Chapter 23: The Woman Who Survived the Night
The story Lauren told us felt impossible.
But after everything we had discovered, impossible no longer meant unbelievable.
It just meant something we hadn’t uncovered yet.
“Start from the beginning,” Christopher said.
Lauren nodded.
“After Emma was born, your mother came to see me.””
“Why?””
“Because she knew what William had done.””
Christopher sat down.
“She wanted to help me.””
I looked at Lauren.
“Even though she was married to him?””
Lauren nodded.
“That’s why William hated her.””
“Because she betrayed him?””
“No.””
Lauren looked at Christopher.
“Because she chose what was right.””
Those words affected him.
Because maybe he had spent years believing his parents were simply flawed.
Not evil.
Not cruel.
Just complicated.
Now he was learning that one of them had tried to stop the other.
“What happened in the hospital room?”” Christopher asked.
Lauren looked down.
“Your mother told me to take Emma and run.””
“Did you?””
“I tried.””
“What stopped you?””
“Richard.””
The name alone changed the air.
“He came into the room.””
“Alone?””
“No.””
Lauren’s voice became softer.
“William was with him.””
Christopher closed his eyes.
His father.
The man who raised him.
The man who taught him everything.
The man who had been willing to destroy a child.
“What did they want?””
Lauren answered:
“The recording.””
“The one your mother made?””
“Yes.””
“She had it?””
“No.””
“Then why were they there?””
“Because they thought she did.””
Christopher looked confused.
“Who had it?””
Lauren stared at him.
“Your mother.””
The answer shocked him.
“But she gave it to me.””
Lauren shook her head.
“No.””
Christopher looked at her.
“What?””
“She gave it to someone else.””
“Who?””
Lauren hesitated.
Then:
“Me.””
The room went silent.
“You had it?””
“Yes.””
“Where is it?””
Lauren looked away.
“I don’t know.””
“Lauren.””
“I lost it.””
“How?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because that night, I thought I was going to die.””
Nobody spoke.
She continued.
“Richard attacked your mother.””
Christopher’s face changed.
“He hurt her?””
“Yes.””
“But she survived.””
Lauren nodded.
“For a while.””
The words were terrifying.
“For a while?””
Lauren looked at him.
“She survived long enough to save me.””
Christopher covered his mouth.
“What happened?””
“Your mother distracted Richard.””
“And?””
“I escaped.””
“With Daisy?””
Lauren nodded.
“But before I left…”
She stopped.
“What?””
“I saw something.””
“What?””
Lauren looked at Christopher.
“Your father.””
“What about him?””
“He was not helping Richard.””
A pause.
“He was afraid of him.””
That changed everything.
Because until now, we had seen William Hayes as the villain.
The man controlling everything.
But what if he had also been trapped?
What if Richard had been the real danger?
“What did William do?”” Christopher asked.
Lauren whispered:
“He gave me the baby.””
Christopher stared.
“What?””
“He told me to take her.””
“Why?””
“Because he knew Richard would kill her.””
The room became silent.
“But then why did he spend years hiding her?””
Lauren looked at Daisy.
“Because after your mother died…”
She swallowed.
“William changed.””
“How?””
“He became obsessed with protecting the family name.””
Christopher looked devastated.
“So he became the thing he was trying to stop.””
Lauren nodded.
“Yes.””
A painful truth.
A person could start by fighting evil.
And become evil while doing it.
“But what about the witness?”” I asked.
Everyone looked at me.
“The reason Richard is still after Daisy.””
Lauren went quiet.
Then she said:
“Before I escaped, your mother hid something.””
“What?””
“A memory card.””
Christopher frowned.
“Where?””
Lauren looked at Daisy.
“In the only place Richard would never search.””
My heart stopped.
“Where?””
Lauren whispered:
“With Emma.””
Nobody moved.
“You mean…”
“Yes.””
Lauren nodded.
“She hid it with the baby.””
Christopher stared.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
Lauren looked at him.
“She knew someone would protect the child.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“You’re saying Daisy has evidence hidden somewhere?””
Lauren nodded.
“Yes.””
“Where?””
“I don’t know.””
“Then how do we find it?””
Lauren looked at me.
“Rebecca.””
I froze.
“Why are you saying my name?””
“Because Daisy was given to you for a reason.””
I stared.
“What reason?””
Lauren’s voice dropped.
“Because the person who placed her with you knew you would love her.””
My heart raced.
“Who?””
Lauren looked at Christopher.
“Your wife’s foster coordinator.””
I felt confused.
“What?””
“The person who arranged the emergency placement.””
Christopher immediately looked at me.
“That’s impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because the coordinator died.””
The room went silent.
Lauren whispered:
“No.””
May you like
“What?””
“She didn’t die.””
