Section 3
The room spun as I blinked into the harsh hospital lights. I was alive, but only just. The arrival of my baby girl felt like a fleeting moment, swallowed by a wave of uncertainty and pain.
“Congratulations, Rebecca,” a voice said. I turned to see a doctor, frazzled but kind, his eyes full of concern. “You did great, but you’re in critical condition. We need to monitor you closely.”
My heart sank. Critical? The word echoed in my mind like a funeral bell. I’d just welcomed a life into the world, yet the shadow of mortality loomed too close.
“Where’s Ethan?” I croaked, my throat scratchy and parched. “I need him here.”
Before anyone could reply, the door swung open, and a police officer stepped inside. My eyes widened; the tension in the room shifted palpably.
“I need to ask you a few questions, ma’am,” he said, his tone formal yet urgent. “It’s regarding your husband.”
I looked at the officer, then back to the doctor. Panic rolled through me. “What do you mean?”
“We’ve had reports… concerning Ethan’s whereabouts tonight.”
Before I could respond, the officer continued, “We need to know where he was when you went into labor.”
Section 4
The officer’s presence felt like a dark storm cloud hovering over what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life. “Ethan? He… he went to his mother’s birthday party,” I stammered, confusion tightening my chest.
“Are you sure?” he asked. His gaze didn’t waver. “There are serious allegations against him — fraud involving his family’s business.”
Fraud? My stomach twisted at the word. “No, that’s impossible. He wouldn’t do that.” I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought, but my heart raced as I began to connect the dots.
“We need your help, Mrs. Blake,” the officer pressed. “Any information you have would be invaluable.”
I felt my mind racing. I’d always thought Ethan was ambitious, maybe too ambitious. Had he been hiding something darker? “But he’s always been so… careful.”
The officer’s brow furrowed. “Careful doesn’t imply innocent.”
As the weight of his words settled, the realization hit me hard — was he really just celebrating his mother’s birthday, or did he have other motives for leaving me?
