Chapter 8: The Woman in the Hospital Records
I stared at the message until the words blurred.
*Ask him about the woman in the hospital records.*
A normal person might have deleted it.
A normal person might have assumed it was another attempt to create chaos.
But after everything I had discovered in the last twenty-four hours, I had learned something important.
The truth rarely arrived in a way that felt convenient.
It arrived when you were already exhausted.
When you were already broken.
When you were finally ready to stop protecting the person who hurt you.
I looked through the window.
Marcus was standing in the living room.
His face was turned toward me.
Watching.
Waiting.
Like he already knew something had changed.
I walked back inside.
Everyone looked at me.
Marcus immediately stood.
“Nia?””
I held up my phone.
His expression changed.
“What is it?””
I walked toward the table.
“Who is the woman in the hospital records?””
The room went silent.
Not confused silence.
Not surprised silence.
The kind of silence that comes when someone asks the exact question you hoped they never would.
Marcus stopped breathing for a second.
Rachel noticed.
Claire noticed.
And that was all the answer I needed.
“You know who I’m talking about.””
Marcus looked at Claire.
Then at Rachel.
Finally, he looked at me.
“I don’t.””
I almost smiled.
A tired, painful smile.
“Still?””
“Nia, I swear—”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You don’t get to swear anymore.””
His mouth closed.
I placed my phone on the table.
“The message said there’s a woman in hospital records.””
Marcus looked at the screen.
The color disappeared from his face.
“Who sent that?””
“That’s not the question.””
I stepped closer.
“The question is why you’re afraid of it.””
He didn’t answer.
Claire moved toward the table.
“Marcus.””
Her voice was low.
“You know exactly what this is about.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Don’t.””
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“No.””
She shook her head.
“Not anymore.””
I looked between them.
“What is happening?””
Claire took a breath.
“After Sophie died, there was an investigation.””
“Into the accident?””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her eyes moved toward Marcus.
“Because Sophie wasn’t alone when it happened.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
Marcus interrupted.
“Claire, stop.””
“No.””
Claire turned toward him.
“She deserves to know.””
That sentence was becoming a pattern.
Everyone seemed to believe I deserved the truth.
Everyone except the man I married.
Claire continued.
“The night Sophie died, someone called the hospital.””
“Who?””
She looked at Marcus.
“He did.””
My head turned slowly.
“Marcus?””
He didn’t speak.
“Why?””
Marcus looked desperate.
“It wasn’t what you think.””
I laughed quietly.
“That is officially the sentence I hate most.””
He stepped closer.
“Nia, listen.””
“No.””
I pointed at him.
“You listen.””
My voice shook.
“But I want you to tell me one thing.””
He stopped.
“Did you know Sophie was in danger?””
His face changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
I saw it.
“Yes.””
The word was barely audible.
But I heard it.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Claire closed her eyes.
I felt like someone had punched the air out of my lungs.
“You knew?””
Marcus looked destroyed.
“I thought I could fix it.””
“Fix what?””
He looked down.
“Everything.””
“That’s not an answer.””
He sat down.
“I found out my father was involved with people who could hurt him.””
“Your father?””
He nodded.
“Sophie found documents connecting him to illegal business deals.””
“And you?””
“I tried to get the documents back.””
I stared.
“From your wife?””
“She was scared.””
“She should have been.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“I didn’t understand how serious it was.””
“But she did.””
“Yes.””
“And the night she died…”
I couldn’t finish.
Marcus looked at me.
“I went to find her.””
“Like you went to find her before?””
“Yes.””
“Were you following her?””
“No.””
The answer came quickly.
Then he hesitated.
I noticed.
“What?””
He looked away.
“I was following someone else.””
My heart dropped.
“Who?””
He didn’t answer.
“Marcus.””
He swallowed.
“Sophie’s sister.””
The room became silent.
Again.
Always another secret.
Always another person.
“You were following her?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I thought she had the documents.””
Rachel stared at him.
“You were more worried about papers than Sophie.””
Marcus looked at her.
“That’s not true.””
“Isn’t it?””
He had no response.
I felt sick.
Because the more he explained, the less I recognized him.
“So you went looking for Sophie’s sister.””
“Yes.””
“But found me.””
“Yes.””
“And then you decided to use the situation.””
“No.””
I stepped back.
“You saw an opportunity.””
His eyes filled with regret.
“I saw someone who needed help.””
“And someone who could help you.””
He looked away.
That was enough.
The next morning, I went with Claire to the hospital.
I didn’t tell Marcus.
I didn’t want him preparing another explanation.
I didn’t want him controlling what I saw.
I wanted facts.
Real ones.
The hospital archives were old and smelled like paper and disinfectant.
Claire knew someone who worked there.
After a long conversation and several forms, we were given access to records connected to Sophie’s case.
I sat at the table.
My hands were cold.
Claire placed a folder in front of me.
“This is everything I found.””
I opened it.
Medical reports.
Accident details.
Witness statements.
And then…
A name.
I stopped.
“What?””
Claire looked at me.
“What did you find?””
I turned the paper toward her.
A patient record.
A woman admitted the same night as Sophie.
The same hospital.
The same emergency department.
A woman who was never mentioned.
Her name was:
*Lydia Hale.*
Marcus’s mother.
I stared.
“His mother?””
Claire nodded slowly.
“That’s what I found.””
I kept reading.
The record showed she had been treated for injuries from a car accident.
The same night.
The same area.
Two accidents.
Two people connected to Marcus.
My mind raced.
“Why would his mother be there?””
Claire looked worried.
“I don’t know.””
I turned the page.
There was a note.
A handwritten note from a nurse.
*Patient requested no family notification.*
Below it:
*Patient stated she was afraid her son would find out.*
I stopped.
“What?””
Claire leaned closer.
“What?””
I pointed.
“She was afraid of Marcus.””
We both stared at the words.
Then my phone rang.
Marcus.
I answered.
“What?””
His voice was urgent.
“Where are you?””
“That doesn’t matter.””
“It does.””
“Why?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because Claire took you to the hospital, didn’t she?””
My blood went cold.
“How do you know that?””
Silence.
“Marcus.””
He sighed.
“Nia, please come home.””
“No.””
“You don’t understand.””
“I understand plenty.””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“This is bigger than me.””
I froze.
“What?””
“I need you to listen to me.””
“Why?””
“Because the person sending you those messages…”
He stopped.
“Who?””
His voice dropped.
“They’re not trying to expose me.””
A chill ran through me.
“Then what are they trying to do?””
Marcus whispered:
“They’re trying to make sure I don’t tell you what really happened that night.””
I looked at Claire.
She looked just as confused.
“What happened?””
A long silence.
Then Marcus said:
“The woman in the hospital records…”
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What about her?””
His voice shook.
“She wasn’t my mother.””
I stopped breathing.
“What?””
“The record was changed.””
Claire stood.
“What did he say?””
I couldn’t answer.
Because Marcus continued.
“The woman in that hospital record…”
A pause.
“She was the person who caused the accident.””
My heart pounded.
“Who?””
Marcus whispered:
“Nia…”
May you like
I waited.
“She was your mother.””
