Chapter 7 - Two Pregnancies and One Fortune
Leah pressed both hands over her mouth.
She was afraid even breathing would betray her location.
Outside the closet, Nathan spoke.
“Simone.”
“No.”
Simone’s voice trembled with anger.
“You don’t get to silence me now.”
Doreen responded.
“You were compensated.”
“Compensated?”
Simone laughed.
“You told me Nathan was leaving her.”
“You told me my baby would be protected.”
Leah felt nausea climb into her throat.
Nathan had not only betrayed her.
His mother had apparently organized the betrayal around money.
“You knew I was pregnant before Leah,” Simone continued.
Doreen answered coldly.
“Yes.”
“And you still kept me hidden.”
“Because your legal husband believes the child is his.”
Leah’s eyes widened.
Simone went silent.
Doreen continued.
“And that arrangement remains useful.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“No.”
“I’m practical.”
Nathan spoke urgently.
“Enough.”
Doreen ignored him.
“Eli was born first.”
“That activates Harrison’s trust.”
“The first biological grandson controls the primary share.”
“Your child no longer matters financially.”
Simone inhaled sharply.
Leah suddenly understood why Simone had been admitted to the same ward.
Doreen had used her.
Just as she had used Leah.
Just as she was using Nathan.
Nobody in Doreen Carver’s world was family.
They were pieces.
Mae’s footsteps sounded somewhere nearby.
Doreen immediately stopped speaking.
“Where is Leah?”
Nathan asked.
A staff member answered from farther down the hall.
“She was being moved for imaging.”
Doreen sounded suspicious.
“Nobody told me.”
Mae answered calmly.
“You aren’t her physician.”
Leah nearly cried with relief.
The voices moved away.
Several minutes passed.
Then the closet door opened.
Mae slipped inside and locked it behind her.
“Did you hear them?”
Leah nodded.
“All of it.”
Mae looked at Eli.
“We need to make a decision.”
“What decision?”
“If I bring you back, they may proceed with the evaluation.”
“If I move you somewhere else, I could lose my job.”
Leah stared at her.
“I won’t let you destroy your life for me.”
Mae’s expression hardened.
“This is not about my job anymore.”
She pulled out her phone.
“I recorded the last ninety seconds.”
Leah looked at her.
“You recorded them?”
“Not everything.”
“But enough to prove there’s more happening than a psychiatric concern.”
Leah almost collapsed with relief.
Then Mae shook her head.
“Don’t celebrate yet.”
“Why?”
“Because Doreen has already contacted hospital administration.”
“She told them you disappeared with your baby during a mental-health crisis.”
Leah stared at her.
“I’m standing in a locked closet because you put me here.”
“I know.”
“But nobody else does.”
A loud announcement suddenly sounded overhead.
“Security response requested on maternity level four.”
May you like
Mae closed her eyes.
“They’re looking for us.”
