Chapter 4: The Lie Beneath the Lie
For a few seconds, nobody in the hospital room moved.
The words hung in the air.
*Vanessa wasn’t supposed to find out you were still alive.*
I stared at Daniel.
I didn’t recognize the man standing in front of me.
Not the husband who used to make coffee every morning.
Not the man who held my hand during our first ultrasound.
Not the person who promised me, “It’s always going to be us.””
Because the person standing there now was someone who had been hiding things from me for months.
Maybe years.
“What did you mean by that?”” I asked.
My voice was quiet.
That made Daniel look more frightened.
“Sarah…”
“No.””
I pushed myself higher against the hospital pillows despite the pain.
“No more saying my name like that. Explain.””
Detective Harris watched him carefully.
Daniel looked at the floor.
“I didn’t mean—”
“You did mean it.””
My fingers curled into the blanket.
“You said she wasn’t supposed to know I was alive.””
Daniel swallowed.
“She thought…”
He stopped.
“Thought what?””
His silence answered before he did.
Detective Harris stepped forward.
“Mr. Carter, choose your words carefully.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then he finally said it.
“She thought you were leaving me.””
A cold chill ran through my body.
“Why would she think that?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
I already knew.
There was another secret.
Another piece of my life that someone else had been controlling.
“What did you tell her?””
Daniel’s face changed.
Not guilt.
Fear.
“I told her things were complicated.””
I laughed softly.
“Complicated?””
I looked at the man who had promised me forever.
“You told another woman your wife was a problem to solve?””
“No.””
“Then what did you tell her?””
Daniel’s shoulders dropped.
“I told her I was going to separate from you.””
The words hurt.
Even though I had expected them.
Even though Vanessa had already exposed him.
Hearing him admit it felt like being hit all over again.
“You were going to leave me?””
Daniel stepped closer.
“I was confused.””
“Confused?””
My voice rose.
“I was eight months pregnant with your child.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
Tears filled my eyes.
“Because if you knew, you would have come home every night and looked at me.””
The room went silent.
Detective Harris looked away.
Daniel looked like he wanted to say something.
But there was nothing he could say.
Because there was no explanation for abandoning someone who trusted you.
Then Detective Harris picked up the envelope again.
“There is one more thing.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
He pulled out another printed message.
“This one was sent three days before the accident.””
My heart started racing.
He placed it in front of me.
It was from Vanessa.
*If Sarah doesn’t disappear, I will make sure she loses everything.*
My breath caught.
Daniel stared at the message.
“I never saw that.””
Detective Harris looked at him.
“But you knew she was angry.””
Daniel didn’t answer.
I turned toward him.
“You knew she hated me.””
“She was upset.””
“She tried to kill me.””
Daniel flinched.
The detective didn’t correct me.
Instead, he asked quietly:
“Mrs. Carter, did your husband ever tell Vanessa where you would be that morning?””
I looked at Daniel.
His silence was enough.
The room suddenly felt too small.
“You told her about my appointment.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I didn’t know she would do this.””
“But you gave her the information.””
“I was trying to calm her down.””
I stared at him.
“You were trying to calm your mistress down by giving her my location?””
Daniel had no answer.
That was when I realized something terrifying.
Vanessa wasn’t the only person who had put me in danger.
She was just the person who drove the car.
A nurse entered the room before anyone could speak.
“Mrs. Carter?””
I looked up.
“The doctor wants to see you immediately.””
Her expression was strange.
Worried.
I felt my hand move instinctively toward my stomach.
“What happened?””
The nurse hesitated.
May you like
Then she said:
“The baby’s heart rate changed.””
