The Woman in Red
Chapter 01 - The Woman in Red
The ballroom above St. Catherine’s Medical Center glittered like a palace, but Amelia Carter could barely hear the music over the nervous rhythm of her own heartbeat. Eight months pregnant and dressed in white, she had stepped away from the hospital’s charity gala to rest in a private family lounge. Her husband, Ethan, was downstairs speaking to donors. He had promised to return in ten minutes. Before leaving, he had kissed her forehead and felt their daughter kick, a small private moment that made Amelia believe the hardest years of their marriage were finally behind them.
Vanessa Blake arrived first.
She entered in a red satin gown, closed the doors behind her, and looked Amelia up and down with a smile that held no warmth. Vanessa had once been Ethan’s fiancée, before he ended their engagement and married Amelia. For months, she had vanished from their lives. Now she stood beneath the crystal chandelier as if she owned the room.
“You should leave before Ethan comes back,” Vanessa said.
Amelia steadied one hand beneath her belly. “This is my husband’s event.”
Vanessa pulled a white envelope from her clutch. Inside were photographs of Ethan entering a downtown hotel, copies of bank transfers, and unsigned divorce papers. She claimed Ethan had been meeting her for weeks. She claimed the baby Amelia carried would never inherit a cent because Ethan had already learned the child was not his.
The accusation struck harder than a slap. Amelia knew the baby was Ethan’s. She also knew the hotel in the photographs housed the law firm handling their adoption foundation. Still, the transfer records bore Ethan’s signature, and one note appeared to be written in his hand: End it before the gala.
Vanessa stepped closer. “He married you because his mother demanded a respectable wife. Tonight, he finally chooses me.”
Amelia turned toward the door, determined to find Ethan and hear the truth from him. Vanessa caught her wrist. Amelia pulled away. Her heel slipped on the polished floor, pain tore through her abdomen, and she dropped to her knees with a cry.
At that exact moment, the doors opened. Ethan stood frozen in his tuxedo, his mother Margaret behind him. Vanessa released Amelia and lifted both hands as if she were the victim.
“She attacked me,” Vanessa gasped.
May you like
Amelia looked up at Ethan, fighting to stay conscious. “Don’t believe her.”
Then she saw blood on her white dress—and the fear in Ethan’s eyes became absolute.
