Chapter 2: The Blood Test Secret
The first thing I remember after waking up was the sound of a machine.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
For a few seconds, I forgot where I was.
Then I felt the weight of my fear.
My hand immediately moved to my stomach.
“Lily?””
Daniel was asleep in the chair beside my bed.
He woke instantly.
“She’s okay.””
The relief hit me so hard I started crying.
“She moved?””
He nodded.
“The doctors said she’s a fighter.””
I closed my eyes.
My baby was alive.
That was all that mattered.
But when I opened them again, Daniel looked different.
Not relieved.
Angry.
“What happened?””
He stood up.
“The police found something.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Before he could answer, the door opened.
A doctor walked in with a nurse and two detectives behind them.
The doctor introduced herself as Dr. Patel.
She pulled a chair closer.
“Emma, I need you to listen carefully.””
I nodded.
“We found unusual substances in your bloodwork.””
My mouth went dry.
“What kind of substances?””
Dr. Patel looked at the detectives.
“Levels of a medication that should never be present without prescription.””
I stared at her.
“I don’t take medication.””
“We know.””
The room became silent.
Daniel grabbed my hand.
“What does it mean?””
Dr. Patel took a breath.
“It means someone has likely been giving you something without your knowledge.””
My heart dropped.
“For how long?””
“We don’t know yet.””
One of the detectives stepped forward.
“Ms. Carter, did anyone have access to your food or drinks?””
I immediately thought about my family.
Every Sunday dinner.
Every family gathering.
Every time my mother insisted on making my tea.
But I shook my head.
“No.””
The detective looked at his notebook.
“Your husband says you have had complications during pregnancy.””
“Yes.””
“Who knew about those complications?””
I swallowed.
“My family.””
The detective exchanged a glance with the other officer.
Daniel noticed.
“What?””
The detective hesitated.
“Your sister recently asked questions about your pregnancy records.””
I felt cold.
“Rachel?””
“Yes.””
“That doesn’t make sense.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Emma.””
I looked away.
Because deep down, it did make sense.
Rachel had always competed with me.
But this?
This was something else.
Later that afternoon, the police showed us the video from Olivia’s phone.
I expected to see Rachel kick me.
I was ready.
But I was not ready for what happened before the kick.
The officer paused the video.
“Look here.””
The footage showed Rachel standing near me.
But in the corner of the screen, my mother was walking toward the kitchen.
Carrying a glass.
My glass.
The officer zoomed in.
“She gave you this drink twenty minutes before the argument.””
I stared.
“No.””
Daniel looked at me.
“You didn’t notice?””
I shook my head.
“My mom makes my drinks all the time.””
The detective turned the screen toward us.
“Emma, this was found in your mother’s kitchen.””
He placed a photograph on the table.
A small bottle.
My name was not on it.
But the contents matched what they found in my blood.
I felt sick.
“My mother?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone, which had been sitting on the table, buzzed.
Unknown number.
Daniel picked it up.
“Don’t answer.””
But the message appeared on the screen.
One sentence.
One sentence that made my entire body freeze.
*Stop looking into the trust fund, or your sister will not be the only person who loses everything.*
Daniel looked at me.
“What trust fund?””
I slowly turned toward the detective.
“I don’t know.””
The detective opened the folder recovered from my parents’ house.
“You might want to see this.””
Inside were legal documents.
My baby’s name was written across the top.
Not Lily.
A different name.
A name I had never chosen.
And underneath it was a clause that explained why someone wanted my pregnancy to end before the birth.
Because if my daughter was born alive…
May you like
millions of dollars would become permanently protected.
And someone in my family had been waiting years to get that money.
