PART 6: The Confrontation
I drove back to the hospital, the manila folder gripped tightly in my hand. When I walked into Emily’s room, she was sitting up, a little color finally returning to her cheeks.
When she saw the folder in my hand, her eyes widened in panic. "Ethan... I... I can explain. I was going to tell you next week, I swear."
I rushed to her side, dropping to my knees and kissing her hands. "Em, why didn't you tell me they were blackmailing you? Why did you let them treat you like that?"
Tears spilled over her eyelashes. "Because I saw how hard you worked for them, Ethan. You felt so responsible for your father's death, and you promised him you'd take care of your mother and sisters. I thought if I exposed them, it would break your heart. I thought I could just bear it until the baby came."
"You are my family now, Emily," I said, crying openly against her hands. "Our son is my responsibility. Not them. I threw them out. They are gone. The locks are changed, and they are never stepping foot near us again."
Just then, the door to the hospital room rattled. Teresa and my sisters tried to push their way in, flanked by a hospital security guard who looked entirely fed up.
"Ethan! You have to talk to us!" Teresa yelled from the doorway. "We know about Emily's money! She's a liar! She's been hiding a fortune while you work like a dog!"
I stood up, stepping between the door and Emily’s bed. I pulled out the printouts of the blackmail texts and handed them to the security guard, alongside the phone number of our precinct detective.
"These women have been extorting and blackmailing a pregnant woman, which directly caused her hospitalization for premature labor," I told the guard loudly, making sure the entire hallway could hear. "I want them removed, and I am pressing formal charges for extortion."
May you like
Kayla’s face drained of color. Brittany began to stomp her feet, but the security guard grimly pulled out his radio. "We have a code purple in Room 412. Extortion suspects on site. Call the police."
Realizing the game was truly over, Teresa and my sisters fled down the hallway, screaming obscenities until the elevator doors shut.
