The moment my mother-in-law pointed across the courtroom and said, “She’s faking it,” my husband actually smirked. They had spent hours convincing everyone that my blackouts were nothing but manipulation, but seconds later my legs collapsed beneath me and a U.S. Army doctor came running from the back of the courtroom.

The doorknob rattled violently. It wasn't a casual check; someone was actively trying to force their way in.

“Security!” the voice demanded again, harsher this time. “Open the door now!”

I scrambled backward on the bed, pulling the IV pole with me. “I’m calling the nurses’ station!” I yelled, grabbing the call button and mashing it with my thumb.

Footsteps heavily retreated down the hallway, breaking into a run.

Seconds later, real nurses rushed in, unlocking the door with their master key. By the time they checked the corridor, it was empty.

I was hyperventilating when Carter finally returned at dawn. He walked in holding a manila folder, his expression grim. When I told him about the phone call with Mark and the fake security guard, his posture stiffened into a military stance.

“They know we’re onto them,” Carter said, pulling up a chair beside my bed. “Daniel knows that if you survive, he loses custody, he loses control, and he loses the payout.”

“He tried to have me killed in a hospital,” I whispered, the reality finally sinking its teeth into my bones.

“He tried to finish the job,” Carter corrected gently. He opened the manila folder and laid a piece of paper on my lap. “The private tox screen came back. It wasn’t just opioids, Sarah. It was a cocktail. Benzodiazepines, a heavy dose of beta-blockers, and traces of Arsenic.”

I stared at the black-and-white printout. My husband wasn’t just abusing me mentally. He had been slowly, methodically murdering me.

“The tea,” I sobbed, burying my face in my hands. “Every morning, he kissed my forehead and handed me a cup of tea.”

Carter placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “We have the proof now, Sarah. But we need to be smart. If we go to the police right now, he has enough money and influence to bury this, or worse, flee with Lily.”