My heart sank. \u201cWhat does that imply?\u201d \u201cIt means I prefer not to guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie glanced toward me. \u201cMom?\u201d I bent forward. \u201cI am here.\u201d \u201cAm I pregnant?\u201d<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard. \u201cWe are going to find out.\u201d \u201cBut everyone keeps looking at me as if I did something wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did not.\u201d \u201cThen why is Dad shouting at Mr. Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
I had no response.<\/p>\n
Because I was asking myself that exact same question.<\/p>\n
Eric had never fully trusted Daniel.<\/p>\n
Not completely.<\/p>\n
I had told myself it was simply because Eric had never accepted our divorce.<\/p>\n
Yet now, sitting in that dim room beside my ten-year-old daughter, a different thought crossed my mind.<\/p>\n
Perhaps Eric knew something I did not.<\/p>\n
The door swung open.<\/p>\n
A woman wearing a white coat walked in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am Dr. Patel, the radiologist.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pulled her stool closer to the monitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have checked the scans.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt Sophie tighten her grip on my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d Dr. Patel watched me closely.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nearly slumped against the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no gestational sac. No embryo. No sign of a pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did the test result say yes?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Patel looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is precisely what we must figure out.\u201d<\/p>\n
My sense of relief lasted barely three seconds.<\/p>\n
Because Dr. Patel kept speaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie does show an unusually high beta-hCG level.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat causes that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral factors. Some are harmless. Others are not.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room seemed to close in around me.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Patel hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertain ovarian conditions can generate hCG. Rare tumors can do so as well. There are also lab errors and medication-related reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt a wave of nausea.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believe my daughter has a tumor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I am stating we have not pinpointed the cause yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie started to weep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not want to die.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled her into my arms right away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I whispered. \u201cI do not. But we are going to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Patel stepped out to schedule more imaging.<\/p>\n
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n
Then Sophie whispered something that made every hair on my arms stand up.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I tell you something?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything.\u201d<\/p>\n
She gazed up at the ceiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease do not tell Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich dad?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slowly settled down beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it you do not want him to know?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said I should not talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth felt dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho said?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie remained silent.<\/p>\n
I lowered my voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie, darling, you need to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore today.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hands grew cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you to keep quiet?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked straight at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, I could not catch my breath.<\/p>\n
Eric.<\/p>\n
My former husband.<\/p>\n
Sophie had called him Dad since she was four years old.<\/p>\n
He was not her biological father, but he had always insisted that biology meant nothing.<\/p>\n
He had fought for joint custody after we split up.<\/p>\n
He went to her school plays.<\/p>\n
He assisted with homework.<\/p>\n
He took her camping.<\/p>\n
He knew her favorite cereal and the name of her stuffed rabbit.<\/p>\n
He was the very man who had just pointed at Daniel and demanded his arrest.<\/p>\n
And now my daughter was telling me that Eric had warned her to keep a secret.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he tell you to keep quiet about?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie squeezed her eyes shut.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said if I told you, you would get scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would make me scared?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said something happened at his place.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart hammered against my ribs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know something.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began to tremble.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I did not understand it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is all right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me I had to promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you promise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat I would not tell you about the medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie pointed toward her backpack.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pink one.\u201d<\/p>\n
I remembered it instantly.<\/p>\n
The small bottle of vitamins Eric had dropped off roughly three weeks prior.<\/p>\n
He had claimed they were children\u2019s vitamins because Sophie had seemed tired.<\/p>\n
I had never questioned it.<\/p>\n
Why would I?<\/p>\n
He was her father.<\/p>\n
At least, that was what I had believed.<\/p>\n
I got to my feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the bottle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInside my backpack.\u201d<\/p>\n
I reached for it.<\/p>\n
My hands were shaking so violently I nearly dropped it.<\/p>\n
I unzipped the backpack.<\/p>\n
A pink plastic bottle rolled out.<\/p>\n
The label looked entirely ordinary.<\/p>\n
Children\u2019s multivitamin.<\/p>\n
I picked it up.<\/p>\n
Then I spotted something odd.<\/p>\n
The safety seal had already been broken.<\/p>\n
And the label appeared slightly crooked.<\/p>\n
I flipped it over.<\/p>\n
There was no pharmacy sticker.<\/p>\n
No manufacturer details.<\/p>\n
No lot number.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Only a handwritten mark in black marker:<\/p>\n
S-10<\/p>\n
My stomach churned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie whispered, \u201cDad said it was medicine to help me grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the bottle.<\/p>\n
Then I heard a knock.<\/p>\n
A nurse walked in.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDetective Harris would like to speak with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
My gaze shifted to Sophie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe received an initial report from the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat report?\u201d<\/p>\n
She glanced at the bottle in my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat one.\u201d<\/p>\n
My blood ran cold.<\/p>\n
Detective Harris was waiting in a compact consultation room.<\/p>\n
He was in his late forties, featuring tired eyes and a notebook tucked under one arm.<\/p>\n
He did not look at me as though I were the mother of an ailing child.<\/p>\n
He looked at me like a witness.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan, I am going to ask you a few questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding my daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRegarding Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did the lab discover?\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not reply right away.<\/p>\n
