Chapter 1 - The Awakening
My heart pounded against my ribs as the police officer stared at me from the foot of the hospital bed.
His uniform was crisp, but his tired eyes held a deep, unmistakable sense of professional pity.
He had just gently informed me that my husband had already filed a three-million-dollar life insurance claim.
Daniel truly believed he had successfully murdered me on that isolated, rocky hill in Colorado.
I remained completely silent, letting the horrifying reality wash over my broken, aching body.
If Daniel found out I was still alive and awake, he would absolutely try to finish the job.
I looked at the officer and whispered that I was suffering from severe amnesia due to the head trauma.
I lied and said I could not remember how my wheelchair went over the steep edge of the overlook.
The officer nodded slowly, scribbling my fabricated statement into his small, leather-bound notebook.
He promised to return tomorrow morning when I was feeling a bit stronger and more coherent.
As soon as the heavy door clicked shut, I let out a long, trembling breath of pure panic.
I had to find a way to gather concrete evidence against the man I once loved unconditionally.
Suddenly, the door handle turned again, squeaking loudly in the sterile, quiet hospital room.
Daniel walked in, his face stained with perfect, theatrical tears and a completely convincing look of utter devastation.
He rushed to my bedside and buried his face in my neck, sobbing uncontrollably for anyone listening outside.
He whispered loudly how incredibly grateful he was that I had miraculously survived the terrible accident.
Then his cell phone vibrated in his jacket pocket, abruptly breaking the dramatic display of grief.
He pulled it out, and the glowing screen reflected perfectly in the dark window beside my bed.
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The text message was from the exact same police officer who had just taken my statement.
It read, "She doesn't remember anything, so we stick to the original plan tonight."
