{"id":390,"date":"2026-08-31T18:14:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T18:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/?p=390"},"modified":"2026-08-31T18:15:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T18:15:56","slug":"part-4-my-pregnant-husband-cheated-on-me-so-i-invited-his-mistress-to-my-baby-shower-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechapterstory.online\/?p=390","title":{"rendered":"PART 4 \u2013 My pregnant husband cheated on me. So I invited his mistress to my baby shower instead."},"content":{"rendered":"
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PART 4<\/h5>\n

\u201cGrandma said once the baby came early,\u201d Mateo whispered, \u201cDaddy could take everything.\u201d
\nNobody moved.
\nNot Rachel.
\nNot Mariana.
\nNot even the nurse standing near Lucy\u2019s incubator.
\nThe tiny glass bottle rested in my palm.
\nIt weighed almost nothing.
\nBut suddenly, it felt heavier than my entire daughter.
\nI looked through the clear liquid, then back at Mateo.
\n\u201cDid you see your grandmother give this to Adrian?\u201d
\nMateo nodded.
\nHis little fingers tightened around Rachel\u2019s hand.
\n\u201cThey were in Grandma\u2019s kitchen. Daddy said he didn\u2019t want to do it, but Grandma told him it wouldn\u2019t hurt the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

My heart stopped.
\n\u201cWhat exactly did she say?\u201d
\n\u201cShe said it would only make Lucy come out sooner.\u201d
\nRachel covered her mouth.
\nMariana moved immediately.
\nShe took the bottle from me using a tissue from the bedside table and placed it carefully inside an empty plastic specimen bag.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t touch this again,\u201d she said.
\nThe nurse reached for the emergency button on the wall.
\n\u201cI\u2019m calling hospital security.\u201d
\n\u201cCall the police too,\u201d Mariana said.
\nThe nurse nodded and hurried out.
\nMateo looked terrified.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t supposed to take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

I turned my wheelchair toward him.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cYou did the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma said I was a bad boy for listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\u201cYou are not a bad boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said Daddy would hate me.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

My throat tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

I held out my hand.<\/p>\n

Mateo hesitated before stepping closer.<\/p>\n

I touched his fingers.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may have saved Lucy\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

His brown eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs she going to die?\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind me, a monitor beeped steadily.<\/p>\n

Lucy\u2019s tiny chest rose and fell inside the incubator.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s fighting,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd she\u2019s very stubborn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariana made a strange sound that was half laugh, half sob.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I said. \u201cExactly like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mateo looked through the glass at his little sister.<\/p>\n

Then he placed his palm against the incubator.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, Lucy,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI\u2019m your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word struck something deep inside me.<\/p>\n

Brother.<\/p>\n

My daughter had a brother.<\/p>\n

A frightened seven-year-old boy who had spent his life being passed between adults who used secrets like currency.<\/p>\n

He was innocent.<\/p>\n

Lucy was innocent.<\/p>\n

The adults were the disaster.<\/p>\n

Security arrived first.<\/p>\n

Two guards blocked the NICU entrance while the nurse explained what had happened. A hospital administrator appeared soon afterward and took possession of the bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one opens it except the laboratory,\u201d Mariana warned.<\/p>\n

The administrator looked offended.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have evidence procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I have trust issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMariana,\u201d I murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Your husband poisoned you, your mother-in-law fled the country, and the mistress wore your sweater. Trust has left the building.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel lowered her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI already apologized about the sweater.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sweater was cashmere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we focus?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

Mariana crossed her arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am focused. I\u2019m focused on all crimes, including fashion crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The joke lasted only a second.<\/p>\n

Then Lucy\u2019s monitor alarm sounded.<\/p>\n

Three nurses rushed toward the incubator.<\/p>\n

My entire body went cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n

One nurse moved between me and the equipment.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer oxygen level dropped.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPremature babies sometimes forget to breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forget to breathe.<\/p>\n

