Chapter 2 - The Woman In The Next Bed
Before the locked door.
Before the hospital.
Before I discovered my own husband’s betrayal.
There was a moment when I almost trusted everyone around me.
Especially Nathan.
And that was the mistake I would regret forever.
Two weeks before my delivery, I believed my life was finally becoming perfect.
The nursery was ready.
The baby clothes were folded.
The crib was placed beside the window.
Every night, Nathan placed his hand on my stomach.
“Soon.”
He would smile.
“Our little boy will be here soon.”
I believed him.
I wanted to believe him.
Because love makes you ignore things you should see.
The small changes.
The strange phone calls.
The conversations that stopped when you entered the room.
The way Doreen looked at my pregnancy like it belonged to her.
At first, I thought I was imagining it.
Then I met Simone.
The woman who shared my hospital room.
The woman who knew more than she should.
After I asked about her wellness retreat, she studied me carefully.
“You are Leah Carver, right?”
I frowned.
“Yes.”
Her expression changed.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
But it was not nothing.
I knew that look.
It was the look people gave when they knew a secret.
“What do you mean?”
Simone looked toward the hallway.
Then lowered her voice.
“Your mother-in-law visits this hospital often.”
I stared at her.
“Everyone knows Doreen.”
“No.”
Simone shook her head.
“Not like this.”
“What are you saying?”
Before she could answer, the door opened.
Doreen walked inside.
Perfect makeup.
Perfect hair.
Perfect smile.
“Leah.”
Her voice sounded sweet.
Almost loving.
“There you are.”
I forced myself to smile.
“Hi.”
She looked at Simone.
Then back at me.
“Oh.”
“You have a roommate.”
Simone smiled politely.
“Yes.”
Doreen’s eyes stayed on her for one second too long.
Then she looked away.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“Any anxiety?”
The question was strange.
Too specific.
I looked at her.
“Why?”
Doreen touched my hand.
“Because new mothers can struggle emotionally.”
“I just want to make sure you are healthy.”
Something about her words felt wrong.
Not concern.
Evaluation.
Like she was collecting evidence.
That night, I woke up because I heard voices.
My room was dark.
The hallway light entered through the open door.
Doreen was standing outside.
Talking to a nurse.
“She has been unstable.”
The nurse nodded.
“She mentioned nightmares.”
My heart stopped.
They were talking about me.
“She also has emotional reactions.”
Doreen whispered.
“Exactly.”
I slowly sat up.
My baby monitor was beside me.
My hands started shaking.
Because suddenly my nightmare made sense.
The river.
The baby.
Nathan standing still.
Doreen watching.
It was not about losing my child.
It was about someone taking him.
The next morning, Simone looked at me differently.
Like she had made a decision.
“You need to leave this hospital.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Before your baby is born.”
“Why?”
She hesitated.
Then she said something that changed everything.
“Because Doreen Carver does not choose hospitals.”
“She chooses battlefields.”
I felt a chill.
“How do you know?”
Simone looked down.
“Because I was supposed to help her.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
Simone swallowed.
“I was supposed to make you look unstable.”
The room went silent.
I could barely breathe.
“Who are you?”
She looked ashamed.
“My name is Simone Whitaker.”
“And I was paid to become your witness.”
My hands went cold.
“Witness for what?”
May you like
She looked at me.
“For the day they take your baby.”
