{"id":16562,"date":"2026-06-23T04:17:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T04:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/?p=16562"},"modified":"2026-06-23T04:17:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T04:17:47","slug":"my-husband-locked-me-in-a-%e2%88%9250f-freezer-while-i-was-pregnant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/?p=16562","title":{"rendered":"My Husband Locked Me in a \u221250\u00b0F Freezer While I Was Pregnant."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

PART 2<\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
\n

My Husband Locked Me in a \u221250\u00b0F Freezer While I Was Pregnant\u2014But the Man He Ruined Seven Years Ago Heard My Screams
\n\u201cOlivia?!\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

For half a second, I thought the cold had finally reached my brain.<\/p>\n

The voice came muffled through layers of reinforced steel, distorted by the roaring freezer fans and the pounding of my own blood in my ears. But I knew that voice. I had heard it years ago in conference rooms, across polished tables, in news interviews playing quietly on airport televisions.<\/p>\n

Ethan Cole.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The man Derek used to spit about like a curse.<\/p>\n

I slammed my numb fist against the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan!\u201d I screamed, though my voice cracked into something barely human. \u201cI\u2019m in here!\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

There was a violent rattle on the other side as he grabbed the handle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho locked this?\u201d<\/p>\n

I tried to answer, but another contraction tore through me so sharply that I doubled over, one hand gripping my stomach, the other scraping uselessly against the frozen wall.<\/p>\n

My knees almost buckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia!\u201d Ethan shouted. \u201cStay with me. Talk to me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek,\u201d I gasped. \u201cDerek locked me in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

Not confusion.<\/p>\n

Not disbelief.<\/p>\n

A silence so cold it matched the room around me.<\/p>\n

Then Ethan\u2019s voice changed.<\/p>\n

It dropped into something controlled, dangerous, almost too calm.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Metal clanged outside. I heard him punching buttons on the keypad. Once. Twice. A harsh denial tone beeped through the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn it,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe override,\u201d I said, teeth chattering so hard the words broke apart. \u201cHe must have changed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen to me carefully,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cHow long have you been inside?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Maybe\u2026 ten minutes. Maybe more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty-two weeks,\u201d I whispered. \u201cTwins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another silence.<\/p>\n

Then, for the first time, I heard panic in Ethan Cole\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia, I need you to keep moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I mean it. Do not sit down. Do not stop walking. I\u2019m calling emergency services.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy phone is in the car.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

I heard him step away, barking orders into his phone with the authority of a man used to having the world obey him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Ethan Cole. I need fire rescue and medical at the North Ridge cold-storage facility, Building C, now. Pregnant woman locked inside an industrial freezer at negative fifty Fahrenheit. Possible attempted homicide. Send neonatal emergency transport.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words attempted homicide made my stomach twist worse than the contractions.<\/p>\n

This was real.<\/p>\n

My husband had not lost control. He had not made a terrible mistake. He had not panicked and gone too far.<\/p>\n

He had designed my death.<\/p>\n

A sharp kick pressed against my ribs, followed by another frantic flutter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d I whispered down at my belly. \u201cI know, baby. I\u2019m trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lights flickered again.<\/p>\n

For one terrifying second, the freezer went dim.<\/p>\n

I stumbled forward, waving my arms, forcing the sensors to catch my motion. The lights snapped back on, buzzing angrily above me.<\/p>\n

Outside, Ethan returned to the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia, look around. Is there an emergency release inside?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI checked. There\u2019s nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has to be something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek removed it,\u201d I said, and the words tasted like frost and betrayal. \u201cHe works here. He knew how.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sound came from Ethan\u2019s side of the door.<\/p>\n

Not fear.<\/p>\n

Rage.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course he knew how,\u201d Ethan said quietly.<\/p>\n

I pressed my palm to the steel. My skin stuck for a split second before I jerked it away with a cry.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan, how did you know I was here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cNot at first.\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice moved as though he was walking along the door, inspecting hinges, bolts, seams.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw Derek\u2019s car from my office window. That facility has been inactive after hours for months. Then I saw him leave through the west exit alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

My breath caught.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe left?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe really left me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I had known it, but hearing it confirmed shattered something deep and final inside me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came over because Derek is a coward,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cAnd cowards only walk calmly when they believe someone else is trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n

