Dead to Them, Reborn for Me

"Incoming message from a private number." Jarvis opened the message and displayed a short text.

I stared at the screen seriously.

[We should meet now]

I replied to the message saying I would be there in 30 minutes.

I am currently sitting in a black car with tinted glass that has stopped in front of a vacated cafe not far from the city center. I scanned the place and when I felt safe I quickly got out, approaching a man in a gray suit.

"Ms. Ohlson," the man greeted briefly.

"What did you get?" I asked directly.

"A lot, Miss." He handed me a tablet and then pressed play on the screen.

The first video showed Sebastian exiting an elevator in a luxury apartment building. The CCTV camera shows him holding a bag of groceries, smiling a little before knocking on the door of apartment number 1903. Not long after, Bianca appeared at the door, her hair loose and wearing only a thin peach nightgown.

I furrowed my brows as I watched Sebastian kiss Bianca on the cheek and then, enter familiarly as if it were his own home.

"This isn't the only one," the man said. "He comes regularly. Sometimes with your son, but more often alone."

He scrolled to the next video. This time Ethan appeared to be carrying a gift, a ballerina doll. Bianca hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead, as if Ethan was her real son.

I held my breath, my chest feeling like it was being stabbed from the inside.

The man continued, showing me a series of photographs.

One photo showed Sebastian and Bianca on the beach, wearing only swimsuits. Their bodies pressed together, they laughed like a couple on their honeymoon. In another, Sebastian hugs Bianca from behind as they stand under a small waterfall.

"These photos were taken in the Maldives," the man explains. "Secret vacation. The date... one week after your son's birthday last year."

I bite my lip until it almost bleeds with anger. That week, Sebastian said he had to attend a business conference in Chicago. He even called me a few times, saying how tired he was, how much he missed home.

"There's more," the man added. This time his voice was more serious.

"Just tell me. I'm ready to know everything," I replied, trying to remain calm.

The man again shows me photos and video footage of Sebastian accompanying Bianca to the hospital. One photo, in fact, made my heart break even more. Bianca's ultrasound results.

I stared at the man wordlessly, but he seemed to know the meaning of my gaze.

"Yes, that's Bianca's. She was pregnant a few weeks ago, miscarried. No, she didn't. It was more like a deliberate abortion by Bianca without Mr. Sebastian's knowledge," he said with a serious face. "Mr. Sebastian only knows that Bianca miscarried because of his lack of attention.”

My mouth was locked tight, no more words could come out of my mouth.

"You must be more surprised by this one secret," the man said as he took out a paper folder containing some old documents and articles that had been laminated.

I just watched, without interrupting.

"It's about Sylvia Hayes."

I paused. The name was very familiar to me. Sylvia-Sebastian's little sister who died four years ago in a car accident.

"You know, she was a ballerina?" he asked.

I nodded quickly. "She was very talented. Sylvia was always the center of the stage back then."

"There seems to be something odd about her death."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused with my eyebrows almost drawn together.

He pushed a document towards Elara. On it was a photo of a strange man with a criminal record. "Marco Alvarez. Used to be a rental driver. Now missing somewhere."

"What does this have to do with Sylvia?"

"Marco received a large sum of money from a small company account that I found out belonged to someone. A few days before Sylvia died, that person sent a message to Marco." He pointed to one of the lines in the transcript. [She'll never be better than me. I'll make sure she disappears. Disappear right now!]

I cupped my mouth with my hand.

The man showed me a photo of Marco with a black sedan. Another photo showed the same car around the accident scene, before Sylvia was found dead.

I was so surprised to hear that. "Someone? Who? Did you get any information about him?".

The man was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "It's just a clue, not strong enough to be evidence. But... one of the names that came up in the transaction trail... is Bianca."

I froze.

"You mean...?" I asked in a choked voice.

He nodded slowly. "We can't conclude anything yet. I'll investigate further. But if these clues are true, perhaps... Sylvia's death was no ordinary accident."

I couldn't say anything, only froze.

"It's just a guess, Ms. It's too early to conclude. But, I will look into it further."

This chest felt heavier than ever. Bianca's name was now not only destroying my household but also destroying a young, hopeful life. And if all this is true, she might be more dangerous than I ever thought.

I wanted to laugh at Sebastian's stupidity.

I took a deep breath, trying to stabilize my turbulent emotions. With slow but steady movements, I slipped a thin folder from inside my handbag containing my personal data, copies of my identity, and marriage documents. Without many words, I thrust the folder towards him to give to Jason.

He accepted it with both hands, giving a small nod of understanding. No questions, no comments. Just a hint that everything would soon be executed according to my plan-the first steps towards a divorce that could no longer be avoided.