Chapter 4: The Truth About Lila
Clara sat in silence for a long time after Ethan left, staring at the photos on the table, at the text messages, at the life insurance policy. Mia, the nurse, handed her a tissue, and Clara wiped the tears from her eyes. “I need to call my mom,” she said, her voice trembling. “She’s coming to visit tomorrow. I can’t tell her what happened. Not yet.”
Detective Miller nodded. “I’ll have an officer stay with you tonight, Mrs. Bennett. We don’t know if Ethan has any friends or family who might try to retaliate. You’re safe here, but we need to make sure you’re protected.”
Clara nodded, her mind racing. She thought about Lila, about her 12-year-old daughter, who was staying with her grandma in California while Clara was in the hospital. She’d told Lila she’d had a small car accident, that she’d be home in a few days. She couldn’t tell her that her dad had tried to kill her, that he was going to jail. She couldn’t break her daughter’s heart like that.
“Can you call my daughter?” she said, looking up at Detective Miller. “Tell her I’m okay, that I’ll be home soon. Don’t tell her what happened. Just... just tell her I miss her.”
Detective Miller nodded. “I’ll have my officer call her first thing in the morning, Mrs. Bennett. We’ll make sure the story is consistent. You don’t have to worry about that.”
Clara closed her eyes, relief washing over her. She’d been so scared that Lila would find out, that she’d hate her for what her dad had done. But now, she knew she could protect her, at least for a little while.
The next few hours passed in a blur. A police officer arrived at the hospital, a young woman named Officer Lopez, who sat by Clara’s bed and answered her questions. Detective Miller left to get the warrant for Ethan’s arrest, promising to come back later to get a full statement from Clara. Mia, the nurse, brought Clara a new set of sheets, cleaning up the shattered glass from the floor, and left a warm blanket for her to wrap around her shoulders.
At 8 PM, the hospital called for visiting hours, and Clara thought she was finally going to have some peace. But then the door to the room swung open again, and a woman walked in, her face red with anger, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. It was Ethan’s mom, Margaret Bennett.
“Clara!” she said, slamming the door behind her. “What is the meaning of this? Ethan called me and said you’re accusing him of trying to kill you. That’s ridiculous. You’re just upset because he won’t put up with your nonsense anymore.”
Clara stared at her, her heart pounding. She’d never liked Margaret, not really. Margaret had always been cold and distant, always talking about how Clara wasn’t good enough for her son, how she’d married down, how she was too lazy to be a proper wife and mother. But she’d never thought Margaret would be involved in this, that she’d helped Ethan plan her death.
“Margaret, I-”
“Save it,” Margaret said, cutting her off. She walked over to the bed and leaned over Clara, her face inches from hers. “I knew you were a gold digger from the day you married Ethan. I knew you only married him for his money. Well, now you’ve lost. Ethan is going to divorce you, and you’re not going to get a dime of his money. You’re just a broken, useless woman who can’t even drive a car without crashing it.”
Clara’s eyes filled with tears. She’d worked so hard to make Margaret like her, to bake her favorite chocolate chip cookies, to host her annual Christmas party, to be the perfect daughter-in-law. And this was how she’d repaid her.
“You helped him, didn’t you?” Clara whispered. “You helped him cut the brake line. You knew what he was planning.”
Margaret laughed, a sharp, cold sound. “Of course I did. Ethan told me you were a burden, that you were spending all his money on doctors and bills and that you were never going to get better. I told him it was the only way. You’re not good enough for my son, and you’re not good enough for this family.”
Clara closed her eyes, her heart breaking. She’d always known Margaret hated her, but she’d never thought she’d want her dead. She’d spent 12 years trying to be part of the Bennett family, and now she realized she never would be.
“Get out of my room,” she said, her voice cold and steady. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”
Margaret laughed again and turned to leave, but Officer Lopez stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Ma’am, you need to leave. This is a restricted area.”
Margaret stared at her, her face red with anger. “Do you know who I am? I’m the president of the church ladies’ auxiliary. You can’t talk to me like that.”
May you like
“Ma’am, I don’t care who you are,” Officer Lopez said, her voice firm. “You need to leave now, or I’ll arrest you for trespassing.”
Margaret huffed and turned to leave, slamming the door behind her. Clara closed her eyes, relief washing over her. She was finally safe, at least for now. But she knew the fight wasn’t over. She had to tell Lila the truth, she had to testify against Ethan and Margaret, she had to start over.