A contraction hit again.<\/p>\n

This one stole my voice completely.<\/p>\n

I bent over, both hands on my stomach, rocking on my feet as pain wrapped around my spine like a steel cable being tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia?\u201d<\/p>\n

I tried to answer. Only a broken whimper came out.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far apart are the contractions?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I sobbed. \u201cThey\u2019re coming too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay standing if you can. Breathe with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was not gentle encouragement. It was a command.<\/p>\n

And somehow, in that freezing metal tomb, it worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn through your nose,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cSlowly. Out through your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

I followed his voice.<\/p>\n

In.<\/p>\n

Fire in my lungs.<\/p>\n

Out.<\/p>\n

A cloud of white trembling in front of my face.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgain.\u201d<\/p>\n

In.<\/p>\n

Out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

His calm became something I could hold on to.<\/p>\n

A lifeline through steel.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan,\u201d I whispered, \u201cwhy are you helping me?\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t answer immediately.<\/p>\n

Then he said, \u201cBecause seven years ago, I didn\u2019t save someone when Derek showed me who he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fans roared overhead.<\/p>\n

I swallowed hard. \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy younger brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The words landed heavily.<\/p>\n

I knew pieces of the story, only what Derek had told me. A business deal. A betrayal. A lawsuit. Ethan Cole losing millions before rebuilding his empire even stronger.<\/p>\n

Derek had always made it sound like Ethan had deserved it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said you ruined him,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

Ethan gave a humorless laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek stole proprietary designs from my company, sold them to a competitor, and framed my brother for the leak. My brother was twenty-six. Brilliant. Soft-hearted. He couldn\u2019t survive the scandal.\u201d<\/p>\n

My skin prickled beneath the cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened to him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe drove off a bridge three weeks later.\u201d<\/p>\n

I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek testified under oath that he had no knowledge of the theft. He cried in court. Said my brother had fooled everyone. The jury believed him.\u201d<\/p>\n

A metal box scraped outside. Ethan was still working while he spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent seven years collecting evidence. Seven years waiting for Derek to become reckless enough to expose himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

My eyes snapped open.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvidence?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

A beep sounded outside the door, followed by another rejection tone.<\/p>\n

Ethan cursed under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight might be the first time he\u2019s made a mistake big enough to bury him.\u201d<\/p>\n

My laugh came out weak and hysterical.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather not be buried with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something heavy slammed into the door.<\/p>\n

The impact thundered through the freezer, shaking frost from the shelves.<\/p>\n

I cried out and staggered back.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Ethan said quickly. \u201cTrying to break the lock housing. It\u2019s reinforced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n

That honest answer frightened me more than any lie.<\/p>\n

Then I heard another voice outside.<\/p>\n

A security guard, breathless. \u201cMr. Cole! What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet the master override.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have access to Building C after hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen get someone who does.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe facility manager is Derek Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n

The name hung between them.<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s voice turned razor sharp.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen call corporate security and tell them Derek Voss attempted to murder his pregnant wife inside Freezer Three. Then tell them if that door isn\u2019t open in two minutes, I\u2019m buying this entire facility tomorrow just so I can fire everyone personally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Footsteps ran away.<\/p>\n

Despite everything, I almost laughed.<\/p>\n

The sound came out as a sob.<\/p>\n

\u201cI forgot how terrifying you are,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never knew me terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another contraction came.<\/p>\n

This time pressure followed it, low and frightening.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I breathed. \u201cNo, no\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think something\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPressure. A lot of pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan went silent again, and I hated that silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia,\u201d he said carefully, \u201cdo you feel like you need to push?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tears spilled down my face and froze at my jawline.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word was barely there.<\/p>\n

Outside, Ethan inhaled sharply.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t push unless your body forces you. Help is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan, they\u2019re too early.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey might not survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he said. \u201cBut you need to borrow my certainty until you have your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something about that sentence broke me.<\/p>\n

Not because it was beautiful.<\/p>\n

Because it was the first kind thing anyone had said to me all night.<\/p>\n

I kept walking in tiny circles, one hand on my belly, the other held close to my chest. My fingertips had gone from burning to numb. My toes no longer felt like part of me.<\/p>\n

