Chapter 9: The Last Message From My First Wife
I couldn't move.
For three years, I had replayed Elena's final days in my mind.
I remembered her weak smile.
Her cold fingers.
The hospital room filled with the smell of antiseptic.
I remembered telling her I would be back after my meeting.
She had asked me to stay.
I had promised I wouldn't be long.
But work had called.
And I had left.
Now Laura was telling me that my wife had left a recording specifically for me.
"How is that possible?"" I whispered.
Laura carefully placed the second USB drive on the table.
"Elena knew someone was changing her medical records. She asked a nurse to record a message in case she couldn't speak to you herself.""
"Why wasn't it sent to me?""
"Vanessa intercepted the original file.""
My hands began to shake.
"How did you get it?""
"An archived copy was saved to the hospital's backup server. I found it while reviewing the old files.""
Daniel leaned closer.
"Does the recording have a date?""
Laura turned the drive over.
"March fourteenth. Three days before Elena died.""
I closed my eyes.
"Play it.""
Laura inserted the drive into the laptop.
A video file appeared.
The screen showed a hospital room.
Elena was lying in bed.
Her face was pale, and her hair was pulled back from her forehead. A small oxygen tube rested beneath her nose.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
She looked so small.
So tired.
But her eyes were open.
She looked directly into the camera.
Then she spoke.
"Marcus, if you're watching this, I need you to listen carefully.""
My knees weakened.
Daniel pulled a chair behind me.
I sat down.
Elena continued.
"I don't know how much time I have. The doctors keep telling me that everything is under control, but something is wrong.""
She paused to catch her breath.
"I've been asking questions about my medication. Vanessa keeps telling me I'm confused. She says the doctors know what they're doing.""
A tear ran down her cheek.
"But I know what I signed. And I know what I didn't sign.""
She looked toward the door.
Then back at the camera.
"Marcus, I need you to forgive me for not telling you sooner. I didn't want to frighten you. I thought I could handle it.""
My chest tightened.
Elena reached toward the bedside table.
She picked up a folded document.
"I found out that Vanessa has been changing the beneficiary information on my insurance policy. She also tried to access Maya's trust.""
I looked at Daniel.
He was crying silently.
Elena continued.
"She told me that she was only protecting our family. But when I refused to sign the papers, she became angry.""
A long pause followed.
Then Elena whispered:
"She said Maya would never have to worry about money again because she wouldn't be around long enough to need it.""
I covered my mouth.
The woman I had trusted with my daughter's life had apparently threatened the child I loved most.
Elena looked directly into the camera.
"Marcus, please don't blame yourself. You work hard because you love us. I know that.""
I began to cry.
"But if something happens to me, don't let anyone convince you that Maya is difficult to love.""
Her voice cracked.
"She's just a little girl. She needs you. She needs to know that I loved her.""
I pressed my hands against my face.
Then Elena said something I would never forget.
"Tell her I wanted to see her grow up. Tell her I wanted to be there for her first dance, her first heartbreak, and the day she graduates.""
She smiled weakly.
"And tell her that every birthday candle she blows out, I will be wishing beside her.""
The video continued.
Elena looked toward the door again.
Her expression suddenly changed.
"Marcus, there's another person involved.""
I leaned closer.
"Who?""
Elena lowered her voice.
"The person helping Vanessa isn't just Dr. Cole.""
She glanced at the camera.
"Someone in our family is helping her.""
The video stopped.
I stared at the frozen screen.
Daniel slowly turned toward me.
"Someone in the family?""
I nodded.
"Who could she mean?""
I thought about everyone who had been close to us during Elena's final months.
My brother.
My parents.
Our old friends.
But then I remembered something.
A conversation I had forgotten.
Three weeks before Elena died, my mother had called me.
She had asked whether Elena had been signing financial documents.
I had told her Vanessa was helping.
My mother had gone quiet.
Then she had said, "Marcus, be careful who you let into that hospital room.""
I had assumed she was worried about Vanessa's involvement in our marriage.
I hadn't understood.
I immediately called her.
She answered after three rings.
"Marcus?""
"Mom, I need to ask you something.""
"Is Maya okay?""
"She's safe. But I need you to tell me what you knew about Elena.""
Silence.
"Marcus, where are you?""
"Please answer me.""
She sighed.
"Not over the phone.""
I closed my eyes.
"Mom, did you know Vanessa was involved with Elena's medical records?""
Another silence.
Then she whispered:
"Yes.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
"I suspected something was wrong.""
"How long?""
"Since before Elena died.""
I stood.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Vanessa threatened me.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Threatened you with what?""
"She said she had documents showing that your father had borrowed money from Elena's family without telling anyone. She said if I interfered, she would make sure everything became public.""
I rubbed my forehead.
"That doesn't explain why you stayed quiet.""
My mother's voice broke.
"Because she told me she would make sure you lost Maya.""
I closed my eyes.
"Mom, do you understand what happened to my daughter? Vanessa has been punishing her for months.""
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
"I know, Marcus. I saw the bruises.""
I stopped breathing.
"What bruises?""
My mother began crying.
"Last Christmas. Maya came to my house wearing a sweater with long sleeves. When I asked why, she said she had bumped into a cabinet.""
I gripped the phone.
"Did you believe her?""
"No.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Vanessa was standing right behind her.""
I looked toward the laptop.
Elena's face was still frozen on the screen.
I felt as though I had lost my wife all over again.
And this time, I was surrounded by people who had known something was wrong.
"Mom," I said quietly, "I need you to come to Daniel's house.""
"I will.""
"And bring anything Elena gave you.""
There was a pause.
Then my mother whispered:
"I still have her letter.""
My heart began pounding.
"What letter?""
"The one she wrote the night before she died.""
I couldn't speak.
"Why didn't you tell me about it?""
"Because Elena made me promise not to give it to you unless Vanessa tried to take Maya.""
I looked at Daniel.
He had heard everything.
"Mom, what does the letter say?""
My mother took a shaky breath.
"She wrote that Vanessa wasn't the only person who wanted control of the money.""
"Who else?""
My mother started crying harder.
"Marcus, I think your father knew what they were planning.""
I felt the room tilt.
My father had died eighteen months earlier.
He had been the man who taught me to trust my instincts, to protect my family, and to never abandon someone who needed me.
I couldn't imagine him being involved.
"That's impossible.""
"I hope you're right.""
The call ended.
I turned to Daniel.
Neither of us spoke for several seconds.
Then Laura quietly closed the laptop.
"Mr. Reed, I think you need to see something else.""
She opened a document folder and removed a scanned page.
It was an emergency contact form from Elena's hospital file.
The first listed contact was me.
The second was Vanessa.
The third was my father.
But someone had handwritten a note beside his name.
*Financial representative — authorized to discuss estate arrangements.*
I stared at the page.
My father had never told me he had any authority over Elena's estate.
And according to the date, he had been granted that authority two days before Elena died.
Then Laura pointed to the signature at the bottom.
"Look carefully, Mr. Reed.""
I leaned closer.
The signature wasn't my father's.
It was my mother's.
And beneath it was a handwritten sentence.
*If Marcus asks, tell him his father was only trying to protect him.*
I slowly looked up.
For the first time, I wasn't sure who in my family I could trust.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
*Your mother is on her way to see you. But Vanessa knows where she is going.*
May you like
A second message followed.
*If you want to know who really arranged Elena's final medication, ask your mother why she was at the hospital that night.*
