Chapter 3 - The Hospital Wing
The private pediatric wing was completely silent.
I walked down the pristine white hallway.
Two massive security guards in black suits stood outside Room 402.
I had hired them the moment I left the police station.
They nodded respectfully as I approached.
"Nobody gets in without my explicit permission," I told them.
"Understood, Mrs. Bennett," the guard replied.
I gently pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The room was dark except for a small nightlight shaped like a star.
Sophie was asleep in the oversized hospital bed.
A white bandage was wrapped securely around her forehead.
Her small chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.
I sat in the chair next to her bed and finally let myself cry.
I cried for the innocence my daughter had lost tonight.
I cried for the years I spent pretending Grant was a good man.
Suddenly, a commotion echoed from the hallway outside.
"Get your hands off me!" a shrill voice shrieked.
It was Victoria.
I wiped my tears and marched out of the room.
My mother-in-law was trying to push past my security guards.
"I demand to see my granddaughter!" she yelled.
"Keep your voice down," I hissed.
I stepped between her and the door.
Victoria sneered at me.
"You malicious little gold-digger."
She pointed a manicured finger at my chest.
"You orchestrated this whole thing to steal our money."
"Your money?" I laughed softly.
"Victoria, you haven't had money in a decade."
Her face froze.
"What are you talking about?" she stammered.
"Grant's company went bankrupt seven years ago."
I watched the realization slowly wash over her heavily botoxed face.
"My father bought his debt to save your family name."
I stepped closer to her.
"The mansions, the cars, the museum donations."
I smiled a very dark, very cold smile.
"That was all my money."
Victoria looked like she was going to faint.
"Grant didn't want you to know he was a failure."
"He told me he made a brilliant tech investment!" she gasped.
"He lied."
I signaled to the guards.
"Remove this woman from the premises."
"You can't do this to us!" Victoria screamed as they grabbed her arms.
"I just did."
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I watched them drag her screaming down the quiet hospital corridor.
I walked back into Sophie's room and locked the door behind me.
