My Mother-in-Law Raised a Blazing Hot Iron Toward My Eight-Month Pregnant Stomach and Sneered, “Sign These Custody Papers

The threat didn't end with Victoria's arrest. A snake, even when caged, leaves behind its venom.

When Arthur and I walked into the hospital's NICU wing to finally discharge baby Hope, the room was eerily quiet. The Military Police officers who were supposed to be guarding the door were nowhere to be seen.

"Arthur..." I whispered, my heart sinking into my stomach. "Where are the guards?"

Arthur instantly drew his sidearm, signaling for me to stay behind him. He pushed the NICU doors open slowly.

Inside, standing beside Hope’s incubator, was Nurse Evelyn. She was wearing civilian clothes, holding a duffel bag, and holding a syringe filled with a clear fluid directly above Hope’s IV tube.

"Don't move!" Nurse Evelyn screamed, her eyes wide and wild with panic. "Don't come any closer!"

"Evelyn," Arthur said, his voice terrifyingly calm as he raised his gun, leveling it right between her eyes. "Put the needle down."

"If you shoot me, I'll press the plunger!" Evelyn yelled, her hand trembling violently over my baby girl. "Victoria promised me two million dollars to get this child out of the country! She built a exit plan weeks ago! I have a private flight waiting at the airfield! If I don't bring the baby, Victoria’s cartel contacts will kill my family!"

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My baby—my precious, fragile baby girl—was inches away from death.

"Evelyn, listen to me," I begged, stepping out from behind Arthur, tears streaming down my face. "Victoria is in prison. Her assets are frozen! There is no two million dollars! She lied to you, just like she lied to me!"

"She didn't lie!" Evelyn shrieked, tears springing to her eyes. "She has offshore accounts! She told me she would take care of me!"

"Check your phone, Evelyn," Arthur commanded, his voice firm and steady. "Call your bank right now. See if Victoria’s legal team didn't just freeze all outgoing payments to offshore accounts to pay for her own criminal defense."

Nurse Evelyn hesitated, her eyes darting between the syringe and her purse on the counter. With a shaking hand, she pulled out her phone, tapping the screen.

A second later, her face crumpled into utter horror.

"No... no, no, no!" she sobbed. "The account... it's empty! She drained it!"

"She used you, Evelyn," I said softly, taking a careful step forward. "She used you to do her dirty work, and she left you to take the fall. Don't add murder to your crimes. Give me my baby."

Nurse Evelyn looked at the tiny, peaceful face of baby Hope sleeping inside the incubator. The syringe in her hand lowered slightly.

"I... I just wanted the money..." Evelyn wept, collapsing onto her knees as the syringe fell uselessly onto the linoleum floor.

Arthur rushed forward, kicking the syringe away and securing Evelyn against the floor until the hospital security—who had been delayed by a fake fire alarm tripped on the lower floor—finally burst into the room.