The room seemed bigger than before, endless and white and merciless.<\/p>\n

On one shelf, I noticed a red emergency thermal blanket sealed inside a medical transport kit.<\/p>\n

My eyes widened.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan,\u201d I gasped. \u201cThere\u2019s a kit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMedical transport. On the shelf. There\u2019s a blanket inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you open it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I shuffled toward it, every step clumsy. My fingers would not obey me. The plastic latch might as well have been iron. I clawed at it, cried out, tried again with both hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t feel my fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUse your elbow. Break it.\u201d<\/p>\n

I hit the latch once.<\/p>\n

Twice.<\/p>\n

The third time, the case popped open and spilled supplies onto the frozen floor.<\/p>\n

I grabbed the thermal blanket with stiff hands and dragged it around my shoulders. It was thin, silver, crinkling loudly, but the slight barrier felt like mercy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more,\u201d I said. \u201cHeat packs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cActivate them. Bend them.\u201d<\/p>\n

I bent one. Nothing happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarder,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n

I folded it with both hands until something inside cracked. Heat bloomed weakly against my palm.<\/p>\n

I tucked one against my chest, another under my belly, another between my hands.<\/p>\n

For a moment, hope returned.<\/p>\n

Then the intercom crackled again.<\/p>\n

My entire body froze.<\/p>\n

Not from the temperature.<\/p>\n

From the voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill alive, Olivia?\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek.<\/p>\n

Outside the freezer, Ethan went utterly silent.<\/p>\n

I stared up at the speaker, horror pouring through me.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

He sighed, irritated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to admit, I\u2019m disappointed. You always were more stubborn than convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s voice cut through from the other side of the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A pause.<\/p>\n

Then Derek laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell. That explains the commotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOpen the door,\u201d Ethan repeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cole,\u201d Derek said smoothly. \u201cStill chasing ghosts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Just murderers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Derek chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou always did have a flair for drama. Unfortunately, you\u2019re trespassing on private property. And whatever Olivia told you, she\u2019s confused. Pregnancy hormones, panic, maybe a little accident with the lock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou disabled the internal release.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you prove that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan did not answer.<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s tone sharpened with satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pressed my lips together to keep my teeth from chattering loud enough to drown them out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t get away with this,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sweetheart,\u201d Derek replied softly. \u201cI already did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then came a sound I did not understand at first.<\/p>\n

A hiss.<\/p>\n

A low mechanical shift from somewhere behind me.<\/p>\n

The fans changed pitch.<\/p>\n

Ethan heard it too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

Derek\u2019s voice smiled through the speaker.<\/p>\n

\u201cFreezer Three has a rapid temperature drop function for emergency preservation. It was never designed for people, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

My eyes darted to the red display.<\/p>\n

\u221252\u00b0F.<\/p>\n

Then \u221254\u00b0F.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

Ethan slammed something into the door. \u201cDerek!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Derek said. \u201cIt won\u2019t take long now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The intercom clicked off.<\/p>\n

The temperature kept falling.<\/p>\n

\u221256\u00b0F.<\/p>\n

\u221258\u00b0F.<\/p>\n

My lungs seized.<\/p>\n

The cold was no longer air. It was a living thing forcing its way into my bones.<\/p>\n

Outside, Ethan shouted orders to someone, but the words blurred. My vision narrowed at the edges. The silver blanket crackled around me like dead leaves.<\/p>\n

I thought of my mother, who lived two states away and still believed Derek was a devoted husband.<\/p>\n

I thought of the nursery at home with two cribs placed beneath a painted moon and stars.<\/p>\n

I thought of the names I had chosen but not told anyone because Derek said it was bad luck.<\/p>\n

Ava and Rose.<\/p>\n

My girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I whispered to them. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Ethan\u2019s voice came again, closer, fierce.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia, listen to me. There\u2019s a drain grate near the back wall. Do you see it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I blinked hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndustrial freezers have emergency drainage channels. Derek may have changed the door access, but he wouldn\u2019t have rebuilt the floor. Find the grate.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned slowly, scanning the frozen floor.<\/p>\n

