Chapter 2
Everything happened at once.
Nurses surrounded me.
Someone put an oxygen mask over my face.
Someone else cut open the side of my dress.
The ceiling lights blurred above me as they pushed my bed down the hallway.
“Fetal heart rate is dropping.”
“Possible placental abruption.”
“Operating room two is ready.”
I reached for Daniel.
He was running beside the bed.
“What did you mean?” I cried.
“Sarah, please.”
“What about the baby?”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
“Tell me now.”
Before he could answer, a nurse stopped him at the double doors.
“You can’t come farther until we prep her.”
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“I’m sorry.”
That was the last thing I heard before the doors slammed shut.
The pain became unbearable.
A doctor leaned over me.
“Sarah, we need to perform an emergency C-section.”
“Will my baby live?”
“We’re going to do everything we can.”
That answer terrified me.
I signed something I couldn’t read.
My hand shook so badly the signature looked like a child had written it.
Then the anesthesiologist spoke to me.
I heard words.
I didn’t understand them.
All I understood was one thing.
My baby was dying because another woman wanted my husband.
The room became cold.
My body became heavy.
Then everything disappeared.
When I opened my eyes, I didn’t know where I was.
A machine beeped beside me.
My throat was dry.
My stomach burned.
I tried to move.
A nurse immediately touched my shoulder.
“Easy.”
“My baby.”
The nurse smiled carefully.
“Your son is alive.”
I started crying.
Not quietly.
My whole body shook.
“Where is he?”
“He’s in the neonatal intensive care unit.”
“Why?”
“He was born early and went through significant distress. But he’s fighting.”
“My son.”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
I had imagined his birth so many times.
Daniel holding my hand.
Music playing quietly.
A nurse placing a warm baby against my chest.
Instead my son was somewhere behind glass, surrounded by machines.
Because Vanessa pushed me.
Because Daniel cheated.
Because somebody had been hiding something.
“Where’s my husband?”
The nurse’s expression changed.
“He’s outside.”
“Send him in.”
A few minutes later, Daniel entered.
He looked destroyed.
His tie was gone.
There was blood on the sleeve of his shirt.
My blood.
He stopped beside the bed.
“Sarah.”
“Is Vanessa gone?”
“Security detained her.”
“Police?”
“They’re talking to her now.”
“Good.”
Daniel sat down.
I looked at him.
I had loved that face for seven years.
Now I barely recognized it.
“How long have you been sleeping with her?”
His mouth opened.
“Six months.”
I turned my head toward the wall.
“Six months.”
“I ended it.”
“When?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“And she answered your phone today.”
Daniel didn’t answer.
I looked back at him.
“When did you end it?”
His face collapsed.
“Sarah—”
“When?”
“This morning.”
I laughed.
It hurt my stitches.
But I couldn’t stop.
“This morning.”
“I was coming here to tell you.”
“You were coming to my prenatal appointment to tell your eight-month-pregnant wife that you were sleeping with your coworker?”
“I wanted it over.”
“You wanted what over? The affair or the marriage?”
“The affair.”
“Why?”
“Because I realized what I was doing.”
“No. You got scared.”
He lowered his head.
I remembered what he had said on the stairs.
“There’s something about the baby.”
Daniel froze.
“Tell me.”
He looked toward the door.
“Sarah, you just had surgery.”
“Tell me.”
“It involves my family.”
“What does my son have to do with your family?”
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“My grandfather created a trust before he died.”
I stared at him.
“What trust?”
“The first biological grandchild in my generation receives his controlling shares in Blackwood Holdings.”
I blinked.
Daniel’s family owned hotels, office buildings, and several construction companies throughout Tennessee.
His father had money.
Real money.
But Daniel had always claimed most of it was tied up in the company.
“How much?”
“It’s not just money.”
“How much, Daniel?”
“At the current valuation? Somewhere around eighteen million dollars.”
I stopped breathing.
The room felt suddenly smaller.
“You’re telling me our baby inherited eighteen million dollars?”
“He inherited voting shares.”
“Why didn’t I know?”
“My mother begged me not to tell you.”
My head snapped toward him.
“Your mother knew?”
“Yes.”
“Why would Margaret care if I knew?”
“Because the trust changes control of the company.”
I stared at him.
“Explain.”
“My father currently controls the largest voting block. When our son is born, the shares from my grandfather’s trust transfer to him.”
