Chapter 7
On the fifth day in the hospital, Vivian could finally make her way to the window by herself.
The wound on her side had scabbed over. It still hurt whenever she moved, but the pain had become numb, almost like a strange anchor, something she could hold onto.
She leaned against the windowsill, watching the patients strolling in the garden below.
Spring was just around the corner. Little buds were popping up on the tree branches, shivering in the wind.
There was a gentle knock at the door.
Vivian turned around.
Martha stood in the doorway, holding an insulated food container, still dressed in the deep blue uniform of the Hart Residence staff.
She was in her sixties, her back slightly stooped, and at that moment, her eyes darted away, unable to meet Vivian's gaze.
"Mrs. Hart," Martha called softly, a name no one had used in ages.
Vivian paused, surprised. "Martha? What brings you here?"
"I... I made some soup for Ms. Summers, and I cooked a little extra for you," Martha said as she stepped inside, setting the insulated container on the nightstand. Her hands shook slightly. She glanced nervously at the door and then lowered her voice. "Mrs. Hart, there's something... I think you ought to have."
She pulled an old flip phone out of her pocket.
It was one of those classic flip phones, the paint worn and faded from years of use.
Vivian took it, her brows furrowing. "What is this?"
"Three years ago, Ms. Summers left this behind when she moved into the Hart Residence," Martha spoke quickly, her voice so low it was almost inaudible. "I was cleaning the room and found it wedged in the mattress seam. I meant to return it to her, but... I accidentally pressed the wrong button and heard something. So I kept it, just in case."
Vivian's fingers clenched.
"I didn't dare tell Mr. Hart," Martha said, her eyes rimmed with tears. "I'm just a maid. No one would believe me anyway. But after watching you these past few years... it just weighed too heavily on my conscience to stay silent."
After saying that, as if she'd spent all her courage, she gave a hurried bow. "Don't forget to drink the soup. I... I should get going."
The door closed softly behind her.
Vivian clutched the cold, old phone, her palm slick with cold sweat.
She sat at the bedside, staring at the tiny screen for a long time before slowly flipping it open.
It still had a single bar of battery.
The contacts list was empty, the inbox was empty, but in the audio folder, there was a single file from three years ago.
Vivian pressed play.
A crackle of static came first, followed by a woman's voice. It was Rachel's, yet instead of the gentle, fragile tone Vivian knew, it was filled with smug satisfaction, almost gleeful, a side of her Vivian had never heard before.
"Don't worry, Mom. Leon feels so guilty about me right now. That car accident years ago? I barely got a scratch, but he really thinks I almost lost my life for him."
Another woman's voice, older, asked, "And what about your kidney disease?"
"It's all fake," Rachel laughed. "I've already bribed the doctors overseas, and my medical records are flawless. When the time is right, I'll say I need a kidney transplant. Leon is a sucker for the whole 'saved my life' thing. He'll do whatever it takes to help me."
"But finding a kidney match isn't exactly easy," the older woman pointed out.
"That's why we have to wait," Rachel said, her tone sly. "When he's frantic enough, I'll just 'happen' to discover that his wife's kidney is a perfect match for mine... Mom, don't you think that's destiny?"
The recording cut off right there.
There was more to the recording, but Vivian couldn't bring herself to listen any further.
She clutched the phone, her blood rushing to her head, a deafening buzz filling her ears.
Rachel faked it.
The medical records were all made up.
Even that so-called "life-saving" car accident from three years ago was all part of her plan.
What did that make Vivian, then? What about the baby she lost? What about this scar on her side?
Vivian lurched upright, and for a moment, her vision swam in darkness.
She braced herself against the wall, gripping the phone so tightly her fingers trembled.
She was going to confront Leon.
Right this second.