For a long moment, she could only stare, pulse pounding in her ears. Relief washed over her in a dizzying wave. The phone hadn’t been discovered. No one had heard the recording.
A shaky sigh escaped her as she slumped back against the pillows. The panic that had strangled her for days loosened its grip. The relief was fragile, but it was real. For now, her secret was still hers.
It was probably nothing, she told herself. Just the usual sounds of surgery—clinking instruments, humming machines, clipped instructions between doctors. Why had she expected anything more?
And yet, curiosity gnawed at her. The phone felt heavier in her hand, like a burden she couldn’t put down. What were you thinking? she scolded herself. Still, the temptation was stronger than her caution.
She opened the file and pressed play.
At first, everything sounded ordinary. Metal clinks. Footsteps. Machines pulsing steadily. Dr. Harris’s calm voice confirmed the appendix removal. Jennifer’s muscles began to relax. Maybe she really had overreacted.