Chapter 2 - THE HUSBAND WHO COUNTED MY MONEY
The doctors said my pregnancy was healthy.
Everyone around me was happy.
Everyone except the one person who should have been happiest.
Richard.
He smiled when people watched.
He placed his hand on my stomach during family dinners.
He told everyone he could not wait to become a father.
But when we were alone…
Something changed.
“Have you finalized the updated estate documents?”
The question came while I was eating breakfast.
I slowly lowered my fork.
“You mean the documents for our baby?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Richard looked surprised.
“Why? Because I'm your husband.”
I studied his face.
There it was again.
That impatience.
The feeling that he was waiting for something.
“I thought you trusted me.”
His expression softened.
“Of course I do.”
But his answer came too quickly.
People who tell the truth usually don't need to rush.
---
I secretly hired a private investigator.
His name was Daniel Cross.
He was recommended by Evelyn.
The first thing he told me was:
“Mrs. Hayes, before I show you anything, I want you to understand something.”
“What?”
“Sometimes the truth hurts more than the lie.”
I looked at the folder in his hand.
“Show me.”
Inside were photographs.
Emails.
Financial records.
And conversations.
Richard had been researching my assets for months.
Not casually.
Professionally.
He had spoken with financial advisors.
He had contacted people connected to my father's company.
He had even asked questions about what would happen if I died during childbirth.
My hands started shaking.
“He asked that?”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
I closed the folder.
“No.”
Daniel looked at me.
“No?”
“No. There has to be another explanation.”
He didn't argue.
He simply said:
“That is what everyone says before they accept the truth.”
---
That night, Richard came home carrying flowers.
A dozen white roses.
My favorite.
“I missed you.”
I looked at him.
“How was your day?”
“Busy.”
He kissed me.
I almost stepped away.
Almost.
But I needed him to believe everything was normal.
Because now I understood something.
Richard thought he was smarter than me.
He thought because I loved him, I was blind.
He was wrong.
I had spent years building a billion-dollar company.
I knew how to recognize someone trying to take control.
---
Two days later, Evelyn called me.
“You need to listen carefully.”
Her voice sounded serious.
“What happened?”
“Someone tried to access your trust records.”
My stomach tightened.
“Richard?”
“We cannot prove it was him.”
“But?”
“But we both know why we are discussing it.”
I sat silently.
Then Evelyn said something that changed everything.
“Your husband is not waiting for your child to be born.”
I swallowed.
“What do you mean?”
“He is waiting for something to happen before the child is born.”
The room felt colder.
“Evelyn…”
“I think you need to stop asking whether Richard would hurt you.”
A pause.
“Start asking what he has already planned.”
---
That evening, Richard surprised me.
He walked into the bedroom with a smile.
“I planned something.”
“What?”
“A helicopter ride.”
I stared at him.
“A helicopter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He touched my face.
“Because you have been stressed.”
His eyes looked loving.
His voice sounded gentle.
But deep inside…
Every alarm was screaming.
“I want us to have one perfect day before everything changes.”
I forced a smile.
“That sounds nice.”
He kissed me.
“I knew you would love it.”
After he left the room, I immediately called Evelyn.
“Richard planned a helicopter trip.”
Silence.
Then:
“Do not go alone with him.”
My heart started beating faster.
“I already said yes.”
“Then we need a backup plan.”
I looked at the calendar.
The flight was tomorrow.
And suddenly…
I realized something terrifying.
Richard was not planning a romantic memory.
He was planning a final goodbye.
---
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CHAPTER 2 END
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