The doctor’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Rebecca, focus on me. We need to prepare for delivery. I know it hurts, but you’re almost there.” I could feel the pressure building within me, a fierce urgency that demanded release.
Suddenly, I heard it—sirens blaring in the distance. My heart sank. “What’s happening?” I managed to gasp, panic rising as the realization hit me. The police were coming. Were they here for Ethan?
“Stay with us, Rebecca,” a nurse urged, her face close to mine. I wanted to scream, to ask what they wanted with him, to understand why the world felt like it was collapsing around me. But the pain seized me again, forcing every coherent thought from my mind.
Just before the baby is delivered, I hear sirens outside — the police are coming to question Ethan about his whereabouts.
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.”
