Chapter 2 – The Mother's Plan
Nathan ordered every doctor and administrator into the conference room within twenty minutes.
The hospital director arrived sweating.
Victoria remained strangely calm.
"This is ridiculous," she said. "You're embarrassing the family."
Nathan ignored her.
"I want every surveillance recording."
The director hesitated.
"There was... an equipment issue."
Nathan stared at him.
"What issue?"
"The cameras outside Mrs. Blackwood's room were disabled."
"When?"
He checked the records.
"Exactly twenty-three minutes before Mrs. Victoria arrived every afternoon."
Nathan slowly smiled.
It wasn't amusement.
It was certainty.
"You disabled them."
"No!"
"I didn't!"
Before the director could continue, another voice interrupted.
"My office has the backups."
Everyone turned.
A gray-haired IT supervisor walked inside carrying a portable hard drive.
Victoria's eyes widened.
"I copied everything because someone kept deleting files."
Nathan immediately plugged the drive into the conference monitor.
The footage began playing.
Day One.
Victoria entered Amelia's room smiling.
Minutes later she slapped Amelia across the face.
Day Two.
She grabbed Amelia by the arm.
Forced her to stand despite doctor's orders.
Day Three.
She ordered two private nurses outside.
The microphone caught every word.
"You don't deserve my grandson."
"If this pregnancy ends naturally, Nathan will recover."
Amelia cried.
Victoria leaned close enough for only the hidden microphone to hear.
"No one will believe you."
The room became completely silent.
Then Day Four appeared.
Victoria pushed Amelia against the bathroom sink.
Amelia collapsed.
One hand immediately protected her stomach.
Victoria looked down without helping.
Nathan could barely breathe.
His fists were covered in blood where his nails had dug into his palms.
The final clip played.
Victoria speaking quietly with a doctor.
"If complications happen..."
She slid an envelope across the desk.
"...make sure everyone calls it unavoidable."
The doctor accepted it.
Nathan closed the laptop.
No one dared speak.
Then he looked directly at his mother.
"You tried to murder my wife."
Victoria finally exploded.
"I tried to save this family!"
"You married beneath your class!"
"She trapped you with that baby!"
Nathan answered with chilling calm.
"No."
He picked up his phone.
May you like
"You destroyed this family yourself."
Moments later, police officers entered the hospital.
