Chapter 4 - Everything He Had Hidden
By sunrise, Richard’s entire life was collapsing.
Federal investigators seized Meridian servers.
Hospital administrators suspended the company’s access credentials.
Three executives were escorted from headquarters.
And Madison Price began talking.
She admitted the affair.
She admitted receiving Noah’s treatment.
But she denied knowing about the four-year diversion scheme.
Rebecca believed parts of her story.
I didn't care.
My priority was lying in room 814.
At 9:15 a.m., Noah opened his eyes.
“Mom?”
I jumped from the chair.
“Hey.”
“Why are you crying?”
I laughed through my tears.
“Because you're awake.”
He looked around.
“Did I miss school?”
That made me laugh harder.
“A little.”
“Can I have pancakes?”
Dr. Hale, standing near the doorway, smiled.
“That's an excellent sign.”
Noah looked behind me.
“Where's Dad?”
The room became quiet.
I sat beside him.
“Dad has some problems he needs to deal with.”
“Is he in trouble?”
Children always know more than adults think.
“Yes.”
“Because of me?”
“No.”
I answered immediately.
“None of this is because of you.”
Noah nodded slowly.
Then he held out his hand.
I took it.
Later that afternoon, Rebecca returned.
“We need to talk.”
We stepped into the hallway.
“Richard wants a deal.”
“Already?”
“He's offering information on Meridian executives.”
“Of course he is.”
“He also wants you to make a statement.”
I laughed.
“What statement?”
“That you misunderstood his intentions.”
“No.”
“He says he was attempting to secure replacement inventory before transferring Noah’s dose.”
“That's a lie.”
“We know.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because he specifically asked for you.”
I looked through the window at Noah.
“When?”
“Now.”
Richard appeared on a secure video screen in a hospital conference room twenty minutes later.
He looked terrible.
No tailored suit.
No confident smile.
No expensive watch.
Just a wrinkled shirt and exhausted eyes.
“Claire.”
I said nothing.
“I made mistakes.”
“Mistakes?”
“I panicked.”
“No. Panic happens in seconds. You falsified documents.”
“Madison pressured me.”
“Don't blame her for your choices.”
“Her father threatened the company.”
“You almost killed Noah.”
His face tightened.
“I love my son.”
“Then why did you do it twice?”
Richard froze.
I watched the realization enter his eyes.
“You found those records.”
“Yes.”
“That situation was different.”
“Noah was five.”
“Price had political connections we needed.”
I stared at him.
“You traded our child’s medicine for influence.”
“Noah recovered.”
“That doesn't make it okay.”
Richard leaned toward the camera.
“Claire, everything I built was for you and Noah.”
“No.”
My voice remained calm.
“You built it because power made you feel important.”
He looked away.
“You'll lose everything too.”
“What?”
“The house. Investments. Accounts. Once the government freezes—”
“I don't care.”
His expression changed.
Richard had finally encountered something he couldn't understand.
A person he couldn't control with money.
“I want a divorce,” I said.
“Claire.”
“And I will testify.”
“Don't.”
“I'll give them every message.”
“Claire.”
“Every bank record I can legally access.”
“Stop.”
“Every conversation I remember.”
His face hardened.
“You'll regret this.”
There he was.
The real Richard.
I leaned toward the screen.
“No.”
“You will.”
“You still don't understand.”
“Understand what?”
“You keep threatening to take things from me.”
I looked toward the room where Noah was recovering.
“But the only thing I was afraid of losing survived.”
May you like
Then I ended the call.
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