Instead, he pointed at the bottle.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did you get this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt belongs to Sophie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho gave it to her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy ex-husband.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long has she been taking it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow often?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce a day, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave it to her when she stayed at his house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris jotted something down.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ever inspect what was inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know the contents?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVitamins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Eric tell you that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan, the preliminary toxicology screen suggests this may not be a vitamin supplement.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt the room tilt sideways.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are awaiting confirmation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter has an elevated hCG level. She suffers from headaches and vomiting. And you are telling me the bottle her father provided might contain something else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slammed my palm onto the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen arrest him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective did not react.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not how an investigation works.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEric accused Daniel with zero evidence!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am aware.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe tried to get an innocent man locked up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why is Eric not sitting in this room?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is being interviewed downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDownstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
I headed toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan.\u201d<\/p>\n
I paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris opened his notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe checked the hospital records.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart pounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie was brought to this facility once before.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked straight at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was treated in pediatric urgent care for dizziness and vomiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was not this hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were not listed as the accompanying adult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence filled the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was?\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric.\u201d<\/p>\n
I could not speak.<\/p>\n
Three months ago.<\/p>\n
The headaches.<\/p>\n
The vomiting.<\/p>\n
The fatigue.<\/p>\n
The unexplained bruises on her arm.<\/p>\n
I had asked Eric about them previously.<\/p>\n
He had claimed Sophie fell off her bicycle.<\/p>\n
I had believed him.<\/p>\n
Because I had no reason to doubt it.<\/p>\n
Detective Harris closed his notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan, I need you to think very carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas anyone else ever given Sophie medication?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the pink bottle.<\/p>\n
Then a memory surfaced.<\/p>\n
A tiny detail.<\/p>\n
Something I had completely forgotten about.<\/p>\n
Roughly a month ago, I walked into the kitchen at Eric\u2019s house to pick Sophie up early.<\/p>\n
Eric had been standing near the counter.<\/p>\n
He was holding a syringe.<\/p>\n
I asked what it was.<\/p>\n
He laughed it off.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is just medicine. Sophie has a vitamin deficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had accepted his explanation.<\/p>\n
Because the alternative seemed impossible.<\/p>\n
Now my stomach twisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a syringe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat type?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid it feature a label?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could not see one.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn his hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe placed it inside a drawer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stood up immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is that drawer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt his residence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Eric live there alone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris reached for his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am going to need a warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
My voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDetective?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Eric did not hurt her, why would he give her anything?\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective studied me for several seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he uttered something that made my blood run cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet whatever is happening to your daughter may have started much earlier than today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two hours later, the hospital hallway looked entirely different.<\/p>\n
Eric was gone.<\/p>\n
Daniel remained.<\/p>\n
He sat alone on a plastic chair beneath a vending machine, gazing at the floor.<\/p>\n
When he noticed me, he stood up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she all right?\u201d<\/p>\n
I could not answer right away.<\/p>\n
He studied my face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
I walked toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cEric pointed the finger at you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told the police to lock you up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel swallowed hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I observed him closely.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou keep repeating that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it is the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you ever hurt Sophie?\u201d<\/p>\n
His face crumpled.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you ever given her medication?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you ever been alone with her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot without you present.\u201d<\/p>\n
That reply made me pause.<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what you are thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat am I thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat perhaps I am guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stayed silent.<\/p>\n
He took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen ask me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
So I did.<\/p>\n
And Daniel answered every single question.<\/p>\n
He had never taken Sophie anywhere by himself.<\/p>\n
He had never administered medicine to her.<\/p>\n
He had never touched her inappropriately.<\/p>\n
He had never even helped her change clothes when she was younger.<\/p>\n
He had always acted with caution.<\/p>\n
Because he knew how protective Eric was.<\/p>\n
When he finished, I sat beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would Eric accuse you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel glanced toward the closed hospital door.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe I know why.\u201d<\/p>\n
