Chapter 7: The Husband With Two Lives
The silence after my grandfather’s confession was unbearable.
Daniel stood beside my hospital bed, but he looked like a stranger.
Not the man who held my hand through every ultrasound.
Not the man who whispered to my daughter every night.
A stranger.
“You helped him fake his death?””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
I pulled my hand away.
“Why?””
“Because your father was planning something.””
“You keep saying that.””
My voice became sharper.
“But you never tell me anything.””
Daniel looked devastated.
“I wanted to.””
“When?””
“After the baby was born.””
I stared.
“After?””
He looked down.
“I thought once everything was safe, I could explain.””
I shook my head.
“You don’t get to decide what truths I deserve.””
Detective Morgan stepped between us.
“Daniel, we need the complete story.””
He nodded.
“I met Robert Hayes three months before Rachel’s grandfather died.””
“You mean before the fake death.””
“Yes.””
He explained everything.
My grandfather had discovered my father had been secretly moving money from family accounts.
At first, he thought it was temporary.
A mistake.
But then he found something worse.
My father had created documents that would allow him to control the trust.
The only problem was my grandfather was still alive.
“So he needed him gone,” I whispered.
Daniel nodded.
“My grandfather believed Robert might try something dangerous.””
“Why didn’t he go to the police?””
Daniel looked at me.
“Because Robert wasn’t working alone.””
My heart sank.
“Who else?””
Daniel hesitated.
“My mother.””
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Another betrayal.
“My own mother-in-law.””
“She was helping Robert move money.””
Detective Morgan wrote something down.
“Why?””
“Because she believed Daniel deserved control of the trust.””
Daniel looked ashamed.
“She thought because I married Rachel, the money would eventually benefit our family.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So everyone wanted my child for a different reason.””
Nobody answered.
Because it was true.
Then Detective Morgan’s phone rang.
She answered.
A few seconds later, her expression changed.
“We have a problem.””
“What now?”” Daniel asked.
She looked at me.
“Claire escaped.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“She was being transported after admitting involvement.””
“How?””
Detective Morgan’s jaw tightened.
“Someone helped her.””
The room became silent.
“Who?””
She looked at the file.
“We’re still confirming.””
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He checked the screen.
And his face went white.
“What?””
He handed the phone to Detective Morgan.
A message.
From Claire.
*You should have told her everything, Daniel. Now she’ll know what you did.*
My blood ran cold.
Detective Morgan looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
I stared at him.
“What did you do?””
His breathing became uneven.
“Rachel…”
“No.””
My voice shook.
“Tell me.””
He sat down.
“When your grandfather disappeared…”
I waited.
“I was supposed to take care of the evidence.””
“What evidence?””
“The documents showing your father’s crimes.””
“And?””
Daniel looked away.
“I lost them.””
My heart sank.
“How?””
“Someone stole them.””
“Who?””
He didn’t answer.
I already knew.
“Claire?””
He nodded.
“She found out I was helping your grandfather.””
I stared.
“So she knew everything?””
“Yes.””
“Then why attack me?””
“Because she thought the documents were hidden with the trust papers.””
I closed my eyes.
My family had turned my pregnancy into a battlefield.
A battlefield where I was the target.
Then Detective Morgan interrupted.
“We need to move you.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because someone inside this hospital accessed your medical records.””
A chill went through me.
“What?””
“Someone searched your file tonight.””
Daniel stood.
“Who?””
Detective Morgan showed us the security image.
A person walking down the hospital hallway.
Wearing a nurse uniform.
But the face was visible.
My breath caught.
Because I knew her.
She had visited me yesterday.
She had brought flowers.
May you like
She had hugged Daniel.
It was my mother.