There.<\/p>\n

Near the far corner, beneath a shelf of medical containers, was a square metal grate rimmed with frost.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you lift it?\u201d<\/p>\n

I shuffled toward it.<\/p>\n

The shelf blocked part of the grate. I grabbed the metal frame and pulled. It was too heavy. My muscles trembled uselessly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t move the shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Ethan, I can\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not moving it for yourself,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are moving it for Ava and Rose.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart stopped.<\/p>\n

I had not told him their names.<\/p>\n

For one dazed second, I forgot the cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence.<\/p>\n

A different silence this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan?\u201d<\/p>\n

He exhaled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother told me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI contacted her two weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room tilted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI found out Derek had taken a life insurance policy on you. Triple indemnity. I was monitoring him. I warned your mother something might happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n

The betrayal flashed hot enough to cut through the cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew he might hurt me and you didn\u2019t tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know when,\u201d he said quickly. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how. I tried to reach you, but Derek controlled everything around you. Your calls. Your schedule. Your accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n

My breath came fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you go to the police?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did. Twice. They said suspicion of financial motive wasn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another contraction ripped through me, and fury became pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou used me as bait.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ethan said, and for the first time, his voice broke. \u201cI failed to stop him in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shelf stood in front of me like a wall.<\/p>\n

I hated Ethan then.<\/p>\n

I hated Derek more.<\/p>\n

But hate, I discovered, was warmer than fear.<\/p>\n

I braced my shoulder against the shelf and shoved.<\/p>\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n

I screamed and shoved again.<\/p>\n

A container crashed down beside me, bursting open and spilling dry ice pellets across the floor.<\/p>\n

I shoved a third time.<\/p>\n

The shelf moved an inch.<\/p>\n

Pain tore through my abdomen.<\/p>\n

I bore down instinctively, then cried out in terror.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t push,\u201d Ethan shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t help it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia, move the shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate you,\u201d I sobbed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. Use that.\u201d<\/p>\n

With one final scream, I slammed both hands against the shelf.<\/p>\n

It shifted far enough to expose the grate.<\/p>\n

I dropped to my knees before I could stop myself.<\/p>\n

The cold bit through my dress instantly.<\/p>\n

I hooked my fingers into the grate and pulled.<\/p>\n

It did not move.<\/p>\n

I pulled again. My numb fingers slipped.<\/p>\n

\u201cFind a tool,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook in the medical kit. Scissors. Metal clamp. Anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

I crawled back, dragging the blanket behind me. My body screamed with every movement. The floor burned like fire against my knees.<\/p>\n

Inside the spilled kit, I found surgical scissors.<\/p>\n

I jammed the tip into the grate seam and pried.<\/p>\n

The scissors bent.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d I sobbed. \u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The grate popped loose.<\/p>\n

A black square opened beneath it, breathing air that felt slightly less deadly than the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you fit?\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked down.<\/p>\n

Thirty-two weeks pregnant with twins.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you can,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cIt\u2019s not an exit. It\u2019s a heat pocket. Get your legs down and lower your body as much as possible. The coldest air circulates above. The channel may buy time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I slid one leg into the drainage shaft.<\/p>\n

Then the other.<\/p>\n

The opening bit into my hips.<\/p>\n

I could not fully descend, but I managed to wedge myself halfway down, silver blanket wrapped over my shoulders and belly. The air below was still freezing, but not as violent. The fans\u2019 blast no longer hit me directly.<\/p>\n

Outside, sirens wailed faintly.<\/p>\n

For the first time since the door closed, I believed I might live.<\/p>\n

Then the lights went out.<\/p>\n

Complete darkness swallowed the freezer.<\/p>\n

The motion sensors could no longer see me.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t move.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all right. Keep talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m scared.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, you don\u2019t.\u201d My voice trembled. \u201cI\u2019m scared I\u2019ll survive and they won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said nothing for a moment.<\/p>\n

Then, very softly, he replied, \u201cMy brother called me from the bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stopped breathing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was crying. He said he didn\u2019t do what they accused him of. He said Derek smiled at him after the hearing. I told him I was on my way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The freezer hummed around me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was six minutes too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

My tears came silently.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo yes,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cI know what it is to fear arriving after the person you love is already gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Person you love.<\/p>\n