My head snapped toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree months ago, I confronted Eric.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was taking Sophie somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not certain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI followed them.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart began to race.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou followed my daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI followed Eric.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I saw him meet a man behind a medical office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat medical office?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomewhere just outside the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you fail to mention this to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I lacked proof.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked right at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow I believe whatever occurred that day is connected to your daughter\u2019s blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before I could reply, a doctor hurried toward us.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood up.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need you upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor\u2019s face was pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie\u2019s condition just shifted.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe started bleeding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stood right behind me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she going to be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor looked between the two of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, from inside the room, we heard Sophie scream out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom!\u201d<\/p>\n
I ran.<\/p>\n
And as I pushed the door open, I saw the blood on the hospital sheets.<\/p>\n
Yet what frightened me most was not the blood.<\/p>\n
It was the expression on Dr. Ortiz\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
She was staring at the monitor.<\/p>\n
And whispering to herself:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a pregnancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked up at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is something else entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she pointed at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found a mass.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room fell quiet after Dr. Ortiz uttered the word mass.<\/p>\n
I stared at the ultrasound screen, trying to make sense of the collection of gray and black shapes that meant nothing to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cA mass where?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Ortiz pointed carefully at the monitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cNear the left ovary.\u201d<\/p>\n
My knees nearly buckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it cancerous?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot say yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me what you do know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Sophie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know this is not a normal pregnancy. We know the tissue is producing beta-hCG, which accounts for the positive tests. And we know the bleeding means we must investigate immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie was crying softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, am I sick?\u201d<\/p>\n
I rushed to her side.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter what happens, I am right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYet they keep saying things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAm I going to die?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dr. Ortiz.<\/p>\n
She shook her head gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not know that, sweetie. Right now, we are going to take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door opened.<\/p>\n
A nurse walked in with another physician.<\/p>\n
Behind them stood Detective Harris.<\/p>\n
And trailing Detective Harris was Daniel.<\/p>\n
Eric was nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n
The detective looked at the doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she stable?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
Then he turned his attention toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Morgan, I need to speak with you in private.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter is bleeding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am aware.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen do not ask me questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe searched Eric\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everything inside me froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe secured a warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you find?\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
Then back at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cA locked refrigerator in the garage.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are still processing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why bring it up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause a medication vial was inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart pounded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat medication?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are waiting on the lab results.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced down at the pink bottle still resting on the counter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there a syringe present?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cA notebook.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat sort of notebook?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical records.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Sophie?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
He opened his notebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe records contain dates.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDates of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n
My entire body went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat symptoms?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHeadaches. Vomiting. Dizziness. Breast development. Weight fluctuations. Hormonal changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I could barely breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was tracking her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Detective Harris offered no reply.<\/p>\n
He did not have to.<\/p>\n
I looked at Sophie.<\/p>\n
She was watching us intently.<\/p>\n
She had heard every word.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
I walked over to her instantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not worry about anything they are saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYet Dad keeps a notebook about me?\u201d<\/p>\n
I could not lie to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began to cry again.<\/p>\n
Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am here, Sophie.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked up at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I do something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s expression broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why is everyone acting like I did?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did not do a single thing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie reached for his hand.<\/p>\n
He took it.<\/p>\n
And for the first time since this nightmare began, I realized something important.<\/p>\n
Sophie trusted Daniel.<\/p>\n
Completely.<\/p>\n
That mattered.<\/p>\n
Because children often recognize who makes them feel safe long before adults admit what is right in front of them.<\/p>\n
That evening, surgeons took Sophie into another room for an emergency procedure.<\/p>\n
I was not permitted to accompany her.<\/p>\n
The doors to the operating room remained shut while I stared at the red indicator light above them.<\/p>\n
Daniel sat beside me.<\/p>\n
Neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n
After twenty minutes, he finally whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cTold me what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout Eric.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat specifically did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel rubbed his hands together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew he was seeing someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart sank.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not know her name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI swear to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took a breath.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PART 3 My heart sank. \u201cWhat does that imply?\u201d \u201cIt means I prefer not to guess.\u201d Sophie glanced toward me. \u201cMom?\u201d I bent forward. \u201cI am here.\u201d \u201cAm I pregnant?\u201d I swallowed hard. \u201cWe are going to find out.\u201d \u201cBut everyone keeps looking at me as if I did something wrong.\u201d \u201cYou did not.\u201d \u201cThen…<\/p>\n