Chapter 4 - The Breathing Stops
The sound of shattering glass made Oliver wail in terror. The stress instantly triggered a severe asthma attack.
The little boy’s face began to turn pale, his lips taking on a terrifying blue tint. He gasped for air, his tiny chest pulling inward violently with every agonizing attempt to breathe.
"Oliver!" Maya screamed, dropping to her knees on the carpet. He was suffocating.
"The inhaler!" Maya shouted, looking frantically around the ruined room. She spotted the blue emergency inhaler sitting on the edge of the changing table. She lunged for it, her fingers brushing the plastic casing.
But Evelyn was faster. The older woman snatched the inhaler away, holding it just out of Maya’s reach.
"Give it to me! He can't breathe!" Maya shrieked, tears blinding her vision.
Evelyn looked down at her gasping grandson, showing absolutely zero emotion. "Sign the papers, Maya."
"He is going to die! Give me the medicine!" Maya begged, grabbing at Evelyn’s pristine jacket.
Evelyn’s response was swift and brutal. She raised her hand and slapped Maya across the face with devastating force.
The strike sent Maya sprawling backward onto the carpet, her nose immediately bursting into blood. Maya tasted copper as the warm liquid ran down her chin, dripping onto her shirt. She scrambled back to Oliver, pulling his burning, feverish body against her chest.
"Please..." Maya sobbed, her voice breaking into a primal, desperate plea. "Please don't kill my baby."
Evelyn casually opened her designer handbag and dropped the life-saving inhaler inside. The clasp snapped shut, sounding like a gunshot in the tense room.
"You did this to him, Maya," Evelyn whispered, leaning down so her face was inches from Maya’s. "You are unstable. You attacked me. You threw the medicine. Look at what you've done."
Maya couldn't speak. She was entirely focused on Oliver, who was gripping her sleeve with his tiny fingers as though letting go would mean falling off the edge of the world. His breaths were coming in shallow, uneven squeaks.
"Sign the custody agreement," Evelyn hissed, pointing to the folder. "Or Ryan will come home and find exactly what I want him to find. A hysterical mother who neglected her dying child."
Evelyn stepped back, admiring her chaotic handiwork. She reached up and purposely tore the collar of her own blouse. She scratched her own forearm until it was red.
She was creating the perfect crime scene. A vicious attack by a crazy daughter-in-law.
But Evelyn had made one massive miscalculation. She thought she had complete control over the timeline. She thought Ryan wouldn't be home for hours.
Suddenly, the front door downstairs slammed open. The sound of heavy, wet footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor. "Maya?! Mom?! The roads are flooded, they sent us home early!"
May you like
It was Ryan.
Evelyn’s eyes widened in brief panic, but she instantly shifted into character. She took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Ryan! Help me! Help us!"
