Chapter 5: The Woman Who Knew Too Much

The next few hours passed like a nightmare.

Machines beeped beside my bed.

Doctors moved quickly.

Nurses whispered outside the door.

And I lay there, staring at the ceiling, terrified of losing the one person who had never betrayed me.

My daughter.

Daniel stayed in the hallway.

I knew because I could see his shadow under the door.

But I didn’t ask him to come in.

Not anymore.

A doctor finally entered.

“Mrs. Carter, your baby is stable.””

I closed my eyes.

A breath I didn’t know I was holding finally escaped.

“Stable?””

“Yes. The impact caused stress, but she’s responding well.””

I touched my stomach.

“Can I see her?””

The doctor smiled gently.

“Not yet. We need to continue monitoring.””

After he left, I turned toward the window.

Outside, the hospital parking lot looked peaceful.

Almost normal.

It was strange how the world kept moving after something destroyed yours.

A knock came at the door.

I expected Daniel.

But it was my lawyer.

My mother had called her without telling me.

“Sarah.””

I looked up.

“Rachel?””

She walked in carrying a folder.

“I heard what happened.””

I gave a tired smile.

“Apparently everyone hears things before I do.””

Rachel sat beside me.

“Your mother told me enough.””

I looked at the folder.

“What is that?””

“Information.””

I frowned.

“About Vanessa?””

Rachel nodded.

“I started looking into her.””

My stomach tightened.

“What did you find?””

Rachel opened the folder.

“Vanessa Reed doesn’t just have a relationship with Daniel.””

My eyes narrowed.

“What does that mean?””

Rachel pulled out a photograph.

A man.

Older.

Standing beside Vanessa.

“She was involved in a lawsuit two years ago.””

I looked at the photo.

“What kind of lawsuit?””

Rachel hesitated.

“Financial fraud.””

I stared at her.

“Daniel never mentioned that.””

“Because he probably didn’t know.””

I thought about Vanessa.

Her confidence.

Her expensive clothes.

Her calm smile after hitting me.

“She’s been lying to him too.””

Rachel nodded.

“That’s what it appears.””

A horrible thought entered my mind.

“Then why would she tell him she’s pregnant?””

Rachel looked at me.

“That’s what we need to find out.””

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed.

I looked down.

A message.

From an unknown number.

My blood froze.

*You think Daniel is your biggest problem?*

Another message appeared.

*Ask him what happened the night he first met me.*

My fingers went numb.

Rachel noticed my expression.

“What is it?””

I handed her the phone.

She read the messages.

Then her face changed.

“Sarah…”

“What?””

She looked at me carefully.

“This person knows something.””

“About Daniel?””

Rachel nodded.

“About both of you.””

I stared at the screen.

A third message appeared.

*He never told you the truth about the accident that brought us together.*

My heart stopped.

The accident.

Not mine.

Another one.

I looked toward the door.

Daniel was still outside.

Waiting.

Watching.

And suddenly I wondered:

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