PART TWOChapter Eleven: A Late-Night Call
The house was quiet, but Margret could feel the tension lurking in every shadow. David's presence, once a source of comfort and stability, had turned into something suffocating. She had grown accustomed to the silence that followed his accusations, the coldness that seeped into every corner of their home. Yet tonight, the unease was sharper, more insistent.
Margret was in the kitchen, washing the dishes from dinner, her mind heavy with thoughts of Lucia, the test results, and the lies David had begun spreading. Every movement felt deliberate, measured. She could not afford to make a sound that might betray her nervousness.
Then she heard it—a faint voice, muffled at first, coming from David's study. He was on the phone. Normally, she wouldn't pay much attention; he made calls every evening. But something in his tone, low and urgent, made her pause.
Curiosity—and fear—pulled her closer. She stood just outside the slightly ajar door, careful to remain hidden.
"Yeah… she isn't clean," David said, his words cutting through the quiet like a knife. "She let me sleep with her, but… I've started treatment. Soon, the divorce papers will be ready. I'll get full custody of Lucia. Nobody will question me. Nobody will believe her."
Margret froze. The words sank into her chest, heavy and suffocating. She could feel her knees trembling as though they were about to give way. She had never cheated on him. She had been faithful to her husband every day of their marriage. And now, he was plotting to take their daughter, painting her as the villain.
Her hands gripped the edge of the counter, nails digging into the wood, but she could not move. She could not breathe. The words David spoke were not just accusations—they were weapons. They were the blueprint of a plan that could destroy everything she had fought to protect.
David continued, oblivious to her presence. "It won't be hard. She's scared, she's weak. I've controlled the narrative from the start. Once the lawyers see the papers, once I present the evidence… she won't stand a chance. Lucia will be mine. And she'll never know what hit her."
Margret's heart pounded. The weight of realization pressed on her chest: her husband, the man she had trusted with her life, had never truly loved her. He had plotted against her, and now he was actively working to destroy her and take their daughter away.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced herself to stay silent. Panic would be dangerous. If David knew she had overheard him, everything would be worse. She needed to think. She needed to plan. She needed to survive.
The conversation ended, and Margret waited a moment before retreating quietly to her bedroom. Her mind raced. The magnitude of what she had heard was overwhelming. David's words were not just threats—they were instructions, a roadmap of how he intended to strip her of everything she loved.
Margret sat on the edge of her bed, hands pressed to her face. Fear and anger mingled into a bitter, suffocating brew. How could he do this? How could he betray her so completely? And yet, as much as she wanted to cry, to scream, she knew she couldn't. She had to remain strong. She had to protect Lucia.
Her daughter stirred in her sleep, oblivious to the danger looming over them. Margret traced her face lightly with her fingers, memorizing the features she might soon have to defend with everything she had. The thought of losing her, of David taking her away, sent a shiver of panic through her body.
Margret's mind began to work. She had to act. She had to find a way to protect Lucia. She could no longer rely on hope or on David's fleeting morality. He had shown her who he truly was—and it was a man willing to destroy her for his own gain.
The room felt smaller, the shadows longer. Margret realized that nothing would ever be the same. The betrayal, the lies, and now this plan to take her daughter—all of it demanded action. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't wait.
A plan began to form, tentative but growing stronger with each heartbeat. They would have to leave. They would have to disappear. And Margret knew, deep down, that leaving would not be easy. David would search. He would use every resource he had. But there was no other choice. Survival and Lucia's safety were more important than comfort, safety, or even her own life.
Margret rose from the bed, wiping her tears, setting her jaw with determination. The late-night call had changed everything. It had stripped away the last layer of denial. The danger was no longer abstract. It was real. And if she did not act, they would lose everything.
She looked at the sleeping form of Lucia and whispered softly, "Mama will protect you. No matter what. We'll get through this. I promise."
The house was quiet again, but Margret knew that silence could not last forever. David's plan was already in motion. She had no time to waste. The first step of their escape had to be carefully planned.
And for the first time, Margret truly understood the stakes. It wasn't just about survival anymore—it was about fighting back, staying one step ahead, and protecting the only person who mattered more than her own life: her daughter.