PART 1: THE EMPTY NURSERY
The front door swung open.
"Sarah?" Ethan called casually as he dragged his suitcase inside.
No answer.
He smiled to himself.
Still angry, he thought.
Women always needed time to cool down.
He walked toward the living room.
Silence.
The television was off.
The kitchen was spotless.
No crying baby.
No footsteps.
Nothing.
For the first time, a strange feeling settled in his stomach.
"Sarah?"
He moved faster.
The nursery door stood slightly open.
Ethan pushed it wider.
The crib was empty.
The baby blankets were gone.
The rocking chair sat motionless beside the window.
His heart skipped.
He pulled out his phone and called Sarah.
Voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
Panic began replacing irritation.
Then he noticed an unfamiliar man sitting quietly at the dining table.
The man wore a dark suit.
A leather folder rested before him.
Ethan froze.
"Who are you?"
The stranger calmly stood.
"My name is Daniel Foster."
"I didn't ask for your name. Why are you in my house?"
Daniel's expression never changed.
"Actually, Mr. Walker, this is no longer your house."
Ethan laughed.
"What are you talking about?"
Daniel opened the folder.
Inside were legal documents.
Hospital reports.
Financial records.
And one envelope addressed to Ethan in Sarah's handwriting.
His hands suddenly felt cold.
"Where is my wife?"
Daniel looked directly into his eyes.
"Recovering."
"Recovering from what?"
"The internal bleeding your wife nearly died from while you were celebrating your birthday."
The room seemed to tilt.
"What?"
Daniel slid a hospital report across the table.
Ethan stared at the words.
Emergency surgery.
Severe postpartum complications.
Critical blood loss.
Three days earlier.
The exact day he had ignored twelve missed calls from Sarah.
His knees nearly buckled.
"Is she okay?"
Daniel paused.
"She survived."
Ethan exhaled.
Then Daniel added:
"Thanks to a stranger who found her unconscious on the bathroom floor."
Not thanks to her husband.
The silence became unbearable.
May you like
Then Ethan opened Sarah's letter.
And everything got worse.
