Chapter 4 - The Hidden Policies
Chaos erupted in the parking garage as police officers tackled Chloe violently to the ground.
She screamed and kicked, dropping the small silver pistol as the officers secured her in heavy steel handcuffs.
Paramedics rushed past me, lifting Michael onto a stretcher and rushing him directly into emergency surgery.
I stood completely frozen, watching the blood pool on the cold, dirty concrete where my husband had just fallen.
Detective Miller gently guided me back upstairs to the pediatric intensive care unit.
"We are going to heavily interrogate Chloe, but your daughter needs you right now," he told me kindly.
I returned to Emma's bedside, listening to the rhythmic, terrifying beep of her heart monitor.
She looked so small and fragile, completely dependent on the tubes and machines keeping her alive.
I pulled out my phone, desperate to find any evidence that could explain this horrific corporate nightmare.
I remembered a hidden application on Michael's laptop that he used to track our family finances.
Since I knew all of his passwords, I logged into his cloud account to search for Chloe's name.
Instead of corporate emails, I found a hidden folder titled with Emma's birthdate.
My hands shook violently as I opened the encrypted digital files.
They were high-value life insurance policies taken out on Emma just three weeks ago.
The payout upon her accidental or sudden medical death was over five million dollars.
But the most terrifying detail was the primary beneficiary listed on every single document.
The money was not going to Michael, and it was certainly not going to me.
The five million dollars was legally designated to go entirely to my older sister, Jessica.
I stared at the screen, a sickening wave of absolute betrayal washing over my exhausted body.
Jessica had been living in our guest house for the past six months after going through a messy, bankrupting divorce.
Just as I processed this impossible discovery, the hospital room door slowly creaked open.
My sister Jessica walked in, holding a steaming cup of coffee and a warm, comforting smile.
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"I came as soon as I heard, Sarah," she whispered softly.
I noticed a small, empty syringe sticking out of her oversized purse.
