CHAPTER 10 — THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED
Sarah didn't move.
The house was silent.
Too silent.
A mother learns to recognize the sounds of her own home.
The creak of the stairs.
The hum of the refrigerator.
The little footsteps of her child running down the hallway.
But this sound...
This was different.
Someone else was there.
Sarah slowly reached for her phone.
Her fingers shook.
Not from fear.
From anger.
Because there was only one thought in her mind.
Ethan.
She quietly walked toward the stairs.
"Ethan?"
No answer.
Her heart dropped.
She moved faster.
"Ethan!"
Then she heard it.
A small voice.
"Mommy?"
Sarah ran upstairs.
She found Ethan sitting on his bed.
Holding his blanket.
His eyes were wide.
"Baby, are you okay?"
He nodded.
"But someone was downstairs."
Sarah froze.
"Who?"
"I don't know."
She grabbed him and held him tightly.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Then a sound came from behind them.
A door closing.
Sarah turned.
The bedroom closet.
Slowly...
The closet door opened.
But nobody was inside.
Sarah walked closer.
Then she saw something on the floor.
A piece of paper.
She picked it up.
Three words.
"YOU SHOULD STOP."
Sarah stared at it.
Ethan looked scared.
"Mommy..."
She turned around.
"It's okay."
But she knew it wasn't.
Because Victoria and Daniel weren't trying to win anymore.
They were trying to scare her.
The next morning, Sarah made a decision.
She packed a bag.
She packed Ethan's clothes.
His favorite toy.
Everything they needed.
"We're leaving."
Ethan looked confused.
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe."
But before they could leave...
Someone knocked on the door.
Sarah froze.
Nobody knew they were home.
She looked through the window.
A woman stood outside.
An older woman.
Holding a folder.
Sarah opened the door carefully.
"Can I help you?"
The woman looked nervous.
"My name is Linda."
Sarah waited.
"I used to work for Victoria."
Sarah's eyes narrowed.
"What do you want?"
Linda looked at Ethan.
Then back at Sarah.
"I know what she did."
Sarah's heart started beating faster.
"How?"
Linda opened the folder.
Inside were documents.
Old documents.
"I was Victoria's assistant."
Sarah looked through them.
There were notes.
Plans.
Names.
Dates.
And one sentence written at the top:
"Phase Two: Remove the mother completely."
Sarah felt sick.
"She planned this?"
Linda nodded.
"For months."
Sarah looked up.
"Why are you telling me now?"
Linda looked away.
"Because I helped her."
Silence.
Sarah stepped back.
"What?"
Linda's eyes filled with tears.
"I thought she was just trying to get custody."
She swallowed.
"I didn't know she would hurt a child."
Sarah looked at the papers again.
Then Linda whispered:
"There's something else."
Sarah looked at her.
"What?"
Linda's voice dropped.
"Victoria doesn't want Ethan."
Sarah frowned.
"Then what does she want?"
Linda looked terrified.
"She wants what Ethan represents."
Sarah felt confused.
"What does that mean?"
Linda opened the final document.
May you like
And Sarah's face went pale.
Because the truth was worse than she imagined.
