I calmly messaged the lead PI.
Find her and every single detail of her new life.
Cost was never an issue, only results.
I poured myself another drink, the ice cracking like fission in my head.
Chapter 24
Lucia
Both were ridiculous, but I considered them anyway—the pros and cons of going into labour and lying to the hospital staff.
Options:
1. Selective mutism.
2. Invent a foreign language only I can speak.
The problem was, I wasn’t sure how my pain tolerance would impact either plan. I tapped the pen against my notepad, heart pounding.
Giving them my real name wasn’t an option.
My time was running out.
Six weeks and counting.
It wouldn’t matter if I told the hospital staff what I was running from — they’d still use my NHS number, and Mr. Moneybags would home in on me.
I sighed and rolled onto my back.
Why didn’t men ever need to run and hide from women?
I could see now how some women ended up murdering their partners after years of control and abuse. We’re tied down through our children.
I should’ve waited for the payout, then run — but then my signature would’ve been on the documents.
Fucking dickhead.
If I’d stayed, I’d have lost all rights to my child.
Nope. I did the right thing.
I lifted the notepad off my belly and scanned my pros and cons.
There was a YouTube tutorial for Klingon.
Option 3. Deep cosplay
I scribbled that out immediately.
They’d take my child and admit me to a psychiatric ward.
?? ?? ??
I dragged my feet to work. Nahla and Khalid had done everything before I arrived. My only job now was to sit behind the counter and serve customers so they could take a break or run to the cash and carry.
I had one more week left before I stopped working. I’d wanted to stay longer, but Nahla shut that idea down—told me they’d pay me regardless.
