean?””
“You’ll find out soon.””
“Daniel—”
He hung up.
I stared at the screen.
Then I noticed something.
A voicemail notification.
A voicemail from a number I didn’t recognize.
I played it.
At first, there was only breathing.
Then a woman’s voice.
Quiet.
Shaking.
“Mrs. Carter… my name is Emily.””
I froze.
Daniel’s sister.
“I know you don’t trust me, but I need you to listen.””
I looked toward Maya.
“She has been trying to tell you the truth.””
My heart pounded.
The recording continued.
“Daniel made mistakes. Serious mistakes.””
A pause.
Then Emily whispered:
“He told me if I ever contacted you, he would destroy my career.””
I sat up straighter.
“What?””
The voicemail continued.
“I tried to warn you months ago.””
My eyes filled with tears.
Months.
She knew.
She knew while Maya was suffering.
“I’m sorry I waited.””
There was a long silence.
Then Emily said something that made my blood run cold.
“Your daughter’s illness is only part of the story.””
I stopped breathing.
The message continued.
“The reason Daniel didn’t want her seeing doctors is because he was afraid they would discover what he did before Maya got sick.””
The recording ended.
I sat there frozen.
A few minutes later, Maya opened her eyes.
“Mom?””
I quickly wiped my face.
“Yes?””
She looked at me.
“Is Daniel in trouble?””
I didn’t know how to answer.
Because I had spent years wondering if my husband was a good man having a bad moment.
But now I was wondering something much darker.
Was he a bad man who had been hiding behind good moments?
The next morning, Dr. Harris entered Maya’s room.
He looked serious.
“We received additional information from another doctor.””
I stood.
“What information?””
He looked at Maya.
Then at me.
“The symptoms Maya described match a pattern we’ve seen before.””
My heart sank.
“Before?””
He nodded.
“With another patient.””
I felt a cold wave move through me.
“Who?””
Dr. Harris opened the file.
And the name on the page made my entire body go numb.
Because it was someone from Daniel’s past.
May you like
Someone who had disappeared three years earlier.
Someone Daniel told me I should never ask about.
