Chapter 6 - The Deadly Setup.
I stared at the insurance documents in absolute, paralyzing horror.
Ryan didn't just want to leave me for Jessica and steal my savings.
He was planning to murder me to collect a massive payout and clear his debts with Victor.
The slap, the fight, and the fake police report were all designed to establish a narrative of domestic violence.
He was going to kill me and claim it was self-defense against a manic, abusive wife.
I thanked Victor for the information and rushed back to Sarah's secure office.
I told Sarah about the insurance policy and the horrific realization that my life was in imminent danger.
Sarah insisted that I take Sophie to a secure, undisclosed safe house owned by her firm.
We drove to a quiet, gated community on the outskirts of the city and locked ourselves inside the fortified home.
I felt a temporary wave of relief knowing my daughter was finally protected by heavy security doors and cameras.
But I knew I couldn't hide in a bunker forever while Ryan was hunting me.
I needed to draw him out and catch him on tape confessing to the entire murder plot.
I borrowed Sarah's burner phone and sent a text message to Ryan's number.
I told him I was willing to drop the assault charges and split the house equity if he met me at our home alone.
Ryan replied almost instantly, eagerly agreeing to meet me in the living room at midnight.
I left Sophie sleeping peacefully under Sarah's watchful eye and drove back to my house.
I parked two blocks away and crept through the back yard, slipping inside through the laundry room window.
I hid a small voice recorder under the coffee table and waited in the dark.
At exactly midnight, I heard the front door quietly click open.
Ryan walked into the living room, illuminated only by the pale moonlight shining through the window.
He was holding a heavy metal crowbar in his right hand.
"I'm here, Ryan," I said calmly, stepping out from the shadows near the kitchen.
He flinched, gripping the weapon tightly as a cruel smile spread across his face.
"You shouldn't have thrown me out, honey," he whispered, taking a slow step toward me.
I tried to keep him talking to capture his confession on the hidden recorder.
"Is the five million dollars really worth killing the mother of your child?" I asked.
Ryan laughed, a dark and hollow sound that made my skin crawl.
"It's not just about the money anymore," he sneered.
He suddenly lunged forward, swinging the heavy metal crowbar directly at my head.
I ducked just in time, feeling the wind of the weapon rush past my ear.
I turned to run toward the back door, but my foot caught on the edge of the rug.
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I crashed hard into the wall, disorienting myself for a crucial second.
Ryan grabbed me by the hair and threw me violently down the basement stairs.
