Chapter 2 - The Weight of the Cane

"Go away, Aaron!" Anna screamed, her voice cracking as she pressed herself flat against the wall behind the exam table.

"Dr. Reed," Aaron commanded through the door, dropping the sweet husband act completely. "I am a senior board-certified OB-GYN, and you are holding my mentally unstable wife against my medical directives. Unlock this door immediately, or I will see to it that you never practice medicine in this country again."

"I don't take orders from abusers, Dr. Mitchell!" Dr. Reed shouted back, standing her ground in front of the door. "I've run her bloodwork. I've done the ultrasound. I know exactly what you've been doing to her. The authorities are already on their way!"

A heavy silence fell over the hallway. For a terrifying ten seconds, there was no sound.

Then, Sylvia’s calm, chilling voice filtered through the door. "Aaron, darling. Step aside. The hinges."

Before Dr. Reed could react, a massive impact shook the door frame. Aaron had thrown his entire weight against the wood. Another slam. The deadbolt groaned, the metal plate buckling under the sheer force of a desperate man losing control of his prized possession.

"Anna, get behind the ultrasound machine!" Dr. Reed yelled, pushing a heavy medical cart in front of the door as a barricade.

With a final, splintering crash, the door flew open, knocking the cart aside. Aaron stood in the doorway, breathing heavily, his eyes wild and bloodshot. He looked nothing like the polished, respected doctor he played on television. He looked like a monster cornered in the light.

Sylvia stepped in behind him, holding the silver cup. The dark, thick liquid inside smelled sickly sweet, like rotting herbs and chemical iron.

"Look at what you’ve done, Anna," Sylvia scolded gently, shaking her head. "You’ve made a mess. You’re stressing the baby. Drink this, and we’ll go home. We’ll forgive you."

Aaron lunged forward, grabbing Dr. Reed by the collar of her white coat and throwing her hard against the cabinets. He turned his terrifying gaze to his wife.

"You belong to me," Aaron hissed, stepping toward the exam table, reaching his hands out to grab Anna's arms. "You are my wife. You are carrying my child. You are leaving with me, right now."

Anna squeezed her eyes shut, raising her arms to shield her stomach, waiting for his harsh grip.

But it never came.

Instead, a voice—deep, resonant, and dripping with absolute authority—boomed from the shattered doorway.