Chapter 5 - NINETY DAYS
The attorney arrived at 6:30 the next morning.
Her name was Naomi Reed.
She wore a gray suit, carried two phones, and spoke with the calm efficiency of someone accustomed to standing beside frightened people while powerful men tried to rewrite reality.
She explained that we needed to preserve evidence before Andrew realized what existed.
A formal preservation notice could stop the security company from automatically deleting footage.
A court order could come later.
“What if Andrew deletes it from his account first?”
Naomi shook her head.
“The provider may still retain server copies.”
“May?”
“Yes.”
I hated that word.
Ethan stood near the kitchen counter.
“Do whatever is necessary.”
Naomi looked at him sharply.
“Mr. Carter, this is Ava’s case.”
He nodded.
“You’re right.”
She turned back to me.
“What do you want?”
I stared at the legal pad in front of me.
“I want him to stop.”
“Only with you?”
The question made me look up.
“What does that mean?”
Naomi did not answer immediately.
Then she opened a folder.
“Andrew Vaughn has two sealed civil complaints connected to former employees.”
My skin went cold.
“How do you know?”
“Public docket references.”
“Sealed complaints?”
“The details are unavailable.”
I thought about Andrew’s reputation.
Miracle surgeon.
Charity speaker.
Medical commentator.
The man invited onto morning television whenever a child survived an impossible surgery.
“What kind of complaints?”
“We don’t know.”
“Could be unrelated.”
“Yes.”
But Naomi’s expression told me she did not believe that.
I remembered names.
Women Andrew had described as unstable.
A surgical resident who suddenly transferred to Boston.
A nurse who disappeared from his team.
A public relations manager he called obsessed.
An ex-girlfriend he said had tried to extort him.
Women I had never met.
Women whose stories he had told me before I ever had a chance to hear their own.
My stomach turned.
“What if he’s done this before?”
Naomi folded her hands.
“That’s one reason preserving evidence matters.”
My phone buzzed.
Andrew.
Then again.
And again.
Naomi asked, “Do you want to answer?”
“No.”
“Then don’t.”
“He’ll keep calling.”
“Let him.”
The phone rang a fourth time.
This time the caller was my mother.
I froze.
I answered immediately.
“Mom?”
Her voice sounded nervous.
“Ava, Andrew is here.”
I stood.
“What?”
“He says you had some kind of argument.”
“Don’t let him inside.”
“He’s already inside.”
Everything in me went cold.
Ethan was beside me instantly, but he did not take the phone.
“Mom, go outside.”
“What’s happening?”
“Please.”
“Ava.”
“Go to Mrs. Harlow’s apartment across the hall.”
My mother lowered her voice.
“Andrew looks upset.”
I heard movement.
Then his voice entered the call.
“Ava.”
I nearly dropped the phone.
“Ava, sweetheart, we need to talk.”
I could not breathe.
He sounded gentle.
That voice had fooled me countless times.
“I was worried.”
I said nothing.
“I know last night was stressful.”
His tone remained affectionate.
“I may have overreacted.”
Naomi held up one finger.
Keep him talking.
Andrew continued.
“Come home.”
My mouth went dry.
“No.”
Silence.
Then the softness vanished.
“Where are you?”
“I’m safe.”
“Who are you with?”
I looked at Ethan.
Andrew laughed quietly.
“Carter?”
I did not answer.
“I knew it.”
His voice sharpened.
“You little liar.”
My mother said something in the background.
Andrew snapped at her to be quiet.
Rage flooded through my fear.
“Get out of my mother’s home.”
“You come here and tell me yourself.”
“Leave her alone.”
“You created this.”
Naomi was writing quickly.
Mara had already called security downstairs.
Andrew continued.
“You want everyone to know what kind of woman you are?”
My hand steadied.
For months, his threats had worked because they lived in private.
Now four people were hearing him.
“What kind of woman am I, Andrew?”
He paused.
Then he realized.
“You’re recording this.”
Naomi mouthed, Keep going.
Andrew’s breathing changed.
“Listen carefully.”
My heartbeat thundered.
“You don’t know who you’re fighting.”
Then the line disconnected.
I stared at the phone.
Mara was already moving.
“Police are being contacted.”
“No.”
Everyone stopped.
I swallowed.
“If they go there, my mother finds out everything.”
Naomi leaned toward me.
“Ava, Andrew has entered your mother’s apartment and threatened you during a call.”
I looked at Ethan.
He said nothing.
He understood what the others did not.
Fear does not disappear simply because help arrives.
Sometimes help itself becomes terrifying.
I closed my eyes.
Then I thought of the sealed complaints.
The resident.
The nurse.
The public relations manager.
Women I had already been trained not to believe.
May you like
I opened my eyes.
“Call them.”
