Chapter 4

Three weeks passed slowly. Every morning, I swallowed the pink sweet vitamins. Every day, I pretended my stomach hurt. I acted tired and weak. I stayed in my dark room and kept my head down.

George and Danica watched me closely. They treated me like an animal in a cage. They thought the dangerous medicine was working.

They thought my body was breaking down to become their perfect vessel. They did not know I was completely healthy. They did not know I was just waiting.

One morning, Danica kicked my bedroom door open. George walked in behind her. Danica held a small white box in her hand. She threw it hard onto my bed.

"Take it," Danica ordered. "It has been long enough. We want to know if the procedure worked. We want to know if you are finally useful."

I picked up the box with shaking hands. I looked at George. He crossed his arms and stared at me.

I walked into the attached bathroom and locked the door. I turned on the sink so they could hear the water running. I did not use the test in the box. I reached under the sink. My fingers found a small, hidden plastic bag taped to the pipe.

Anna, the secret maid, put it there this morning. Matt planned everything perfectly.

Inside the bag was a fake pregnancy test. Matt paid a lot of money for it. It was designed to always show a positive result, no matter what.

I waited three minutes. I unlocked the door and walked out. I kept my head down. I handed the plastic stick to George.

George snatched it from my hand. He looked at it. Two bright pink lines. Positive. He showed the test to Danica.

Danica clapped her hands loudly. "Finally!" she cheered. "I am going to be a mother! I am finally getting my baby!"

George looked at Danica. His eyes were full of pride. "Put on your best dress," he told her. "We are going to the most expensive restaurant in the city. We need to celebrate our success. We will be gone all afternoon."

"Stay in your room," Danica snapped at me. "Do not ruin my happy day."

They turned and left my room.

An hour later, I heard the heavy front door close. I heard George's car engine start. I walked to the window and watched his expensive car drive away down the long driveway.

The large house was completely quiet. I was alone.

I moved fast.

I stood up straight and ran down the hallway to George's home office. The door was usually locked tight. But Anna left it unlocked for me before she went to clean the kitchen.

I pushed the door open and went inside. The room smelled like George's expensive cologne. It made me feel sick. I walked straight to the large metal safe hidden behind his heavy wooden desk.

My hands were shaking. If George came back early, he would kill me. But I had to be brave. I had to do this for my son.

I took out my secret black phone. Matt sent me a message yesterday. He used his highly paid computer experts to find George's private safe code. I looked at the numbers on my screen. I typed them into the safe keypad.

The heavy metal door swung open.

Inside, there were stacks of cash and expensive jewelry. I ignored all of it. I reached for a thick red folder at the very back. Matt told me exactly what to look for.

I opened the folder. I used my phone to take clear pictures of every single page. I made sure every number, every date, and every signature was perfectly visible. I took fifty pictures.

When I finished, I put the folder back exactly how I found it. I closed the safe and made sure it locked. I wiped my fingerprints off the keypad. I ran out of the office, closed the door, and hurried back to my dark bedroom.

I opened the messages with Matt. I selected all the pictures and pressed send.

I waited in the quiet room. The silence was heavy.

Five minutes later, the phone buzzed in my hand.

Matt: "I got them. These are perfect, Stephanie. You did amazing. I have all the proof I need. His company is completely finished."

Stephanie: "They think I am pregnant. They went out to celebrate. What happens now?"

The phone buzzed again.

Matt: "Tomorrow night is George's big company anniversary party. All his rich investors and powerful friends will be there. That is where I will spring the trap. I will expose his crimes to everyone. He will lose his money, his company, and his freedom."

I read the words again. Tomorrow. It was finally ending. George and Danica were going to lose everything.

Then, another message appeared on the screen.

Matt: "I have a beautiful room ready for you and our son. I am coming for you, Stephanie."

I stared at the glowing screen. I read the message over and over again.

Our son.

He called my baby his own.