Chapter 4 - Erased
David tore open the envelope under the harsh halogen lamps. Inside lay a certified petition for legal separation, emergency custody forfeiture requests, and a quitclaim deed to their suburban home. Emma had signed every line with steady, unbroken ink.
""She doesn't want your house,"" Clara whispered. ""She doesn't want your money. She left everything except her name.""
""I'll fight this,"" David snapped, his hands shaking as he crushed the paper. ""No court will keep a father from his newborn. I pay for this hospital. I pay for her entire life!""
""You didn't even pay for her cab,"" Clara countered coldly. ""The driver carried her through the entrance while you were checking your portfolio. The hospital social worker has already documented child abandonment based on her emergency intake statement.""
David retreated to the waiting area. Hours dragged like lead. Morning broke through rain-streaked windows, casting dull gray light over the linoleum. When he walked down to Emma's room in the ICU, the doorway was blocked by two private hospital security guards.
""Mr. Vance, you are barred from this floor,"" the guard stated calmly.
""I'm her husband! You cannot bar me from my wife’s room!""
""The patient registered under strict protective confidentiality prior to sedation. Any attempt to access her room will result in immediate arrest.""
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David stepped back, his world collapsing inward. Through the glass window down the hall, he saw a gurney being wheeled into an elevator by unmarked medical transport. The name tag on the chart was blacked out.
David ran toward the elevator bank, but the doors slid closed before he reached them. Emma was gone.
