Chapter 2 - The Ghost in the Hallway
The hospital was a blur of white lights,
beeping machines,
and the smell of antiseptic.
I drifted in and out of consciousness,
feeling the sting of needles,
and the warmth of blood transfusions.
Whenever I opened my eyes,
Marcus was there,
sitting in the plastic chair by my bed.
He was always holding Ethan,
who was now fed,
clothed,
and sleeping soundly.
On the second day,
my mind finally cleared.
"Why did he lie?"
I asked,
my voice a ghost of its former self.
Marcus sighed,
looking older than the photos suggested.
"Ryan has a darkness in him, Emma,"
he began,
looking down at his grandson.
"He wanted the inheritance early,"
"and he didn't want a father who knew his secrets."
"He staged a disappearance,"
"paid off the right people,"
"and told everyone I was dead after a tragic accident."
I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the hospital air.
"He told me you were a drunk,"
"that you abandoned him."
Marcus shook his head slowly,
"I was the one who built the company he now runs."
"Or rather,"
"the company he is currently bankrupting."
My heart skipped a beat.
"Bankrupting?"
Marcus nodded,
his jaw tightening.
"His luxury trips,"
"the Aspen getaway,"
"the sports cars,"
"it's all stolen money, Emma."
"He's been embezzling from the trust funds,"
"including the one set up for Ethan."
I looked at my son,
sleeping so peacefully,
unaware that his father was a predator.
"He left me to die,"
I whispered,
the realization finally sinking in.
"He didn't just leave for a trip,"
"he hoped I wouldn't be there when he got back."
"A tragic postpartum complication,"
"a grieving widower,"
"and a massive life insurance policy."
The room felt like it was spinning.
"He tried to kill me."
Marcus took my hand,
his grip like iron.
"He failed,"
"and because I’ve been tracking his spending for months,"
"I followed him to that house."
"I didn't expect to find you like that,"
"but I'm glad I was there."
"Now,"
"we have work to do."
"The police have been notified,"
"but we need to let him come home first."
"We need him to walk into the trap he set for himself."
"Are you strong enough, Emma?"
I looked at the bandages on my arms,
then at the man who had returned from the dead to save us.
"I'm more than strong enough,"
I said,
May you like
my voice turning cold.
"I want him to lose everything."
