Chapter 2: The Woman Beneath the Bed
The doctor's polished shoes stopped less than a foot from where I lay hidden.
I held my breath.
Every muscle in my body screamed from the delivery, but I didn't dare move.
Above me, Linda sighed.
"That's unfortunate," she said.
The doctor answered quietly.
"She should have regained consciousness by now."
My heart nearly stopped.
They thought I was still in the bed.
I watched shadows move across the floor.
Then I heard the soft creak of the bassinet.
My newborn.
No.
Please...
Linda's voice became almost gentle.
"The adoption documents were prepared months ago. Her signature is already on file."
"What signature?" the doctor asked.
"The one she unknowingly gave."
Silence.
Then Linda chuckled.
"Remember those insurance papers after her car accident? She signed every page without reading them. We only needed to update the dates."
I felt sick.
Forgery.
They had planned this long before I ever became pregnant.
The doctor hesitated.
"I agreed to alter the paperwork... not to take someone's child."
Linda's voice instantly hardened.
"You've already accepted the money."
Another silence.
"If she wakes up confused," Linda continued, "you'll document postpartum psychosis. She'll be transferred to the psychiatric unit. By the time anyone questions it, the baby will already belong to another family."
A family.
Not just any family.
A wealthy couple waiting to adopt immediately.
I covered my mouth to keep from gasping.
Then disaster struck.
Emily.
She stepped closer.
"Grandma..."
Linda turned.
"Emily? What are you doing here?"
"I... I couldn't find Mom."
The room froze.
I could see Emily's tiny sneakers trembling beside the bed.
Linda slowly smiled.
"Sweetheart... your mommy needed medicine."
Emily looked directly at the floor.
Directly at me.
For one terrifying second I thought she had given me away.
Instead she pointed toward the bathroom.
"I think she went in there."
Linda frowned.
The doctor walked toward the bathroom door.
It was empty.
Confusion spread across both of their faces.
Before either of them could react—
The room's television suddenly switched on by itself.
Every screen inside the hospital flashed to the security camera system.
May you like
Someone had hacked the hospital network.
And every conversation inside my room had just been recorded.