The phrase settled oddly inside me.<\/p>\n

Before I could think about it, a boom shook the door.<\/p>\n

Then another.<\/p>\n

Firefighters.<\/p>\n

Voices shouted. Metal screamed. Tools bit into steel.<\/p>\n

Ethan moved away from the door, yelling, \u201cShe\u2019s in the drainage channel near the back wall! Pregnant, active labor, severe cold exposure!\u201d<\/p>\n

A saw shrieked to life.<\/p>\n

Sparks burst through the darkness around the doorframe.<\/p>\n

I tried to stay awake.<\/p>\n

I really did.<\/p>\n

But the cold had become peaceful now, and that was the most terrifying part. The shaking slowed. The pain dulled. The voices sounded underwater.<\/p>\n

Ava kicked once.<\/p>\n

Rose answered.<\/p>\n

Or maybe I imagined it.<\/p>\n

I laid my hand over my belly.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama\u2019s here,\u201d I murmured again.<\/p>\n

The door exploded open.<\/p>\n

Warm air rushed in like a wave from another world.<\/p>\n

Men in heavy gear poured into the freezer, their flashlights cutting across the frost. Someone shouted my name. Someone wrapped me in blankets. Someone placed an oxygen mask over my face.<\/p>\n

And through the chaos, Ethan Cole pushed past everyone and dropped to his knees beside me.<\/p>\n

His expensive suit was torn at one sleeve. Blood ran from his knuckles. His eyes, usually cold and unreadable in every photograph I had ever seen, were wild with fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

I tried to speak through the oxygen mask.<\/p>\n

He leaned closer.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cGone.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart sank.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cHe\u2019ll run.\u201d<\/p>\n

The paramedics lifted me carefully onto a stretcher. The moment they raised me, another contraction hit so violently that my scream fogged the oxygen mask.<\/p>\n

\u201cLabor is progressing,\u201d someone shouted. \u201cWe need transport now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo time,\u201d another medic said. \u201cBaby A is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panic exploded around me.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d I cried. \u201cNot here. Please not here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan grabbed my hand before I realized he had moved.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The medic looked at him sharply. \u201cSir, you need to step back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe needs someone,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe needs space.\u201d<\/p>\n

I clutched his hand harder. \u201cStay.\u201d<\/p>\n

The medic hesitated, then returned to work.<\/p>\n

They moved me just outside the freezer, into the corridor where portable heaters roared and emergency lights painted everything red and blue. My body shook uncontrollably beneath layers of blankets. Someone cut away my dress. Someone checked the babies\u2019 heartbeats.<\/p>\n

Two rapid rhythms filled the air.<\/p>\n

Fast.<\/p>\n

Alive.<\/p>\n

I sobbed so hard I could barely breathe.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth heartbeats present,\u201d the medic said. \u201cStrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan closed his eyes for half a second.<\/p>\n

Then Baby A decided she was done waiting.<\/p>\n

The corridor became a delivery room.<\/p>\n

Pain broke over me in waves so huge I thought they would split me apart. I screamed, cursed Derek, cursed Ethan, cursed every bright light above me.<\/p>\n

Ethan stayed at my side through all of it, one hand locked around mine, his other hand braced on the floor as if he could anchor me there by force.<\/p>\n

\u201cPush,\u201d the medic said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan leaned close. \u201cAva needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I pushed.<\/p>\n

The world narrowed to pain, pressure, breath, and the sound of my own voice tearing from my throat.<\/p>\n

Then, suddenly, a cry.<\/p>\n

Small.<\/p>\n

Furious.<\/p>\n

Alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cA girl,\u201d the medic said. \u201cBaby A delivered.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ava.<\/p>\n

They lifted her only long enough for me to see a tiny red face, dark hair plastered to her head, impossibly small fists punching the air.<\/p>\n

Then they rushed her to a warming unit.<\/p>\n

I reached for her, sobbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s alive,\u201d Ethan said. His voice was thick. \u201cOlivia, she\u2019s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there was no time to rest.<\/p>\n

Baby B\u2019s heartbeat dipped.<\/p>\n

The monitor changed.<\/p>\n

The medic\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d I demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaby B is in distress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to move now,\u201d another paramedic said. \u201cHospital. Emergency C-section if necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

