Chapter 3 - The Threat
By the third day, Emma’s fever had finally broken. She woke up briefly, her large brown eyes finding mine before she drifted back into a natural, healing sleep. The relief was intoxicating, but it was short-lived.
I was sitting by her bedside when my phone buzzed. It was an unknown number.
"David," a smooth, gravelly voice said. It was a voice I would recognize anywhere, even after ten years of silence.
"Richard," I spat, stepping out into the quiet corridor, my heart hammering against my ribs. "What did you do to Sarah? Why is her ledger filled with payments to you?"
A low chuckle came through the receiver. "You always were quick to jump to conclusions, son. I didn't do anything to Sarah. She came to me. She’s been drowning in debt for two years, David. Apparently, the alimony you so graciously provided wasn't enough to fund her little... habits."
"What habits?"
"High-stakes gambling, bad investments, and some very dangerous associates," Richard said, his tone turning ice-cold. "She owed a lot of money to people who don't negotiate. She came to me to bail her out. I did. But she couldn't keep her end of the bargain."
"What bargain?" I demanded, my grip tightening on the phone so hard the plastic creaked.
"That's family business, David. Here’s my advice: let her go. Don't look for her. If the police get too involved, certain details about your own company’s early funding—details Sarah helped facilitate—might find their way to the federal prosecutors. Take care of your kids. Keep your mouth shut."
May you like
The line went dead.
I stood in the hospital hallway, the breath knocked out of me. Sarah hadn't just abandoned our children because she was overwhelmed. She was running from a debt, and somehow, she had used my company as leverage.
