Chapter 5 - THE STORY THEY BUILT
Julian did not come back to the hospital.
Instead, he went on television.
By lunchtime, a local news station was showing a clip of him walking down courthouse steps with one hand over his heart.
“My wife is very sick,” he told reporters. “My only concern is protecting her and our daughter.”
Genevieve watched from bed until Sarah took the remote away.
“Don’t torture yourself.”
“He looks sad.”
“He has practiced looking sad at donor dinners for fifteen years.”
A social worker named Maya Chen arrived to evaluate Nora’s safety.
She was gentle, careful, and direct.
“Julian alleges you attempted to harm yourself two weeks before delivery.”
Genevieve went still.
“What?”
Maya showed her printed screenshots.
Messages from Genevieve’s phone to Julian.
I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE.
MAYBE EVERYONE WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT ME.
Genevieve felt sick.
“I never sent those.”
“They came from your number.”
Sarah asked, “Where was her phone that day?”
Genevieve thought back.
She had spent that afternoon at a prenatal massage appointment.
Her old phone had disappeared from her purse. Julian claimed she had misplaced it, then bought her a new one that evening.
“I thought it was stolen.”
Sarah leaned forward. “Did Julian know your passcode?”
“Yes.”
Maya’s face tightened.
There were more screenshots.
A message describing hearing voices.
Another saying Genevieve was afraid she might hurt the baby.
Each one was a brick.
Together they formed a cage.
Then Sarah noticed the timestamps.
She asked Maya to enlarge one image.
The message had been sent at 2:18 p.m.
Genevieve pulled up her appointment receipt in her email.
At 2:18 p.m., she had been inside a treatment room with no phone.
Sarah looked at her.
“That helps.”
Ortiz entered holding a forensic report.
“It helps more than you think.”
May you like
She set the report down.
“Three of those messages were sent while Genevieve’s old phone was connected to Julian’s office Wi-Fi.”