They loaded me into the ambulance while a neonatal team took Ava separately. Ethan climbed in after me without asking permission.<\/p>\n

A paramedic blocked him.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamily only.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan looked at me.<\/p>\n

I was too weak to speak, but my hand reached for him.<\/p>\n

The paramedic sighed and stepped aside.<\/p>\n

The ambulance doors slammed shut.<\/p>\n

As we sped toward the hospital, sirens screaming, I stared at the ceiling while medics worked around me. Ethan sat near my head, his phone pressed to his ear.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he said into it. \u201cFreeze every account tied to Derek Voss. Notify airport security. Private airfields too. And find the black Escalade he left in.\u201d<\/p>\n

He listened.<\/p>\n

His face changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean his car is still there?\u201d<\/p>\n

A chill passed through me that had nothing to do with the freezer.<\/p>\n

Ethan lowered the phone slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Escalade never left the facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen how did he leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n

Another medic shouted, \u201cFetal heart rate dropping!\u201d<\/p>\n

The world blurred again.<\/p>\n

At the hospital, everything became too bright.<\/p>\n

Doctors rushed me through double doors. Someone explained things I could not understand. Placental stress. Hypothermia. Emergency delivery. Consent.<\/p>\n

I signed something with a hand that barely worked.<\/p>\n

Ethan was forced to stop outside the operating room.<\/p>\n

For the first time since he found me, his hand left mine.<\/p>\n

I looked back at him as they wheeled me away.<\/p>\n

\u201cFind him,\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

His eyes darkened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doors swung shut between us.<\/p>\n

Rose was born twelve minutes later by emergency C-section.<\/p>\n

She did not cry at first.<\/p>\n

I remember the silence.<\/p>\n

Of all the sounds from that night\u2014the freezer lock, Derek\u2019s voice, the saw biting steel, Ava\u2019s first scream\u2014it was Rose\u2019s silence that nearly killed me.<\/p>\n

I kept asking, \u201cWhy isn\u2019t she crying?\u201d<\/p>\n

No one answered.<\/p>\n

A team crowded around a tiny body under bright lights. Their hands moved quickly. Too quickly.<\/p>\n

Then one doctor said, \u201cCome on, little one.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned my head and saw only a foot.<\/p>\n

Small.<\/p>\n

Blue.<\/p>\n

Perfect.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d I whispered. \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Rose cried.<\/p>\n

Not loudly.<\/p>\n

Not strongly.<\/p>\n

But enough.<\/p>\n

The entire room seemed to breathe again.<\/p>\n

I fell backward into darkness with her cry following me down.<\/p>\n

When I woke, it was morning.<\/p>\n

Gray light filtered through hospital blinds. Machines beeped beside me. My body felt like it had been broken apart and stitched back together, which, in a way, it had.<\/p>\n

My first thought was the babies.<\/p>\n

I tried to sit up and cried out from the pain.<\/p>\n

A nurse hurried in. \u201cCareful, Mrs. Voss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t call me that,\u201d I said immediately.<\/p>\n

She paused.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia,\u201d she corrected gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy babies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re in the NICU. Both are stable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stable.<\/p>\n

The most beautiful word I had ever heard.<\/p>\n

A sob escaped me.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I see them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as the doctor clears you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then I noticed Ethan sitting in the chair by the window.<\/p>\n

He looked like he had not slept. His white shirt was wrinkled. His tie was gone. His hands were bandaged.<\/p>\n

But he was there.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou stayed,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

He stood. \u201cYour mother is on her way. Her flight lands in an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek?\u201d<\/p>\n

His expression hardened.<\/p>\n

\u201cMissing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The word moved through the room like smoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can he be missing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSecurity cameras went down three minutes after he used the intercom. Not all of them. Just the ones covering the east service corridor and loading bay.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe planned an escape route.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said his car stayed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t need his car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan walked to my bedside and placed a tablet on the blanket in front of me.<\/p>\n

The screen showed a paused security image from the facility exterior. Grainy. Dark. Timestamped 11:48 p.m.<\/p>\n

A refrigerated medical transport truck rolled out through the back gate.<\/p>\n

My mouth went dry.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe left in the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I thought too,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n

