Chapter 8 - Unraveling the Lie
Patricia caught herself against the hospital bed rail, her breath coming in ragged, terrified gasps. "Arthur... arrested? No... no, that's impossible! He has connections in Washington!"
"Not connections that can override a national security breach," Agent Miller said coldly. He gestured to two FBI agents behind him. "Secure the room. Take Mr. Ferguson into custody."
Two agents moved in swiftly. Nicholas tried to pull back, throwing a wild, desperate punch at the nearest agent, but he was effortlessly wrestled to the floor. The hand holding the flash drive was pinned down, and Agent Miller calmly stepped forward, pryed the drive from Nicholas’s fingers, and dropped it into an evidence bag.
"Get off me!" Nicholas screamed, his face pressed against the cold hospital tile, right where he had fallen earlier from Rachel's punch. "Abigail! Tell them to stop! Tell them you fell! Tell them it was an accident!"
Abigail sat up slightly in her hospital bed, the blue blanket slipping from her shoulders. For the first time in three years, the paralyzing fear in her chest began to dissolve. She looked down at her husband—the man who had beaten her, manipulated her, and made her feel utterly alone—and her voice came out strong and clear.
"It wasn't an accident, Nicholas," Abigail said, tears of relief spilling down her cheeks. "You threw me down the stairs because I refused to sign over the last remaining access codes. And you hit me when I called for help."
"She's lying! She's crazy!" Nicholas yelled as the agents pulled him to his feet, ratcheting heavy steel handcuffs onto his wrists.
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Rachel stepped directly into Nicholas’s line of sight, her expression unreadable. "You thought because my daughter was gentle, she was weak. You thought because I was deployed overseas, she had no protection. You miscalculated, Nicholas."
👉 "Wait!" Patricia gasped, clutching Agent Miller's arm. "You can't arrest my son for domestic abuse based on her word alone! There's no proof!"
