Chapter 5
615words
The day after filing, I moved into a temporary apartment. Alex didn't try to stop me—probably believing I was just "throwing a tantrum" and would come crawling back.
I hired an experienced divorce attorney, Martha Collins—a sharp, no-nonsense woman who gave me straightforward advice during our first meeting.
"Mrs. Hayes, given the Reed family's influence, this won't be simple. They'll likely try to paint you as emotionally unstable, especially after the kidnapping incident."
I nodded. "I understand."
Leaving the law firm, I got a call from Dr. Wilson about my prenatal appointment. My hand instinctively moved to my abdomen, to the tiny life growing inside.
Three days passed without a word from Alex. He was waiting for me to cave first, as I always had before. But this time was different—I wasn't going back.
On the fourth afternoon, Detective Johnson called.
"Ms. Hayes, we've made a breakthrough. We've arrested your kidnapper, and he's confessed."
My heart raced. "Who is it? Why?"
"A career criminal named Marcus Kane. He admits he was hired by James Morton—a competitor of Reed Enterprises."
"There's more," Detective Johnson continued. "Kane was specifically instructed to grab you on the day of Miss Reed's birthday party."
A chill ran down my spine. "That can't be coincidence."
"We don't think so. Someone knew your schedule. We're investigating possible inside involvement."
After hanging up, I sank onto the couch, mind racing. If someone orchestrated my kidnapping on Sophia's birthday, what was the goal? To make Alex distrust me? To drive us apart?
That evening, Detective Johnson called again.
"Mrs. Hayes, new developments. We have evidence that Miss Reed was directly involved in the kidnapping plot. She met repeatedly with Morton's assistant and provided your schedule details."
"Have you told Alex?" I asked.
"Yes, we just met with Mr. Reed. He looked... devastated."
——
Alex sat in his office at Reed Enterprises, hands trembling as he reviewed the police files—photos of Sophia meeting Morton's assistant, call records, and damning email screenshots showing she had provided Emma's schedule.
"This can't be real..." he mumbled.
Detective Johnson sat across from him, expression grave. "Mr. Reed, the evidence is conclusive. Miss Reed orchestrated the kidnapping."
Alex felt the room spin. Sophia—his "sister" since childhood—had planned this? And he'd chosen to believe her over his own wife?
"Why would she do this?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"According to Kane's testimony, Miss Reed wanted to drive a wedge between you and your wife," Detective Johnson replied. "She knew you wouldn't believe your wife had been kidnapped."
The words cut Alex to the core. Sophia had known exactly how he would react. She had exploited his arrogance and his distrust of Emma.
But what horrified him most was the stark reality—Emma had been kidnapped. She had called him for help while in danger, and he had mocked her, accused her of lying.
If Emma hadn't escaped, if something terrible had happened... The thought made him break into a cold sweat.
He remembered Emma's call—her trembling voice, her desperate pleas. And he had dismissed her, even blamed her for avoiding the party.
Now, facing the truth, he finally grasped the magnitude of his failure. He had betrayed Emma's most fundamental trust when she needed him most.
Alex picked up their wedding photo from his desk. Back then, her eyes had shone with love and trust. Now that trust lay shattered, perhaps beyond repair.
He needed to see her, to tell her the truth face-to-face, even if it was too late. But he knew that no matter how deeply he apologized or regretted, some wounds might never heal.
He might have lost Emma forever.
