Chapter 5: Offender

Dr. Harris raised his hands, trying to calm the mother.

“Please, calm down, ma’am,” his tone was firm. “There is no reason to believe that this young woman acted with any ill intentions. In fact, thanks to her, your daughter is receiving timely medical attention.”

But the mother wasn’t willing to listen. Her eyes, filled with fury, locked onto mine, and I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet. The terror of being accused of something I didn’t do became overwhelming.

“No!” she replied vehemently. “She kidnapped my daughter. Greta had disappeared, and my assistant and I were searching for her. Everything happened so quickly.”

Kidnap a child? The accusation hit me like a dagger. How could she think that?

“That’s absurd,” my voice trembled with fear. “I have no reason to do something like that. I would never harm a human being, not even an animal.”

“Are you comparing my daughter to an animal?!” the woman screamed, her words laced with hysteria.

She seemed out of control.

“No, I’m just trying to say that…”

“Shut up!” she cut me off, furious. “I’m calling the police, and you’ll have to explain yourself to them.”

She pulled out her phone and immediately dialed a number. The anxiety in my chest grew, anticipating what was to come.

“Ma’am,” Dr. Harris intervened, “there’s no need to go to this extreme. As I said, the young woman was only trying to help.”

“Do you know her?” the woman interrupted, raising an eyebrow. The doctor closed his lips, shaking his head after a few seconds. “Then refrain from defending a criminal.”

Criminal?!

“I am not a criminal,” I dared to say, though my voice barely held steady.

The woman looked me up and down, her gaze filled with contempt.

“It’s obvious where you come from,” she spat venomously.

“Don’t judge by appearances,” Dr. Harris interceded. “The young woman may seem humble, but that doesn’t mean she is what you claim.”

I was surprised by his defense. I hadn’t expected the doctor to stand up for me, though I knew he was only informing the mother of what had happened, fulfilling his duty.

“So you’re her accomplice,” the woman accused, pointing a finger at him. “By defending her, you become her accomplice.”

The doctor kept his face impassive, showing no emotion.

“Think what you want, ma’am,” was his only response.

“The police will decide,” she replied, her eyes gleaming with rage. “Maybe you’re part of a child-kidnapping ring, and you treat them while she brings them in, pretending they’re lost or parentless.”

My disbelief grew as the woman concocted an impossible story. How could she believe something so irrational? Besides, it was the first time I had ever seen Dr. Harris.

“Ma’am, that’s…”

“Shut up!” she interrupted me, hissing through her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred. “I told you not to speak until the police arrive. Let’s see if you have the courage to defend the indefensible.”

The words stuck in my throat. There was no way to reason with her. She was completely blinded by her anger.

Minutes later, some officers entered the emergency room. They questioned me, Dr. Harris, and the staff who had attended to the girl. They found no evidence against me, but I remained the main suspect.

“You’ll have to come with us, Miss Williams,” one of the officers said, pulling out handcuffs. “It’s best if you don’t resist; otherwise, you’ll make your situation worse.”

“But I’m innocent,” I protested, though I didn’t resist when the officer handcuffed me. “I only wanted to help the girl, that’s all.”

“You can explain everything at the station,” the other officer replied as they led me out of the room.

The last thing I saw was the doctor’s face. I didn’t know him, but I was sure I saw a hint of concern on his face. The journey was a nightmare, with my mind trapped in a single thought: ending up in a cold, dark cell. My father… He’ll be worried, thinking something happened to me because I won’t be there at my usual time to visit him every morning.

When I arrived, there was no interrogation. They simply took me to a room with dividers and left me there, alone, for what felt like endless minutes that turned into hours, though for me, it was an eternity that slowly consumed me.

Finally, a police officer approached and, from the other side of the bars, informed me:

“Mr. Müller has come to speak with you.”

That name meant nothing to me. I had never heard it before, so I had no idea who he was or why he wanted to see me.

My heart pounded as I fidgeted, waiting for this unknown man to appear. Was he someone coming to help me or, worse yet, my executioner?

Footsteps echoed in the distance, coming closer and closer. I got up from the cold concrete bench and approached the bars, but before I could reach them, I stopped dead in my tracks.

A piercing, firm gaze was watching me from the other side. He was an imposing man, with light brown hair and dark eyes that radiated hardness. He wore a dark gray three-piece suit, tailored to his body as if it were custom-made. He looked important, powerful, and for a moment, I felt the ground vanish beneath my feet.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

I don’t know what came over me, but this man managed to shake me to my core. I didn’t know if it was because of the intensity of his gaze or because I sensed he wasn’t there to save me.

“I’m Hans Müller, the father of the girl you tried to kidnap.”

His statement hit me like a ton of bricks. The panic I had been holding back suddenly unleashed, flooding my chest and leaving me breathless. What was I going to do now?