Chapter 4
I didn't cry when I saw the false medical declaration.
I became very still.
For years, people had told me that Marcus was perfect for me.
Handsome.
Successful.
Protective.
The kind of man who would never leave.
I had believed them because I wanted to believe them.
Now I was staring at paperwork suggesting he had prepared a story to explain my death before it happened.
Aunt Evelyn squeezed my hand.
“Nia, look at me.”
I turned toward her.
“You're alive. That's what matters right now.”
I nodded, but my thoughts kept returning to the lake.
Marcus had known I might die.
He had stood on the shore and watched.
Then he entered the car, not to save me, but to stop me from escaping.
The detectives returned that afternoon.
Harold gave them copies of the documents, along with records showing when they had been submitted.
Detective Harris studied the insurance application.
“Did you authorize this policy?”
“No.”
“Did you sign the medical declaration?”
“No.”
She nodded.
“We'll verify the records with the insurer.”
I looked at her.
“Do you believe he planned this?”
She chose her words carefully.
“We're investigating whether the vehicle incident was intentional and whether these financial documents are connected.”
I appreciated that she didn't make promises she couldn't keep.
But I wanted Marcus away from me.
I wanted Vanessa questioned.
And most of all, I wanted to stop wondering whether he would come back to finish what he had started.
The hospital arranged for additional security precautions while the police reviewed the threats.
Marcus was not allowed into my room.
Neither was Vanessa.
That evening, I received another message.
This one came from an unfamiliar number.
You should have stayed quiet.
I showed it to Detective Harris.
She added it to the case file.
Then she asked whether anyone else knew I had survived before the police arrived.
“The wedding guests,” I said. “The security guards. The paramedics.”
“Anyone who might have a reason to contact you?”
I thought of Vanessa.
Her hand on her stomach.
Her frightened expression when she saw me alive.
“Vanessa,” I whispered.
Harris nodded.
“We're looking into her role.”
Two days later, investigators recovered the wedding car.
The vehicle had settled in relatively shallow water near the dock, but removing it required specialized equipment.
My waterproof phone pouch was discovered inside.
The phone itself had suffered water damage.
A forensic technician would attempt to recover the recording.
I waited for news with a fear so intense that I could barely eat.
Without the video, Marcus could claim I had misunderstood his actions.
He could say he entered the water to rescue me.
He could tell the world I panicked.
And many people might believe him.
He had always been charming.
He had always known how to make strangers trust him.
On the third morning, Detective Harris called.
“Nia, we recovered part of the recording.”
My heart stopped.
“What does it show?”
“We'd like to discuss that with you in person.”
The wait was unbearable.
When she arrived, she brought a laptop and a set of headphones.
She asked whether I felt ready to view the footage.
I nodded.
The screen showed darkness at first.
Then flashes of water.
My shaking hand.
Marcus's face.
The sound was distorted, but several words were clear.
“Stop fighting.”
Then my voice.
“Now they'll know.”
The video shook violently.
For several seconds, nothing was visible.
Then Marcus's face appeared again.
And his voice came through the recording.
“You should have signed everything.”
I covered my mouth.
Aunt Evelyn began crying beside me.
Detective Harris paused the video.
“We also recovered audio from the seconds before the camera moved.”
She played another segment.
This time, Marcus's voice was clearer.
“Vanessa said you would never agree.”
I froze.
“What?”
Harris replayed it.
Vanessa said you would never agree.
I stared at the screen.
That meant Vanessa had been discussing my assets with him.
She wasn't merely standing on the shore.
She knew something about the plan.
Detective Harris closed the laptop.
“We are continuing to verify the recording and the surrounding evidence.”
I looked at her.
“Have you spoken to Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
Harris hesitated.
“She initially claimed she knew nothing about the vehicle incident.”
“And now?”
“She has asked to speak with an attorney.”
I leaned back against the pillows.
For the first time, I felt a small spark of hope.
Not because I wanted revenge.
Because Marcus's lies were beginning to crack.
The following day, Harold brought more documents.
He had reviewed the estate accounts and found several attempted transfers that I had never authorized.
Some had been rejected because they required my direct approval.
Others were still pending review.
He had already taken steps to protect the trust and prevent unauthorized changes while the matter was investigated.
I stared at the paperwork.
“How long has he been trying to do this?”
Harold looked grim.
“At least six months.”
Six months.
The same month Marcus introduced Vanessa to me.
I remembered her smile.
Her expensive perfume.
The way Marcus always seemed to know when she would appear.
Then I remembered something else.
At our engagement dinner, Vanessa had raised a glass and said, “To new beginnings.”
Marcus had looked at her.
Not at me.
I had thought it was nothing.
Now I wondered how much of my marriage had been a performance.
That evening, Aunt Evelyn helped me pack my hospital belongings.
The doctors had cleared me to leave with follow-up care.
I wasn't going back to the house Marcus and I shared.
I would stay with Evelyn until the legal and safety issues were resolved.
As we prepared to leave, Detective Harris appeared at the door.
Her expression was serious.
“We need to ask you one more question.”
I turned.
“What is it?”
She opened her notebook.
“During the wedding reception, did Marcus give you anything to drink?”
I frowned.
“A glass of champagne.”
“Did you leave it unattended?”
I thought back.
Then my stomach dropped.
“Yes.”
Harris exchanged a glance with her partner.
“Why?”
She took a breath.
“Because the medical review has raised questions about whether you were given something that could have affected your alertness.”
I stared at her.
Suddenly, I remembered feeling dizzy before I got into the car.
I had blamed it on nerves.
May you like
Now I wasn't sure.
And the thought that Marcus might have tried to weaken me before sending me toward the lake made the room feel cold.
