Chapter 5
577words
My phone buzzed again. Nathan, for the third time. With a sigh, I answered.
"What is it, Nathan? I'm at work."
"Olivia, we need to talk." His voice was tense. "My father—"
"Is meddling in my cases? Yes, I just found out. Tell him to back off."
"It's more than that. He's—" Nathan stopped abruptly. "Can we meet? It's important."
"I'm busy saving a child's life," I snapped. "Unlike some people, I don't abandon those who need me."
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken accusations.
"That's not fair, Olivia," he finally said, his voice low. "You know why I wasn't there that night."
My grip tightened on the phone as memories flooded back—the cramping, the blood, the empty hospital room. "Do I? Because all I know is that when I was losing our baby, bleeding out in a hospital bed, my husband was nowhere to be found. And my sister was mysteriously unreachable too."
"I've tried to explain—"
"It's too late for explanations," I cut him off, my voice breaking despite my best efforts. "The papers are signed. We're done."
I ended the call and leaned against the wall, suddenly exhausted. Seven years of marriage, ended in a four-minute conversation. I pushed off the wall, heading for the elevator. I needed air.
The November evening had turned stormy, rain beginning to fall as I exited the hospital's main doors. I pulled my coat tighter, hurrying toward the parking garage. My mind was so preoccupied with Lily, with Nathan, with the day's emotional toll, that I didn't notice the car speeding through the parking lot until it was almost upon me.
I jumped back, slipping on the wet pavement. The driver swerved, honking furiously, and I caught a glimpse of a familiar face behind the wheel—Rebecca? But that couldn't be right.
Shaken, I made my way to the garage elevator, my heart pounding. As the doors closed, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number:
Some secrets should stay buried. Drop Lily's case or the next time won't be a warning.
My hands trembled as I reached my car on the top level of the garage. The storm had intensified, rain pounding on the concrete. I fumbled with my keys, glancing nervously around the deserted garage level.
As I started the car and pulled out of the space, my mind raced. The threatening text, Victor's sudden interest in Lily's case, Rebecca's possible appearance—there had to be a connection I wasn't seeing.
The exit ramp curved sharply downward, slick with rain. I took it slowly, knuckles white on the steering wheel. Halfway down, something felt wrong. The car seemed to pick up speed despite my light touch on the accelerator. When I pressed the brake pedal, it went down too easily, offering little resistance.
A flutter of panic rose in my chest. I pumped the brakes again, harder this time. The pedal sank to the floor with no effect. The concrete wall at the bottom of the ramp was getting closer, the car gathering momentum on the steep incline.
I yanked the emergency brake and wrenched the wheel, trying to guide the car toward the side rail instead of the wall. The tires skidded on the wet surface, the steering suddenly heavy in my hands.
