CHAPTER 3
Ethan felt the world collapse beneath him.
The hospital room blurred.
Voices faded.
All he could hear was one sentence repeating inside his head.
You are not Margaret’s biological son.
“No…”
His voice came out broken.
“That’s impossible.”
Margaret said nothing.
That silence was worse than denial.
Ethan turned to her slowly, his eyes red with disbelief.
“Tell him he’s lying.”
Margaret’s jaw tightened.
“Ethan—”
“Tell me!”
His roar shook the room.
For years, he had defended her.
Protected her.
Trusted her.
Loved her.
And now every memory felt poisoned.
Every birthday.
Every family photo.
Every moment.
A lie.
Richard stepped closer, pain visible on his face.
“I wanted to tell you years ago.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“Years ago?”
His voice trembled with rage.
“You vanished for ten years!”
Richard lowered his gaze.
“Because she made sure I couldn’t come back.”
The police officer frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Richard inhaled sharply.
“After Claire died, I started investigating.”
He pointed at Margaret.
“I knew she was involved.”
Margaret rolled her eyes.
“Still dramatic as ever.”
Richard ignored her.
“I found medical records from the night Claire gave birth.”
He pulled another document from the envelope.
“One baby listed as deceased.”
He paused.
“The second record disappeared.”
Ethan’s breathing turned heavy.
Richard continued.
“That’s when I knew one twin survived.”
Lena whispered, “And Margaret took the baby…”
Richard nodded.
“Yes.”
He looked at Ethan.
“She raised you to secure the family inheritance.”
Silence.
Margaret finally snapped.
“Oh, enough!”
Everyone turned.
Her expression changed completely.
No more pretending.
No more masks.
Only raw darkness.
“Yes, I took him.”
Ethan froze.
Margaret smirked.
“There. Happy?”
The officer tightened his hand near his weapon.
Margaret laughed.
“Claire was weak. Emotional. Pathetic.”
Richard clenched his fists.
“She was your sister-in-law!”
“She was an obstacle.”
Her voice was calm.
Almost casual.
That made it worse.
“She would have taken everything from me.”
Lena stared in horror.
“You killed her… for money?”
Margaret looked offended.
“For survival.”
Ethan whispered, “You murdered people…”
Margaret turned to him.
And smiled.
Coldly.
“I gave you everything.”
Ethan recoiled.
“No…”
“Luxury.”
Step.
“Education.”
Step.
“Power.”
Step.
“A future.”
She stood directly in front of him.
“I made you who you are.”
Ethan’s voice cracked.
“You made me live a lie.”
Margaret’s eyes hardened.
“No.”
She leaned closer.
“I made you strong.”
Then she whispered something only he could hear.
“Your real mother died begging.”
Ethan went still.
Completely still.
The air changed.
Even the officer noticed.
Margaret smiled.
She thought she had won.
Then—
CRACK.
The sound echoed through the room.
Margaret stumbled sideways.
A red mark spread across her cheek.
Everyone froze.
Ethan’s hand trembled.
He had slapped her.
Hard.
Margaret touched her face in shock.
“You hit me?”
Ethan’s eyes were filled with tears.
And hatred.
“You killed my mother.”
Margaret’s expression twisted.
“I raised you!”
“You stole me!”
Silence.
Lena began crying harder.
She had never seen Ethan like this.
He looked shattered.
Like a boy who had lost everything in seconds.
Margaret’s face darkened.
“If I can’t have this family…”
She moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Before anyone reacted, she grabbed a scalpel from the medical tray.
The nurse screamed.
“She has a weapon!”
The officer reached for her—
Too late.
Margaret lunged.
Straight toward Lena.
“If I lose everything—”
Her scream became monstrous.
“SO DOES SHE!”
Ethan saw it.
Time slowed.
The blade flashed under hospital lights.
Lena couldn’t move.
She was too weak.
The officer was too far.
Richard shouted.
“ETHAN!”
Without thinking, Ethan threw himself forward.
SHHK!
The scalpel sank deep.
Warm blood splattered across the bed.
Silence.
Then screaming.
Lena’s eyes widened in horror.
“No…”
Margaret stared.
Shocked.
The scalpel had not reached Lena.
It had pierced Ethan’s side.
Blood poured through his shirt.
He collapsed onto the hospital bed.
Lena screamed.
“ETHAN!”
Doctors rushed in.
The officer slammed Margaret to the floor and cuffed her.
“You are under arrest!”
Margaret didn’t resist.
She just stared.
At Ethan.
At the blood.
At the destruction.
And then—
She laughed.
Again.
That horrible laugh.
Ethan coughed blood.
Lena held him, shaking.
“No, no, no… stay with me…”
His breathing became shallow.
Richard pressed cloth against the wound.
“Get surgical staff now!”
Doctors shouted orders.
But Ethan grabbed Lena’s wrist.
Weakly.
His voice barely audible.
“Listen…”
Lena sobbed.
“Don’t talk.”
“Listen…”
She leaned closer.
Tears falling onto his face.
Ethan struggled to speak.
“Our baby…”
Lena froze.
He swallowed painfully.
“She knows where the baby is…”
Margaret smiled from the floor.
Blood on her clothes.
Madness in her eyes.
“You’ll never find the child.”
Lena screamed.
“WHERE IS MY BABY?!”
Margaret said nothing.
Just smiling.
Ethan’s pulse weakened.
The monitor became erratic.
BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…
Richard looked at the doctors desperately.
“We’re losing him!”
Then—
A new voice came from the doorway.
Clear.
Cold.
Female.
“You’re looking in the wrong place.”
Everyone turned.
A woman stood there.
Tall.
Elegant.
Black dress.
Dark red lipstick.
Her gaze locked onto Margaret.
Margaret’s smile vanished instantly.
For the first time—
She looked afraid.
The woman stepped forward.
Her heels clicking against the floor.
And she said words that changed everything again.
“The baby isn’t with Margaret.”
She paused.
Then looked at Ethan.
May you like
“It’s with me.”
To be continued…
