Patient: Claire Smith
Purpose: Follow up for prenatal concerns
Prenatal.
The word struck like a physical blow. They were expecting another child.
I stumbled outside, sunlight glaring harshly against my vision. My lungs struggled to draw air. The world no longer resembled something solid or reliable. But even then, the true nightmare had not yet fully revealed itself.
That evening, compelled by a desperation I barely understood, I returned to the townhouse. Through the kitchen window, I saw Adrian and Claire engaged in hushed conversation. Their expressions carried tension, their voices muted by closed glass. Claire handed him a document. His jaw tightened visibly.
“What is this?” he demanded.
Claire’s voice trembled slightly. “They contacted me today.”
Adrian’s shoulders stiffened. “Who?”
“The auditors.”
He went pale. Claire covered her mouth in horror. Moments later, Adrian locked the back door, pulled the curtains, and extinguished the lights. A creeping unease crawled through my veins. Something deeper lurked beneath this constructed life. Something unstable. Something dangerous.