Chapter 6 - Thirty Two Weeks
The contractions did not stop.
They slowed.
Then intensified.
Dr. Hall transferred me to a larger regional medical center with neonatal care.
Hannah rode with me.
Daniel was not permitted near me without my consent.
I gave none.
At Munson Medical Center, the obstetric team monitored everything.
The baby’s heartbeat remained stable.
No major placental separation.
No immediate delivery.
But my body had been shocked.
Cold.
Stress.
Physical impact.
For forty eight hours, nobody knew whether I would remain pregnant.
That uncertainty changed the criminal investigation too.
The prosecutor waited for medical facts before deciding how severe some charges should be.
I appreciated that.
No one needed exaggerated labels.
The truth was enough.
On the second night, Hannah sat beside me eating crackers.
“You know Mom would haunt these people.”
Our mother had been gentle.
Until someone threatened one of us.
Then terrifying.
I smiled weakly.
“She’d hate Richard.”
“She hated him before.”
“She met him twice.”
“Exactly.”
I laughed.
It hurt my ribs.
Then:
“Why did you stay married to Daniel?”
There it was.
Not accusation.
Sister question.
“I loved him.”
“Still?”
I looked toward the fetal monitor.
“Yes.”
Hannah nodded.
That made me cry.
“I hate him too.”
“You can do both.”
I knew.
Then Claire arrived with temporary legal steps.
Protective order against Richard.
No direct contact.
Margaret too.
Daniel?
More complicated.
He had not physically assaulted me.
But evidence tied him to forged document and planned coercion.
I requested no contact except through counsel.
Granted through temporary civil order tied to safety circumstances.
Then marital finances.
Claire advised:
“Do not empty joint accounts.”
“I won’t.”
“Daniel has already moved?”
“What?”
“He transferred forty two thousand from joint savings to his personal account this morning.”
My stomach dropped.
“Why?”
“His lawyer says to preserve his share during separation.”
Could be lawful depending circumstances.
Claire said:
“We’ll address through domestic relations court. Don’t frame as theft automatically.”
Good.
Accuracy.
Then:
“Harbor Ridge account is frozen?”
“The bank has suspended refinance.”
“Does that mean company collapses?”
“Possibly.”
That was not my problem.
Yet Daniel had invested $180,000 of our joint money.
If company collapsed, some marital money might be gone.
Consequences would matter in divorce.
Then another surprise.
Daniel had a personal line of credit for $240,000.
Secured by his minority interest in Whitaker Marine.
He had used $160,000 toward Harbor Ridge.
So he had risked far more than I knew.
This explained desperation.
Not excuse.
Then Richard’s financial condition.
Whitaker Marine had a $2.7 million balloon payment due in six weeks.
Harbor Ridge had cost overruns.
Calvin was under pressure from investors.
The $4.6 million refinance was intended to:
Pay old debt.
Complete utilities.
Cover contractor balances.
Provide working capital.
Bell Point easement increased appraised project feasibility.
Without it, lender could not support valuation.
The business might survive through asset sales.
But Richard wanted everything.
He had told Daniel:
“If Bell goes, we keep company.”
Daniel believed the family company was his future.
He was willing to use my land to preserve it.
Then a nurse entered.
“Emily, baby’s heart rate dipped during last contraction.”
Everything stopped.
Doctors came.
Position.
Monitoring.
Oxygen? We should not operational. They treated.
The dip resolved.
But Dr. Hall’s colleague said:
“If this pattern continues, we may need delivery.”
I touched my stomach.
“Stay.”
Stupid thing to say to a baby.
Still.
Stay.
She did.
For another four days.
Then contractions eased.
I was discharged on strict monitoring and reduced activity, staying with Hannah in Traverse City temporarily.
The baby remained inside.
Alive.
That was the only outcome I cared about that week.
Then Detective Benton called.
“Emily, we identified a second audio source.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your watch wasn’t the only device recording at the marina.”
Harbor Ridge’s project office had a security camera with audio near the dock gate.
It had captured Richard and Calvin before departure.
Then Daniel joined them.
May you like
The full conversation was longer.
And Daniel’s role was worse than he had admitted.