The sentence was so simple.<\/p>\n

So terrifying.<\/p>\n

I tried to stand from the wheelchair.<\/p>\n

Pain shot through my body.<\/p>\n

My mother grabbed my shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay seated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to go to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re helping her.\u201d<\/p>\n

The neonatal doctor adjusted Lucy\u2019s breathing support.<\/p>\n

For several endless seconds, the alarm continued.<\/p>\n

Then it stopped.<\/p>\n

The numbers on the monitor slowly rose.<\/p>\n

The doctor turned toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s stable again.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pressed both hands over my face.<\/p>\n

Stable.<\/p>\n

That beautiful word.<\/p>\n

That fragile word.<\/p>\n

Rachel pulled Mateo against her chest so he wouldn\u2019t see me cry.<\/p>\n

But I wasn\u2019t ashamed of my tears anymore.<\/p>\n

I had spent too much time trying to look strong for people who had mistaken kindness for weakness.<\/p>\n

I lowered my hands and looked at the administrator.<\/p>\n

\u201cTest the bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd test me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Shah had entered behind the nurses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe already collected blood after the delivery,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll ask the laboratory to run additional toxicology tests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long will that take?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeveral hours, possibly longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to know what Adrian gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo do the police,\u201d a new voice said.<\/p>\n

A woman in a dark coat stood at the NICU entrance.<\/p>\n

She was in her early forties, with tired eyes and silver beginning to appear in her black hair. A detective\u2019s badge hung from her belt.<\/p>\n

\u201cCamila Alvarez?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Detective Elena Vasquez.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked toward the incubator.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, I\u2019m sorry this is happening while your daughter is in intensive care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you here about the money or the bottle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat saves time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes moved toward Mateo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this the child who found the container?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel stepped in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s seven.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not questioning him without me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd no uniforms surrounding him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd no leading questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The detective raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you an attorney?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I\u2019m his mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first time since Rachel entered the hospital, I saw something in her that wasn\u2019t selfishness or fear.<\/p>\n

Protection.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t excuse what she had done.<\/p>\n

But it reminded me that nobody was only one terrible thing.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez asked to speak with Mateo in a family consultation room. Rachel went with him. A child-services specialist joined them.<\/p>\n

Before Mateo left, he turned back toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you stay with Lucy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded as if I had made him a promise that mattered.<\/p>\n

Maybe I had.<\/p>\n

While they interviewed him, Detective Vasquez spoke to me, Mariana, my mother, and Lauren.<\/p>\n

I told her everything.<\/p>\n

The messages.<\/p>\n

The baby-shower invitation.<\/p>\n

The affair.<\/p>\n

The company trips.<\/p>\n

The forged signature.<\/p>\n

The stolen money.<\/p>\n

My passport.<\/p>\n

Adrian\u2019s voicemail.<\/p>\n

The tea.<\/p>\n

When I finished, Detective Vasquez stared at the notebook in her hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had a busy afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have seen the cupcakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

She almost smiled.<\/p>\n

Then she became serious again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalk me through breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdrian brought it to me in bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was on the tray?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToast, fruit, yogurt, and herbal tea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he prepare the tea?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you see him pour anything into it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid it taste unusual?\u201d<\/p>\n

I thought back.<\/p>\n

The tea had tasted bitter.<\/p>\n

I had assumed Adrian had left the bag in too long.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much did you drink?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Adrian watch you drink it?\u201d<\/p>\n

The memory returned with brutal clarity.<\/p>\n

Adrian sitting at the edge of the bed.<\/p>\n

Smiling.<\/p>\n

Telling me to finish because the tea would help with swelling.<\/p>\n

Waiting until I placed the empty cup on the tray.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez watched my face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe stayed until I finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariana placed her hand on my shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the cup now?\u201d the detective asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably in the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauren stepped forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe breakfast tray was still in the bedroom when I collected Camila\u2019s things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you touch it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez took out her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll arrange for officers to secure the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdrian has keys,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo does Rachel,\u201d Mariana added.<\/p>\n

Lauren sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has keys to that apartment except the woman paying for half of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had keys,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

