Anger settled inside me, not as a storm, but as something colder and far more dangerous.
Footsteps approached again, lighter this time, and a gentle voice spoke from near the doorway.
“Ma’am, can you hear me clearly right now,” she asked softly.
I turned my head slightly and saw a young nurse standing there, her badge identifying her as Natalie Foster.
“Are you feeling pain, or do you need me to call the doctor for you,” she continued with quiet concern.
I reached out suddenly and gripped her wrist with more strength than she expected, and I saw the surprise in her eyes immediately.
“Listen to me carefully,” I said, my voice low but steady despite the weakness in my body. “If you help me with what I am about to ask, your future will change in ways you cannot imagine.”
She froze, clearly unsure whether to pull away or stay.
“I do not understand what you mean,” she replied cautiously.
A faint smile touched my lips, controlled and deliberate.
“My husband believes I am unaware of everything, and he thinks he has already won this situation,” I said quietly. “But he is wrong, and you are going to help me prove that in a way he will never expect.”