Chapter 5
The hospital cafeteria was nearly empty at 2 AM. I sat in the far corner, my hands wrapped around a cup of lukewarm coffee, watching the door. Every footstep made my heart skip—not from fear of Vincent finding me, but from hope that Rebecca would actually show up.
When she finally appeared, her scrubs were wrinkled from a long shift, and dark circles shadowed her eyes. But her expression was resolute as she slid into the seat across from me.
"I only have five minutes," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. "If anyone sees us talking..."
"I understand," I said, keeping my voice low. "Thank you for meeting me."
Rebecca had been the charge nurse the night Brielle delivered. She'd seen things others hadn't—things Vincent didn't want me to know.
"I've been wanting to talk to you," she said, reaching into her pocket. "But after what happened with your... loss... I wasn't sure if you were ready."
She placed a small USB drive on the table between us. The hospital logo was printed on its side.
"What is this?" I asked, though I already suspected.
"Security footage from the VIP suite." Rebecca's voice dropped even lower. "I made a copy before they archived it."
My fingers trembled as I touched the drive. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because what he's doing to you is wrong." Her eyes met mine, steady and certain. "And because I've seen how he treats the staff when you're not around."
I slipped the drive into my pocket. "What exactly is on this?"
"Watch it yourself," she said, rising from her seat. "But be prepared."
---
The footage was crystal clear. Vincent standing beside Brielle's bed, holding her hand as she labored. His face contorted with genuine concern—an expression I hadn't seen directed at me in years.
"You're doing great, baby," he murmured, stroking her hair. "Just a little more."
The camera caught everything—his tender touch, the way he kissed her forehead, the intimate whispers only a couple would share.
"I love you," Brielle whimpered between contractions. "Our baby..."
"Ours," Vincent confirmed, his voice thick with emotion. "Our son."
Our son. Not Jonathan's. Not his friend's. Our son.
I closed my laptop, my hands surprisingly steady despite the earthquake happening inside me. The truth was undeniable now. Vincent hadn't been "standing in" for anyone. He'd been playing husband to Brielle all along.
---
"His name is Grant Mitchell," the private investigator said, sliding a folder across his desk. "Construction manager at Westlake Development. Been engaged to Brielle West for eighteen months."
I opened the folder, studying the photographs of a man who looked nothing like Vincent. Where Vincent was polished and calculating, Grant was rugged and open-faced. His smile seemed genuine as he posed with construction crews and friends at company events.
"He has no idea?" I asked.
"Nothing in his social media suggests he knows about Vincent." The investigator tapped a photo of Grant looking at his phone, smiling. "In fact, he's been posting about wedding plans while Brielle's been living in your house."
I drove to Grant's jobsite that afternoon, staying in my car across the street. Workers in hard hats moved around a half-finished building, but I spotted Grant easily—tall, broad-shouldered, directing traffic with confident gestures.
He paused to check his phone, and even from a distance, I could see his expression soften as he looked at whatever—or whoever—was on the screen. Probably a photo of Brielle.
My stomach twisted with a strange mix of pity and resolve. Grant was as much a victim in this as I was. But unlike me, he still had something to lose.
---
The document slid across the kitchen counter like a death sentence.
"What is this?" I asked, though the bold letters at the top made it perfectly clear.
"A temporary restraining order," Vincent said smoothly, adjusting his tie. "You've been unstable since your... incident. Your presence is a threat to Brielle and our son."
"Our son," I repeated, the words bitter on my tongue.
"Brielle needs peace and quiet to recover." He gestured to the suitcase he'd already packed for me. "You have twenty-four hours to vacate the premises."
I picked up the paper, scanning its legal jargon. It was all there—my "mental instability," my "potential for violent outbursts," the need to "protect the vulnerable mother and child."
"Where am I supposed to go?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet.
"That's not my concern anymore." Vincent checked his watch. "The movers will be here tomorrow to collect anything you leave behind."
As he walked away, I felt something shift inside me—the last thread of hope snapping clean. I was done mourning. Done being the victim in Vincent's game.
I looked around at the house that had been my home, now transformed into Brielle's domain. The nursery that should have held my twins, now painted for her son.
Twenty-four hours. That's all the time I needed to decide how to burn their world to the ground.
You may also like