The detective made another note.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Adrian know you planned to file for separation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot until the shower.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he know you had discovered the affair?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe may have suspected,\u201d Lauren said.<\/p>\n

We all looked at her.<\/p>\n

Lauren opened the company folder.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo days ago, Adrian attempted to delete several months of emails from his work account.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you mention that before?\u201d Mariana asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only received the report tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

She handed the page to Detective Vasquez.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur technology department recovered most of the messages.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything about Camila?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot directly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the money?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauren hesitated.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne message mentioned moving the funds before Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSent to whom?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe address was disguised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt appeared to belong to an outside vendor, but the domain was registered through Hudson Star Holdings.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fake company in my name.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez photographed the page.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen was the message sent?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what did it say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauren read from the report.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything changes after the baby arrives. Move it before she has time to think.\u201d<\/p>\n

My stomach turned.<\/p>\n

My mother whispered, \u201cDear God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas there a reply?\u201d Mariana asked.<\/p>\n

Lauren nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly four words.\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe won\u2019t stop us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The air disappeared from the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho wrote that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez took the folder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll trace it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want Adrian arrested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need evidence connecting him to the substance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy seven-year-old stepson saw his grandmother give it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMateo is a witness, and we will take his account seriously. But we also need laboratory results, electronic evidence, and physical evidence from the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo he gets to walk around freely?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot necessarily.\u201d<\/p>\n

She closed her notebook.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen airport security stopped your husband, officers photographed and inventoried everything in his possession.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy passport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. And two phones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne personal phone and one prepaid device.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariana leaned forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid they keep them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe prepaid phone was seized because its serial number had been altered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you access it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on a warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n

My phone buzzed.<\/p>\n

Everyone looked at it.<\/p>\n

Unknown number.<\/p>\n

For a moment, I couldn\u2019t touch it.<\/p>\n

Then another message appeared.<\/p>\n

HOW IS LUCY?<\/p>\n

Adrian.<\/p>\n

Mariana reached for the phone.<\/p>\n

I pulled it away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t communicate with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not communicating. I\u2019m giving him an opportunity to confess.\u201d<\/p>\n

I typed slowly.<\/p>\n

She is in intensive care. What did you put in my tea?<\/p>\n

Three dots appeared almost immediately.<\/p>\n

Then vanished.<\/p>\n

They appeared again.<\/p>\n

Nothing harmful.<\/p>\n

My hands began shaking.<\/p>\n

I typed:<\/p>\n

What was it?<\/p>\n

His response arrived.<\/p>\n

Something for swelling. My mother gave it to me.<\/p>\n

I showed Detective Vasquez.<\/p>\n

She photographed the screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep him talking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mariana looked surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you said not to communicate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI changed my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

I typed:<\/p>\n

Why did Mateo say it would make the baby come early?<\/p>\n

This time, Adrian took longer.<\/p>\n

Mateo is confused. Rachel put him up to this.<\/p>\n

Another message.<\/p>\n

She wants to destroy me because I refused to leave you.<\/p>\n

I stared at the words.<\/p>\n

Even now, he was trying to rewrite himself as a loyal husband.<\/p>\n

I typed:<\/p>\n

You told Rachel you were leaving me.<\/p>\n

His reply came quickly.<\/p>\n

I lied to her.<\/p>\n

I looked at Rachel\u2019s phone, still in Mariana\u2019s possession.<\/p>\n

Six months of messages.<\/p>\n

Promises.<\/p>\n

Hotel reservations.<\/p>\n

Plans.<\/p>\n

Adrian had lied to Rachel.<\/p>\n

He had lied to me.<\/p>\n

He had lied to his employer.<\/p>\n

He had lied to the bank.<\/p>\n

The only person he might not have lied to was his mother.<\/p>\n

That possibility frightened me most.<\/p>\n

I wrote:<\/p>\n

Did you put something from a glass bottle into my tea?<\/p>\n

The three dots appeared.<\/p>\n

Stopped.<\/p>\n

Appeared again.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez watched the screen.<\/p>\n

