"It is. Mr. Henson and his foster sister share a 'sibling bond' that is far more interesting than you suspected." His tone was dry. "I've sent the photos and videos to your email."
I hung up, booted up my laptop, and opened my inbox.
One by one, the files loaded.
Nausea rolled through my stomach.
Photos of Simon holding Sarah, kissing her on the sofa.
Videos of Simon changing the dressing on her legs, his hands lingering, wandering where they shouldn't.
Sarah in a sheer nightgown, perched on Simon's lap, feeding him fruit by hand.
I watched it all. My face felt numb.
So, his "repaying a debt of gratitude" was repaid in bed.
His "responsibility" was an affair with another woman, paraded right under the nose of his legitimate wife.
I downloaded everything to a USB drive.
Just then, my phone screen lit up with a text message.
*Ms. Delgado, this is Dr. Fox. Your latest test results show some abnormalities. We recommend you come to the hospital immediately for a detailed re-examination. This concerns the health of the fetus.*
I stared at the words *health of the fetus*.
My blood ran cold.
Grabbing my coat, I rushed out of the room.
In the living room, Simon sat on the sofa, surrounded by a haze of cigarette smoke.
Seeing me in a panic, he stood up immediately.
"It's late. Where are you going?"
I ignored him and headed for the door.
He chased after me, grabbing my arm.
"I asked you where you're going!"
"Let go!"
I struggled, but his grip was iron.
"Jasmine, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
"Just because I didn't agree to your demands, you're going out? Are you going to cheat on me?!"
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with humiliation and something close to madness.
I looked at him, and the absurdity of it all nearly made me laugh.
I unlocked my phone, pulled up the call log, and shoved the contact labeled "Dr. Freya Fox" in his face.
"Look closely at who I am going to see."
He froze.
"Jasmine, you... are you sick?"
I didn't answer. I wrenched my hand free.
But he followed me.
Just as I stepped out the front door, a shrill scream tore through the air from inside the house.
"Brother! My stomach! It hurts so much! There's blood! Save me!"
Simon stopped dead in his tracks.