Chapter 4 - Playing the Fool
The tension in the mansion grew thicker every single day. Vanessa was getting impatient. The increased dosage of the "vitamins" wasn't working, because Elena was secretly taking real vitamins she hid inside a hollowed-out book. Mrs. Howard was growing furious, complaining that Elena's belly was getting too big, making the reality of the child undeniable. They needed to escalate. And Elena knew exactly how to trigger them. She started acting paranoid. She began locking her bedroom door. She refused to eat meals prepared by the staff, insisting on making her own sandwiches. She paced the hallways at night, muttering to herself. She was giving them exactly what they wanted: the image of a woman losing her mind. "Pregnancy psychosis," Mrs. Howard whispered to Julian over breakfast one morning. "She's becoming a danger to herself and the child, Julian. We might need to have her committed." "I'll call Dr. Evans," Julian agreed, not even looking up from his tablet. Vanessa sat across the table, hiding a triumphant smirk behind her coffee cup. Elena heard all of this from the kitchen, where she was pretending to wash an apple. She knew the timeline was shrinking. Dr. Evans was Mrs. Howard's private physician, known for writing whatever prescriptions and diagnoses his wealthy clients paid for. If he declared Elena unfit, she would be trapped in a psychiatric facility. She had to force their hand. She had to make Vanessa do something drastic, something undeniable, in full view of the cameras. That afternoon, Elena walked into the living room while Vanessa was reading a magazine. "I know what you're doing," Elena said, her voice shaking slightly. Vanessa looked up, feigning innocence. "Excuse me?" "I know you're trying to take my husband. I know you're trying to hurt my baby." Vanessa sighed, closing the magazine with a dramatic snap. "Elena, you're not well. You're imagining things. The hormones are making you crazy." "I'm not crazy!" Elena shouted, letting a tear fall. "I'm telling Julian everything! I'm going to expose you!" Vanessa stood up, stepping close to Elena. There were no cameras in this specific blind spot of the room, something Elena had calculated. Vanessa leaned in, her breath hot against Elena's ear. "Julian doesn't love you, you pathetic street rat," Vanessa whispered viciously. "He never did. He loves me. This house is mine. That baby will be raised by me. And you? You'll be locked in a padded room by the end of the week. Try to expose me. Nobody will believe a crazy pregnant woman." Vanessa pulled back, smiling sweetly. "Now, why don't you go upstairs and rest? You look terrible." Elena stumbled back, pretending to be utterly defeated. She covered her face and ran up the stairs, sobbing loudly. But the moment she reached her bedroom and locked the door, the tears vanished instantly. Her face was perfectly calm. She pulled out her secret phone and texted Detective Ruiz. The bait is set. Tomorrow is the day. Be ready. Ruiz replied a minute later. Units are standing by. Do not miscalculate the fall, Elena. Your life is on the line. I won't, she replied. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She rubbed her swollen belly. "One more day, little one. Then we are free."