Finally, his response arrived.<\/p>\n

I used two drops. Mom said it was safe.<\/p>\n

My mother made a broken sound.<\/p>\n

Mariana whispered, \u201cGot you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez immediately called another officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an admission,\u201d she said. \u201cLocate Adrian Alvarez now.\u201d<\/p>\n

I kept typing.<\/p>\n

Where are you?<\/p>\n

No response.<\/p>\n

Why did you take my passport?<\/p>\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n

Where did Teresa send the money?<\/p>\n

The message showed as read.<\/p>\n

Then Adrian called.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez activated a recording application on her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnswer normally,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

I pressed the button.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdrian.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs Lucy alive?\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice sounded breathless.<\/p>\n

I hated that a small part of me still recognized the fear in it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you try to kill her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n

His shout came so loudly that I moved the phone away from my ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would never hurt my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou put something in my tea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother told me it was a natural supplement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNatural supplements don\u2019t come with instructions to make a baby arrive early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t say that to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMateo heard her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMateo is a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is also your son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

The first honest silence Adrian had given me in months.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew about him,\u201d I continued. \u201cYou knew for seven years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamila, that situation is complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbandoning your child is not complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRachel kept him from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said you stopped visiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is lying except you, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t understand what my mother is capable of.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Detective Vasquez.<\/p>\n

She motioned for me to continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adrian breathed heavily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Mateo was born, Rachel almost died.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know she went into labor early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

My skin prickled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother gave her something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel\u2019s earlier expression flashed through my mind.<\/p>\n

The panic when Mateo mentioned the bottle.<\/p>\n

The words Adrian left in his voicemail.<\/p>\n

Ask her what happened the night Mateo was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew Teresa did this before?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you still put her liquid in my tea?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me it was different!\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice cracked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said it would reduce your blood pressure and keep you calm during the shower.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ask what it was?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe said it was herbal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid it look herbal?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid it smell herbal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t care enough to know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat isn\u2019t the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is to Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind the glass, my daughter\u2019s tiny fingers moved.<\/p>\n

I stared at them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to leave New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe police are looking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen turn yourself in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot until my mother is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

A cold wave passed through me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still protecting her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to stop something worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat could be worse than this?\u201d<\/p>\n

His breathing changed.<\/p>\n

He was moving.<\/p>\n

I could hear traffic and voices around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdrian, where did Teresa go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou already know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLisbon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe shouldn\u2019t have taken the flight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the money wasn\u2019t for a house.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked at Mariana.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was it for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamila, listen to me. Hudson Star Holdings was not created to steal your savings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what it did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was created to move money without my father\u2019s creditors finding it.\u201d<\/p>\n

My grip tightened around the phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

A long silence followed.<\/p>\n

Then Adrian spoke so softly I almost didn\u2019t hear him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what my mother told everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

My mother\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n

I felt the room tilt beneath me.<\/p>\n

I had attended the funeral.<\/p>\n

I had stood beside Adrian while he cried.<\/p>\n

I had watched Teresa receive condolences.<\/p>\n

There had been flowers, prayers, a priest, and a polished wooden coffin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour father died three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen who was in the coffin?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody in the room moved.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez\u2019s face had changed.<\/p>\n

This was no longer only a domestic case.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is your father?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Portugal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The line went dead.<\/p>\n

I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cCall him back,\u201d Mariana said.<\/p>\n

I did.<\/p>\n

Voicemail.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez was already speaking to her department.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need immediate coordination with federal authorities and Portuguese law enforcement,\u201d she said. \u201cPossible financial fraud connected to a falsely reported death.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel and Mateo returned a few minutes later.<\/p>\n

The child specialist led Mateo toward a waiting area with my mother.<\/p>\n

Rachel remained behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

I studied her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know Adrian\u2019s father was alive?\u201d<\/p>\n

She blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSamuel?\u201d<\/p>\n

So that was his name.<\/p>\n

Samuel Alvarez.<\/p>\n

The man whose funeral I had attended.<\/p>\n

The dead man who might own a house in Portugal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same Samuel who died three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel\u2019s face went pale.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t die three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariana stared at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSamuel died eight years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cI attended his funeral three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel shook her head slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI attended his funeral too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe week after Mateo was born.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room went silent.<\/p>\n

Two funerals.<\/p>\n

One man.<\/p>\n

Two different deaths.<\/p>\n

Eight years ago, Rachel had buried Samuel.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, I had buried him again.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you see the body?\u201d Detective Vasquez asked.<\/p>\n

Rachel frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. The coffin was closed because Teresa said there had been a car accident.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt sick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coffin at my funeral was closed too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mariana rubbed both hands over her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis family has more funerals than living relatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez looked at Rachel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t Adrian tell Camila that his father had supposedly died years earlier?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. He told me he couldn\u2019t attend the funeral because Teresa had sent him out of state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ever meet Samuel?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore Mateo was born.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was he like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel\u2019s eyes shifted toward Mateo in the waiting area.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTeresa.\u201d<\/p>\n

My phone rang again.<\/p>\n

This time, it wasn\u2019t Adrian.<\/p>\n

It was the hospital laboratory.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shah answered and listened without speaking.<\/p>\n

Her eyes moved toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did they find?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

She ended the call.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe preliminary toxicology test found a medication in your blood that can trigger uterine contractions.\u201d<\/p>\n

My mother began crying.<\/p>\n

Mariana closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

I looked at Lucy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the tea caused this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot state that with absolute certainty yet, but the substance could explain the sudden labor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the bottle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe liquid contains the same medication in a concentrated form.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words struck me one by one.<\/p>\n

Concentrated.<\/p>\n

Medication.<\/p>\n

Trigger contractions.<\/p>\n

Adrian hadn\u2019t given me an innocent herbal remedy.<\/p>\n

He had put our daughter\u2019s life at risk for money.<\/p>\n

Whether he knew the exact name of the substance no longer mattered.<\/p>\n

He knew enough to hide it.<\/p>\n

He knew enough to watch me drink it.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n

She answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her expression hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n

She glanced at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cSend me the image.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few seconds later, a photograph appeared on her screen.<\/p>\n

She studied it, then slowly walked toward me.<\/p>\n

\u201cPortuguese authorities reviewed airport surveillance footage from Lisbon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTeresa was met at the airport by a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned the screen around.<\/p>\n

The image was grainy, taken from above.<\/p>\n

Teresa stood near the baggage area with her arms around a tall man wearing a gray coat.<\/p>\n

His hair was thinner.<\/p>\n

His shoulders were bent.<\/p>\n

But I recognized him.<\/p>\n

Samuel Alvarez.<\/p>\n

Adrian\u2019s father.<\/p>\n

The man whose photograph had sat beside a candle at the funeral.<\/p>\n

The man whose coffin I had watched disappear into the ground.<\/p>\n

He was alive.<\/p>\n

And in his hand was a sign.<\/p>\n

The camera had captured only part of the writing.<\/p>\n

WELCOME HOME, TERESA.<\/p>\n

Beneath it, in smaller letters, were three words.<\/p>\n

DID SHE DRINK IT?<\/p>\n

My skin went cold.<\/p>\n

Detective Vasquez enlarged the image.<\/p>\n

There was something else written at the bottom of the sign.<\/p>\n

A date.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow\u2019s date.<\/p>\n

And an address in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

I recognized it immediately.<\/p>\n

It was my apartment.<\/p>\n

Before anyone could speak, Lauren\u2019s phone began ringing.<\/p>\n

She answered.<\/p>\n

Her face drained of color.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean the apartment is on fire?\u201d\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n

TO BE CONTINUED IN LAST PART..<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE CONTINUE TO READ LAST PART \u2013 My pregnant husband cheated on me. So I invited his mistress to my baby shower instead.<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n