Chapter 2 - The Accomplices
“What do you mean, almost?” Carol’s footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.
She stopped, looking down at me writhing on the tiles.
There was no gasp of horror. No motherly instinct to help. Just a calculated, icy stare.
“She locked the account,” Vanessa spat, pacing back and forth. “Her phone triggered some kind of emergency shutoff when I tried to use her thumbprint.”
Carol sighed, adjusting her expensive designer handbag as if I were nothing more than a spilled glass of water.
“I told you she was tricky. She’s an accountant, Vanessa. You should have forced her to type the pin.”
“She’s going into labor, Mom! Or she’s having complications. Look at her!”
“Good,” Carol said, her voice dropping to a sinister whisper. “If she loses the babies, Daniel’s ties to her are severed. The money will default back to his primary accounts. Accounts I still have joint access to.”
A fresh wave of agony ripped through my abdomen, so intense I couldn't even scream.
“Help me,” I choked out, reaching a trembling hand toward my mother-in-law.
Carol stepped back, ensuring her pristine shoes didn't touch my fingers.
“We weren't here, Vanessa,” Carol instructed, grabbing her daughter’s arm. “You came to check on her, she wasn't home, you left. That’s the story.”
“What if she dies?” Vanessa asked, a flicker of panic finally showing in her eyes.
“Then Daniel learns a tragic lesson about leaving his pregnant wife alone,” Carol replied coldly.
They turned their backs on me.
May you like
I heard the front door open, and then pull shut with a definitive click.
They had actually left me to die.