“He’s a baby.”
“His legal guardian controls them until he turns twenty-five.”
My blood went cold.
“His guardian.”
Daniel nodded.
“You and me.”
Suddenly Vanessa’s words returned.
Now maybe Daniel can have the life he actually wanted.
My hand tightened around the blanket.
“Did Vanessa know?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
“Did she know?”
“I never told her.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
He looked away.
“My mother knew about Vanessa.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“She knew about the affair.”
“How?”
“She figured it out months ago.”
“And she said nothing to me?”
“No.”
My heart began pounding.
“What did she say to Vanessa?”
“I don’t know.”
“Daniel.”
“I don’t know.”
The door opened.
A police officer stepped inside.
“Mrs. Blackwood?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Detective Alvarez.”
Daniel stood.
The detective looked at him.
“I need to speak with your wife privately.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Go,” I said.
He looked at me.
“Sarah—”
“Get out.”
He left.
Detective Alvarez pulled a chair closer.
“I know you’ve been through a lot. I need to confirm what happened.”
“She pushed me.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“Was there any physical fight before that?”
“She grabbed my wrist. I pulled away. Then she followed me into the stairwell.”
“Did you threaten her?”
“No.”
“Did you touch her?”
“No.”
He wrote something.
“Mrs. Blackwood, Ms. Carter says you attacked her first.”
I stared at him.
“She’s lying.”
“She says you discovered the affair, became aggressive, and she tried to defend herself.”
“She pushed a pregnant woman down stairs.”
“We’re reviewing surveillance.”
“Then you’ll see it.”
He paused.
“That’s the problem.”
“What problem?”
“There’s no camera inside that stairwell.”
My stomach dropped.
“But the hallway?”
“Yes.”
“Then it shows her following me.”
“It does.”
“And the nurse saw her.”
“The nurse found you afterward.”
“She heard Vanessa.”
“We’re interviewing everyone.”
I looked toward the door.
“Where is Vanessa?”
“Still here.”
“Arrest her.”
“We need to establish what happened.”
“She tried to kill my baby.”
His eyes softened.
“We’re taking this very seriously.”
Before I could answer, raised voices came from the hallway.
Then the door flew open.
Margaret Blackwood walked in.
Daniel’s mother looked like she was arriving at a board meeting instead of a hospital.
Perfect hair.
Pearl earrings.
Cream-colored coat.
Behind her was Daniel.
“Mother, stop.”
Margaret ignored him.
She came directly toward me.
“Sarah, thank God you’re alive.”
I recoiled when she tried to touch me.
“Don’t.”
She stopped.
Detective Alvarez stood.
“Ma’am, this is a private interview.”
“I’m family.”
“You still need to leave.”
Margaret glanced at his badge.
“Of course.”
But before she left, she looked at me.
And there was something strange in her expression.
Not concern.
Calculation.
“I heard the baby survived,” she said.
“Yes.”
Her shoulders relaxed.
For one second, she looked almost disappointed.
Then she smiled.
“That’s all that matters.”
She turned and walked out.
Daniel followed.
Detective Alvarez looked at me.
“Your mother-in-law?”
“Yes.”
He stared at the closed door.
“You two get along?”
“Not anymore.”
An hour later, I was taken to see my son.
They rolled me into the NICU in a wheelchair.
Daniel walked behind me.
I didn’t want him there.
But I couldn’t fight another battle yet.
Then I saw the incubator.
My son was tiny.
Red.
Fragile.
A tube helped him breathe.
His chest rose and fell so quickly.
I covered my mouth.
“Oh, God.”
A nurse placed my hand through an opening.
I touched one tiny foot.
“Hi,” I whispered.
Daniel began crying behind me.
I ignored him.
“You’re okay, baby.”
My son’s toes moved against my finger.
“I’m your mom.”
My voice broke.
“And nobody is ever going to hurt you again.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Sarah.”
I turned.
He held his phone.
His face had changed.
“What?”
“I just got a message.”
“From who?”
He didn’t answer.
He simply handed me the phone.
The message was from Vanessa.
You promised me the baby would never control the company.
I stared at it.
Then I looked at Daniel.
“You said you never told her.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then who did?”
His phone buzzed again.
A second message appeared.
Ask your mother what she promised me.
I looked through the NICU glass.
May you like
Margaret was standing in the hallway.
Watching us.
