Part 5: The Court File
For a long moment, I simply stared at the document.
My eyes moved across the page without truly processing the words.
Then they stopped.
Respondent: Daniel Whitmore.
I looked up at Emma.
"This has to be a mistake."
"I hoped it was."
She slid the entire file toward me.
"It isn't."
My hands trembled as I opened it.
The first page contained standard court information.
Case number.
County.
Filing date.
Then came the petition itself.
The name of the petitioner had been partially redacted in the public copy, but enough remained to identify her.
Amelia S. Reynolds.
A.S.R.
The initials from the ultrasound.
I felt the room spin.
"So it really was her."
Emma nodded.
"Yes."
I kept reading.
The petition alleged harassment, repeated unwanted contact, and intimidation.
There were no findings attached.
No indication that the court had ruled in either person's favor.
Only that the petition had been filed... and then voluntarily dismissed a few weeks later.
"Why would she withdraw it?"
"I don't know."
"But people withdraw petitions for many reasons."
"Fear."
"Financial pressure."
"Private settlements."
"Or because they decide not to continue."
None of those possibilities made me feel any better.
I closed the folder.
"How did you find this?"
Emma leaned back.
"After you recognized the wallpaper, I searched every business record connected to Daniel's company."
"Eventually I found Amelia's name."
"She worked there."
"When?"
"About three years ago."
My chest tightened.
"How long?"
"Only eight months."
"Her employment ended suddenly."
"Reason?"
"No explanation in the records."
I thought about Daniel's reaction when I had casually mentioned Amelia's name.
He hadn't looked confused.
He had looked caught.
A soft knock interrupted us.
Dr. Harris stepped inside with a tablet in his hand.
"I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all."
He reviewed a few notes before smiling.
"Everything looks encouraging."
"The baby's heartbeat is strong."
"Your blood pressure is finally stabilizing."
"That's good news."
"It is."
He hesitated.
"I'd still like you to avoid unnecessary stress."
Emma and I exchanged a quick glance.
Neither of us laughed.
After the doctor left, Emma lowered her voice.
"I've hired someone."
"You hired a private investigator?"
"I hired someone who specializes in corporate investigations."
"There's a difference."
"What difference?"
"He knows how executives hide things."
That answer alone told me she had already taken this much further than I realized.
"When will he start?"
"He already has."
Around noon my phone vibrated again.
Unknown number.
My heart raced.
I answered immediately.
"Hello?"
This time the voice wasn't Amelia's.
It was a man.
"Mrs. Whitmore?"
"Yes."
"My name is Michael Grant."
"I'm calling on behalf of Ms. Amelia Reynolds."
Emma immediately reached for a notebook.
"Is she alright?"
A pause.
"Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"She wanted to meet you."
"But after last night..."
He stopped.
"After what happened?"
"I'm sorry."
"I can't discuss that over the phone."
My grip tightened.
"Is she safe?"
Another pause.
"I honestly don't know."
Emma quietly pressed the speaker button.
Michael continued.
"She asked me to tell you one thing."
"I'm listening."
"If your husband asks whether you've spoken to her..."
"Say no."
"Why?"
"Because someone is watching."
The call ended before I could ask another question.
The room felt colder than before.
Emma slowly lowered the phone.
"Someone is watching."
She repeated the sentence as though testing it.
"Do you think he means Daniel?"
"I don't know."
"But whoever it is..."
"They don't want the two of you talking."
That afternoon Daniel returned unexpectedly.
He carried flowers again.
Different ones this time.
Yellow roses.
My favorite.
Normally that small detail would have made me smile.
Today it made me suspicious.
He hadn't remembered my favorite flowers in years.
Now he suddenly did.
"You look tired," he said.
"I didn't sleep well."
"I've been worried."
"I'm sure."
He sat beside the bed.
"I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"We don't have to rush the divorce."
That surprised me.
Yesterday he had demanded signatures by Friday.
Now he wanted to slow everything down.
"What changed?"
He smiled.
"I realized you've been through enough."
It sounded compassionate.
But something about his eyes remained restless.
He wasn't looking at me.
He kept glancing toward my bedside table.
Toward my phone.
As if trying to determine whether someone had already contacted me.
Finally, he asked the question.
"Has anyone unusual called you?"
I looked at him calmly.
"No."
It was the truth.
Michael hadn't been unusual anymore.
He was expected.
Daniel studied my face for several seconds.
Apparently satisfied, he nodded.
"Good."
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
"I just know people can be cruel during divorces."
Interesting.
He hadn't asked if anyone from my family had called.
Or my lawyer.
Or my friends.
He had specifically asked about unusual calls.
As though he already knew someone might try to reach me.
After he left, Emma smiled for the first time all day.
"You lied beautifully."
"I don't like lying."
"You didn't."
"You protected yourself."
She opened her laptop again.
"Our investigator just sent his first report."
My heartbeat quickened.
"Already?"
"He works fast."
She scrolled silently.
Then stopped.
Her expression changed.
"What is it?"
Instead of answering, she turned the screen toward me.
There was a recent photograph.
Daniel.
Leaving an office building.
He wasn't alone.
Walking beside him was Amelia.
The timestamp was only six days old.
Six days before he had handed me divorce papers.
Before my hospitalization.
Before he claimed she meant nothing to him.
But it wasn't the photograph that stole my breath.
It was what Daniel was carrying in his hand.
May you like
A small pink gift bag from an upscale baby boutique.
And Amelia was smiling as she rested one hand protectively over her pregnant belly.