I looked up. \u201cThought?\u201d<\/p>\n

He swiped to another image.<\/p>\n

This one showed the same truck abandoned six miles away near an overpass. Driver\u2019s door open. Engine running.<\/p>\n

No Derek.<\/p>\n

But on the ground beside it was something that made my heart stop.<\/p>\n

A smear of blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it his?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe he hurt himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Ethan\u2019s tone said he did not believe that.<\/p>\n

He swiped again.<\/p>\n

The next image showed the inside of the truck.<\/p>\n

Empty shelves.<\/p>\n

A torn strip of duct tape.<\/p>\n

And a single playing card placed on the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n

The king of spades.<\/p>\n

I stared at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s face had gone pale in a way I had not seen even outside the freezer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not Derek\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I\u2019ve seen that card before.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took the tablet back, but not before I noticed his hand tighten around the edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

He did not answer quickly enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked toward the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeven years ago. On my brother\u2019s desk. The morning after he died.\u201d<\/p>\n

The machines beside me beeped steadily.<\/p>\n

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n

Then I whispered, \u201cI thought Derek framed your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut someone else left the card?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s eyes returned to mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I never understood.\u201d<\/p>\n

A knock interrupted us.<\/p>\n

A detective entered, followed by a uniformed officer. She was in her forties, with tired eyes and a notebook already open.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia Voss?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia Hart,\u201d I said. \u201cI\u2019m taking my name back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The detective nodded once, as though approving the correction.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlivia Hart. I\u2019m Detective Maren Shaw. I need to ask you some questions about your husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet in line,\u201d I said weakly.<\/p>\n

Her eyes flicked to Ethan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Mr. Cole, I\u2019ll need to speak with you separately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not leaving,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n

Detective Shaw gave him a measured look.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t a boardroom. You don\u2019t decide that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe saved my life,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

Her expression softened slightly, but only slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen he can stay until he becomes a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

She asked me to recount everything.<\/p>\n

So I did.<\/p>\n

The phone call. The clothes. The phone left in the car. The freezer door. The intercom. The insurance policy. The gambling debts. Derek lowering the temperature.<\/p>\n

Each sentence felt like dragging glass from a wound.<\/p>\n

When I finished, Detective Shaw closed her notebook.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found your phone in your vehicle,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were three missed calls from an unknown number at 9:17 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n

I frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was already inside by then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe traced the number. It came from a prepaid phone found in a trash bin outside the facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo fingerprints.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s shoulders stiffened.<\/p>\n

Detective Shaw noticed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know something.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said nothing.<\/p>\n

She turned fully toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cole?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s jaw worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek didn\u2019t act alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room seemed to shrink.<\/p>\n

Detective Shaw studied him. \u201cThat\u2019s a serious claim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo is attempted murder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have proof?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen give me what you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan looked at me, then back at the detective.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeven years ago, my brother was framed for corporate theft. Derek Voss profited, but the architecture of the scheme was too sophisticated for him. Someone else designed it. Someone who knew our internal systems, our legal vulnerabilities, and my brother\u2019s mental health history.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detective Shaw\u2019s pen hovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you never identified this person?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now you believe that person is involved again?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan lifted the tablet and showed her the card.<\/p>\n

Detective Shaw\u2019s face changed almost imperceptibly.<\/p>\n

But I saw it.<\/p>\n

So did Ethan.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou recognize it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

She slipped the tablet back onto the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The detective closed her notebook.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDetective,\u201d I said, \u201cwhat aren\u2019t you telling us?\u201d<\/p>\n

She paused at the door.<\/p>\n

For a moment, I thought she would ignore me.<\/p>\n

Then she said, \u201cThree months ago, a financial crimes witness died in a warehouse fire outside Chicago. Investigators found a king of spades in his mailbox the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

My blood turned cold again.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means,\u201d Detective Shaw said, \u201cyour husband may have borrowed money from someone far more dangerous than a casino.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then she left.<\/p>\n

The room fell silent.<\/p>\n

Outside the window, morning had fully arrived. Cars moved below. Nurses walked past the door. Somewhere down the hall, my daughters were fighting for their lives inside glass incubators.<\/p>\n

