Chapter 4 - The Unlikely Ally
I took photos of every single page of the log using my old smartphone, the one Daniel didn't know I still kept hidden in the lining of my maternity suitcase. My hands shook so badly I had to take the pictures twice to ensure they weren't blurry.
Just as I finished snapping the last page, I heard the heavy thud of the front door. Vivian was back early.
I scrambled to lock the journal, shove it back into the cabinet, and slip out of the study. I managed to reach the top of the stairs just as Vivian entered the foyer. She looked up, her eyes narrowing as she saw me standing there, breathless and pale.
"Why aren't you in the dining room polishing the silver?" she demanded.
"I... I had to feed Lily," I lied, gripping the banister for support.
"You are making excuses again," Vivian said, walking up the stairs toward me. "I think it’s time we had Dr. Harrison come by. You look completely detached from reality, Clara. It's dangerous for the baby."
Before I could answer, the doorbell rang again. Vivian paused, annoyed, and went back down to answer it.
Standing on the threshold was a young woman carrying a large medical bag. She wore a simple gray blazer and had her hair tied back in a professional bun.
"Hello, I'm Evelyn Vance," the woman said, her voice clear and authoritative. "My father was here last night for the investor dinner. He mentioned Mrs. Hale looked severely ill, and as a certified nurse midwife and family advocate, he asked me to drop off some post-natal care supplies."
Vivian’s face hardened, but she forced a tight, polite smile. "That’s very kind of Marcus, but our family doctor is handling Clara’s care. She is resting."
"Actually," Evelyn said, stepping past Vivian into the foyer with practiced ease, "law requires a mandatory home check-up for high-risk discharges if requested by a primary stakeholder's family. My father holds forty percent of your son's options, Mrs. Hale. I’d like to see the patient."
Vivian couldn't refuse without risking the deal. She stiffened. "She is upstairs."
Evelyn walked up the steps, her eyes locking onto mine. When she reached me, she saw the ruined slippers, the faint red stain on my dress from my strained stitches, and the sheer terror in my eyes.
Once we were inside my small bedroom with the door closed, Evelyn’s professional facade dropped. She immediately moved to me, gently guiding me to sit on the bed.
"Oh, honey," Evelyn whispered, taking my freezing hands in hers. "My dad called me last night furious. He said Daniel Hale was treating his postpartum wife like a servant while she was actively bleeding through her dress. Tell me everything."
For the first time in years, the dam broke. I wept quietly, showing Evelyn the photos of Vivian’s log on my phone.
Evelyn listened, her jaw tightening with every word. "This is medical fraud and human rights abuse," she said flatly. "Dr. Harrison is notorious for taking payouts from old-money families to cover up domestic scandals. We need to get you out of here, Clara. But if you run blindly, they will use their lawyers to label you a kidnapper."
"I can't leave Lily," I sobbed.
May you like
"You won't," Evelyn said, looking out the window at Vivian’s town car. "We play their game for forty-eight more hours. My father is going to pull his investment, but not until I have you safely placed in a private clinic under my name. Can you hold on for two more days?"
I looked at Lily, who was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the storm around her. "I will do whatever it takes."
