Daphne’s sobs filled the air, raw and heartbreaking. “I didn’t want to cause any more trouble, but I can’t take it anymore. I feel trapped!”
I knelt beside her, wrapping my arms around her trembling shoulders. “You’re not trapped. You have me. We’ll figure this out together.”
“You don’t understand,” she cried, her voice breaking. “It’s been months, and I feel so powerless when she’s around. She has so much control over you. I didn’t want to push you away.”
“You have to tell me everything,” I urged, but just then, a loud bang reverberated through the room, causing both of us to jump. Rosalind stormed back in, her face a mask of fury.
“What is this? You think you can just comfort her?” she spat, glaring at me. “You think I won’t take legal action? I’ll evict you in a heartbeat!”
My stomach dropped at her words. The threat was real and palpable. I froze, battling the urge to scream at her and the fear that she might actually have the power to follow through.
“Stop it!” I shouted, my voice cracking. “You can’t just—”
But before I could finish, Daphne doubled over, clutching her belly. “I… I can’t…” she gasped, and my heart seized. I rushed to her side as she sank onto the floor.
The world around us blurred as I felt torn between saving her and confronting the monster that had done this. “Daphne!” I yelled, panic surging through me.
Uncovering the Truth
“No, not this again,” I muttered, my fists clenched at my sides. I had to confront her, to demand answers. “How long have you been taking money from our business?”
Rosalind’s eyes narrowed, but her lips curled into a smirk. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t really think she deserves what you provide, do you?”
“I’ve worked hard for everything,” I shot back, my voice trembling with barely contained fury. “You’ve taken advantage of me and her.”
Her caustic laughter filled the air, sharp and condescending. “Why shouldn’t I? I deserve it for raising you. All the sacrifices I made. Daphne’s nothing compared to me.”
Every word felt like a dagger. I turned and stormed to my office, adrenaline surging through me. My heart raced as I accessed the accounts, fingers trembling against the keyboard. I had to find proof.
As I navigated through the numbers, the truth pierced through my shock like ice water. There it was—an entire false account hidden amidst the legitimate records. The money I thought I was investing in our future was draining away into her pockets.
“What have I done?” I whispered, the realization hitting hard. I had facilitated her greed, all while believing I was protecting my family.
A Confrontation and a Collapse
Storming back into the living room, I clutched the financial records in my hand like a weapon. “You’ve been lying to me, Rosalind! This—this is proof that you’ve stolen from me!”
Her laughter echoed around the room, a chilling sound. “Oh, dear. Don’t you see? It’s mine by right. I molded you into the man you are.”
“You’re a thief!” I shouted, the fury boiling over. Just as I reached for my phone to call the police, a loud crash broke through the air.
Daphne had collapsed, her body crumpling to the floor, the strain of everything weighing her down. “Daphne!” I cried, rushing towards her.
“Leave her!” Rosalind shouted, blocking my path. “You can’t help her now. Just think of the good of the child!”
I felt my heart plummet as I looked back and forth between them. “What have you done to her?” I pleaded, but Rosalind only shrugged, a mockery of compassion in her eyes.
Then my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out hastily. It was my financial advisor. “You need to come in. The company’s future relies on swift action,” he said urgently.
Desperation clawed at my insides. I was losing everything. My wife, my unborn child, my business—all slipping through my fingers as Rosalind’s betrayal sank deeper. I had to make a choice, and time was running out.
In the Hospital
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