While I was in the hospital, praying and staying beside my daughter, I received a call from the detective.
"Did something happen to you?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied. "Ashley was rushed to the hospital, but she is now under intensive care."
The detective told me that we should meet at a private suite in a hotel. He said I would find an empty room with 234 displayed on the door. Like a door number, he explained, it was the password.
I hurried to meet him, hoping that, at last, I might understand what was happening.
When I arrived, the detective told me, "I have discovered some traces, but I need to know more about your past—especially what happened after Mike pushed your father and how you met your wife."
I began narrating my story.
"A lot of people have wondered how I met my wife. This is what happened.
"I was twenty-two at the time, still running my parents' business, which had become my inheritance. One day, while I was on my way home, I saw a girl being harassed by five street thugs. She looked humble and innocent, almost like an angel from heaven who had descended to collect holy souls.
"She ran toward me and cried, 'Sir, please help me!'
"There was something mysterious about her. I could not control my feelings, and somehow, despite being a weakling, I managed to chase the five thugs away.
"She told me that she was new to the city and did not know what to do. She was not highly educated, and her family belonged to the middle class. I felt sorry for her, so I told her, 'I am only a boss in my father's business. Would you like to become my personal assistant?'
"She was delighted, but then she admitted that she had nowhere to stay. Since my house was spacious and I lived alone, I invited her to follow me.
"However, things soon began to change in the business. I started experiencing strange problems—minor accidents, sudden losses of capital, and other unexplained incidents. Then, one day, something happened that I could never have imagined.
"I found my assistant taking a shower in the bathroom. I felt embarrassed and immediately turned away, but she did not seem afraid of me. Instead, she told me that she had liked me for a long time.
"You know what happened next. I was a man, and life continued.
"But after that, the problems suddenly disappeared. From then on, everything began to improve, and that was how I rose to where I am today."
The detective carefully jotted down my words. When I finished, he looked at me with a troubled expression.
"There is something fishy here," he said. "Soon, I will uncover the truth."
Before I could respond, my phone rang. It was a call from home. My wife's voice sounded hostile.
"I have something to discuss with you," I told her.