Chapter 8 - WAKING UP
Bea’s eyes fluttered open slowly. The room was dimly lit, the only sound the steady, reassuring beep of the heart monitor. Mae was instantly at her side, gently stroking her hair.
"Mom?" Bea's voice was raspy, dry.
"I'm here, baby. I'm right here. It's over. You did so well."
Bea blinked, looking around the room. "Where is Dad?"
"He's not here," Mae said firmly. "He's not coming back. We're going to Aunt Sarah's house when you're discharged. Lily is setting up a special room for you, and Buster and Luna are already there waiting."
A profound wave of relief washed over Bea's face. The tension that had lived in her shoulders for months finally melted away. "Really?"
"Really," Mae promised.
Later that night, while Bea slept, Mae's phone buzzed. An unknown number.
May you like
“You think you’ve won, Mae? You have no idea what I can do. Enjoy the hospital food. It’s all you’ll be able to afford soon.”
Mae didn't reply. She blocked the number. She pulled the flash drive from her pocket, the cool metal a reminder of her power. She wasn't the scared wife anymore. She was a mother protecting her child, and she would burn Theo’s world to ash before she let him touch them again.