And my husband was missing.<\/p>\n

Maybe running.<\/p>\n

Maybe dead.<\/p>\n

Maybe worse.<\/p>\n

I looked at Ethan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho destroys a man\u2019s company, frames his brother, helps a husband murder his pregnant wife, and leaves playing cards like a signature?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s face was grim.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone who wants me to know he\u2019s still playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A nurse arrived then to take me to the NICU.<\/p>\n

The moment I saw Ava and Rose, everything else vanished.<\/p>\n

They were impossibly tiny beneath the clear walls of their incubators, wrapped in wires and tubes, their chests rising and falling with fragile determination. Ava wore a pink cap too large for her head. Rose\u2019s hand was no bigger than my thumb.<\/p>\n

I placed my palm against the incubator glass.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, my loves,\u201d I whispered. \u201cIt\u2019s Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ava moved first, stretching one delicate hand.<\/p>\n

Rose followed a second later.<\/p>\n

Two tiny fighters.<\/p>\n

Ethan stood several steps behind me, giving me space. But when I looked over my shoulder, his eyes were fixed on the babies with an expression I could not read.<\/p>\n

Grief.<\/p>\n

Wonder.<\/p>\n

Fear.<\/p>\n

Maybe all three.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said my mother told you their names,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy were you talking to her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed someone close to you who Derek couldn\u2019t easily manipulate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe never told me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked her not to. I thought warning you directly might make Derek accelerate whatever he was planning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he did anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I looked back at my daughters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know whether to thank you or hate you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI might do both.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll accept both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite everything, a small laugh escaped me.<\/p>\n

Then my eyes filled with tears again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved him,\u201d I said. \u201cThat\u2019s the worst part. I loved Derek. I defended him. I slept beside him. I let him put his hands on my stomach and talk to our daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s voice was quiet.<\/p>\n

\u201cPredators survive by making trust feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

I turned to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you love someone after your brother died?\u201d<\/p>\n

The question seemed to catch him off guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause revenge is a poor roommate and a worse husband.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time, I really laughed.<\/p>\n

It hurt my stitches.<\/p>\n

I laughed anyway.<\/p>\n

For several minutes, we simply watched Ava and Rose breathe.<\/p>\n

Then Ethan\u2019s phone buzzed.<\/p>\n

He checked it.<\/p>\n

His expression turned to stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

He hesitated.<\/p>\n

I hated when people hesitated around me now.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe blood by the truck came back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

A strange feeling opened beneath my ribs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhose?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lab matched it to a cold case sample.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at the babies, then at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

I stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother died seven years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen how could fresh blood from last night match him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan did not answer.<\/p>\n

Because there was no answer that made sense.<\/p>\n

Unless the blood was planted.<\/p>\n

Unless someone had preserved it.<\/p>\n

Unless someone wanted Ethan to chase a ghost.<\/p>\n

His phone buzzed again.<\/p>\n

This time, it was not a message.<\/p>\n

It was a call.<\/p>\n

Unknown number.<\/p>\n

Ethan answered on speaker without saying a word.<\/p>\n

For three seconds, there was only static.<\/p>\n

Then a man\u2019s voice spoke.<\/p>\n

Smooth.<\/p>\n

Amused.<\/p>\n

Unfamiliar.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations, Ethan. You saved the mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ethan\u2019s face emptied of emotion.<\/p>\n

The voice continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut games are more interesting when there are heirs on the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

My hand flew to the incubator glass.<\/p>\n

Ethan stepped closer, his eyes scanning the NICU hallway.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho is this?\u201d he demanded.<\/p>\n

The man chuckled softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk Derek. When you find what\u2019s left of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The call ended.<\/p>\n

At that exact moment, every light in the NICU flickered.<\/p>\n

Once.<\/p>\n

Twice.<\/p>\n

Then the monitors beside Ava and Rose began to scream.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PART 2 My Husband Locked Me in a \u221250\u00b0F Freezer While I Was Pregnant\u2014But the Man He Ruined Seven Years Ago Heard My Screams \u201cOlivia?!\u201d For half a second, I … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,14,15,18,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","category-family","category-inspiration","category-news","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16562"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16564,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16562\/revisions\/16564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmydairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}