Chapter 4 - THE AMBULANCE
The paramedics arrived six minutes later.
To Sarah, it felt like an hour.
Owen was placed carefully onto a stretcher.
“Mom, don’t leave me.”
“I’m right here.”
His fingers locked around hers.
One paramedic examined the swollen area around Owen’s knee.
“Has he had surgery here before?”
“Three times.”
The paramedic looked at Sarah.
“We’re taking him in for imaging.”
Sarah nodded.
Her throat felt too tight to speak.
As they wheeled Owen toward the ambulance, Richard called after her.
“You should really think before you make accusations.”
Sarah stopped.
Then slowly turned around.
Richard was standing beside the officer now.
Still arrogant.
Still confident.
Still acting like the world belonged to him.
Sarah walked back.
“You know what I think?”
Richard smiled.
“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“I think you’ve gotten away with hurting people for so long that you forgot what consequences look like.”
Richard’s smile faded.
Sarah pointed at Owen.
“That boy is my whole world.”
Richard shrugged.
“And?”
“And you picked the wrong mother.”
She turned and followed the stretcher outside.
Behind her, Eleanor said something to the police officer.
Sarah couldn’t hear it.
She didn’t care.
Not yet.
At the hospital, doctors rushed Owen into radiology.
Sarah sat alone in a plastic chair.
Her hands shook.
Her phone buzzed constantly.
Unknown numbers.
Messages.
Videos.
Someone had posted the incident online.
One clip already had seventy thousand views.
A stranger had captioned it:
MILLIONAIRE KICKS DISABLED KID AT CHARITY EVENT.
Sarah closed the app.
She didn’t want fame.
She wanted her son to be okay.
A nurse finally approached.
“Mrs. Mitchell?”
Sarah stood.
“Is he okay?”
“The doctor will explain.”
Those words terrified her.
The doctor entered a small consultation room.
He placed scans on a screen.
“The good news is there’s no new fracture.”
Sarah exhaled.
“But…”
There was always a but.
“The impact caused significant stress around the surgical site.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means Owen may have suffered damage to the reconstructed ligaments.”
Sarah stared at the scan.
“Will he need surgery again?”
“We don’t know yet.”
She sat down slowly.
“He just started walking without crying.”
The doctor nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
Sarah pressed her fingers against her eyes.
Then her phone rang.
Unknown caller.
She ignored it.
It rang again.
And again.
Finally she answered.
“Hello?”
A man spoke.
“Mrs. Mitchell?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Daniel Price. I represent Richard Caldwell.”
Sarah’s entire body went rigid.
“What do you want?”
“I’d like to resolve tonight’s unfortunate incident before it becomes more damaging.”
“Damaging to who?”
There was a pause.
Then the lawyer said calmly,
“Mr. Caldwell is prepared to offer you fifty thousand dollars tonight.”
Sarah almost laughed.
“For kicking my son?”
“In exchange for a confidentiality agreement and a public statement clarifying that the incident was accidental.”
Sarah stood.
“You want me to lie.”
“I want you to protect your family.”
The words hung in the air.
Sarah’s voice dropped.
“Was that a threat?”
“No.”
“It sounded like one.”
“I’m simply suggesting you consider what happens next.”
Sarah looked through the hospital window toward Owen’s room.
Then she said,
“Tell Richard he can take his fifty thousand dollars…”
She paused.
“…and use it to pay his legal fees.”
She ended the call.
Three seconds later, a text appeared.
NO DEAL, NO PROBLEM.
WE’LL SEE HOW LONG YOUR JOB LASTS TOMORROW.
Sarah stared at the message.
Then another arrived.
AND ASK YOUR LANDLORD HOW HE FEELS ABOUT BAD PUBLICITY.
Her blood ran cold.
May you like
Richard Caldwell wasn’t just trying to escape consequences.
He was coming after her.
