Chapter 5 - The Trap is Sprung
The next forty-eight hours were a living hell. Knowing that rescue was coming didn't make the pain any less real. Vivian, sensing that she was losing her grip on the narrative, escalated her demands.
On the second evening, Daniel came home in a celebratory mood. The initial contract with Vance’s firm had been drafted, and he believed the final signing was just hours away. To celebrate, he ordered a lavish dinner to be served at the estate for his executive board.
"Clara will host," Daniel declared to his mother in the living room. "It will show solidarity. Vance likes family stability."
"She is getting worse, Daniel," Vivian warned, loud enough for me to hear from the kitchen. "I saw her whispering to that nurse Marcus sent. We need to move up the timeline with Harrison. I've already prepared the paperwork for temporary guardianship of the child."
My heart hammered against my ribs as I plated the appetizers. My body was burning with a fever; the strain of the past few days had caused a mild uterine infection, and I could feel my strength fading fast.
At seven o'clock, the guests arrived, including Marcus Vance and his daughter Evelyn, who wore a stunning dark green gown that contrasted sharply with the clinical look she had worn two days prior.
When I brought out the first course, Daniel gave me a look of cold warning. "Smile, Clara. You look like you're attending a funeral."
I forced my lips up, but as I reached for Marcus Vance’s water glass, a wave of intense vertigo hit me. The dining room spun. The crystal glass slipped from my fingers, shattering against the mahogany table and splashing cold water across Daniel’s expensive suit.
Daniel snapped. Forgetting the presence of his investors, he stood up so fast his chair toppled backward.
"You clumsy, useless idiot!" he shouted, his face contorting with rage. "You did this on purpose! You’ve been trying to sabotage me since the day you got pregnant!"
Vivian immediately stood up, her face a mask of false sympathy. "I am so sorry, gentlemen. As you can see, my daughter-in-law is completely unstable. We’ve been trying to manage her postpartum psychosis, but it has become a safety hazard for the baby. Dr. Harrison is on his way now to admit her to a private facility."
The room fell dead silent. Daniel’s executives looked uncomfortable, looking down at their plates.
I leaned against the table, barely able to keep my eyes open, tears of pain and humiliation running down my face. "That's not true," I whispered. "I'm sick because you made me clean the house hours after giving birth..."
"Listen to her delusions," Vivian scoffed, pulling a set of papers from her clutch. "We have documented proof of her erratic behavior over the last month. We are signing the emergency custody transfer tonight."
"No, you aren't," a calm, booming voice interrupted.
Everyone turned to look at Marcus Vance. The billionaire slowly stood up, wiping his hands with a napkin. Beside him, Evelyn produced a sleek tablet and laid it on the center of the table.
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"What is the meaning of this, Marcus?" Daniel stammered, his anger instantly turning into panic.
"The meaning," Marcus Vance said coldly, "is that the Hale family is finished."
