CHAPTER 3 — The Woman Behind the Smile
CHAPTER 3 — The Woman Behind the Smile
"Security."
Evelyn's calm voice echoed through the room.
"No one leaves."
Marissa froze.
Her perfect smile vanished.
"This is insane," she snapped.
"It could have crawled into the cast afterward."
The doctor shook his head.
"Impossible."
"The cast was completely sealed."
Daniel stared at his wife as though seeing a stranger.
"You knew."
She laughed.
A sharp, empty laugh.
"Can you prove it?"
Evelyn quietly reached into her soaked bag again.
"This might."
She placed a small flash drive on the counter.
"I installed security cameras in Noah's bedroom."
Marissa's face lost every trace of color.
Daniel blinked.
"You what?"
"I noticed Noah waking up terrified every night."
"I wanted to know why."
Hospital security connected the drive to a nearby monitor.
The room watched in silence.
The footage began.
There was Noah asleep.
Then...
At 2:13 a.m....
Marissa entered his bedroom.
She carried a small plastic container.
She gently lifted Noah's injured arm.
Then she carefully slid the centipede into the wet fiberglass before the cast had completely hardened.
She smiled.
Then she walked away.
The recording ended.
Silence.
Daniel couldn't even recognize the woman standing beside him.
"Why?"
His voice broke.
"Why would you do this?"
Marissa's eyes turned cold.
"Because every time you looked at him..."
"I knew you'd never love my own child that much."
"I wanted him gone."
No one spoke.
The confession echoed louder than any scream.
Hospital security officers stepped forward.
One placed handcuffs around her wrists.
Marissa never cried.
She never apologized.
She simply glared at Noah as they led her away.
This time...
May you like
Daniel stepped between them.
"You will never come near my son again."
