Chapter 16 - The Wolf at the Door
My heart practically stopped in my chest. The vital signs monitor beside my bed instantly began to beep wildly, registering my skyrocketing heart rate. The terrifying, paralyzing panic that had defined the last three years of my life came rushing back in a tidal wave.
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
Mateo’s heart rate accelerated in tandem with mine, feeling the massive surge of adrenaline flooding through my bloodstream. I instinctively threw both hands over my belly, curling into a protective ball.
"Calm down, Valeria, breathe," Dr. Mendoza ordered, though his own eyes were flashing with impending war.
Out in the hallway, the chaos was escalating rapidly. Diego hadn't come alone. He was accompanied by a slick, high-priced corporate lawyer from his family’s firm.
"Sir, you cannot pass!" a young nurse shouted, trying to physically block the corridor. "This is a restricted high-risk unit!"
"Get out of my way, you little nobody!" Diego spat viciously. "My mother called me from the police station. She told me you people have my wife locked up in here making up crazy lies! Valeria has severe psychiatric issues. I am signing her out against medical advice and taking her to a private clinic right now!"
The sheer audacity of his lie made me nauseous. He was using the exact same strategy he always used—painting me as the hysterical, mentally unstable wife while playing the role of the concerned, exhausted husband. It had worked on our neighbors, and he arrogantly assumed it would work on the hospital staff.
Through the frosted glass of my room's door, I could see two dark silhouettes approaching rapidly.
May you like
I braced myself, waiting for the door handle to turn, waiting for the monster to walk in and drag me back to hell.
But Dr. Mendoza did not hesitate. He walked directly to the door, pulled it open, and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door firmly shut behind him to shield me from sight.
