On a rainy night, Cleo, a very pregnant taxi driver, stops to help an injured, homeless stranger by offering him a free ride to the hospital. But the next morning, she wakes to find a convoy of SUVs outside her home, with suited men waiting to reveal a truth that will change her life forever.
For two years, Cleo had driven taxis and seen it all—late-night partygoers, anxious travelers, and remorseful passengers sharing their regrets. She’d become skilled at reading people even before they stepped into her cab.
As she navigated the foggy streets, her back aching from her unborn baby’s kicks, she whispered to her belly, “Just a few more hours, love, then we’ll go home to Chester.” She thought of her tabby cat, Chester, waiting at home, shedding fur on her pillow—the only real comfort she had these days.
Five months earlier, her life had taken a hard turn. When she shared her pregnancy news with her husband, Mark, she learned he’d been unfaithful and that his mistress, Jessica, was also expecting. Mark left, draining their account, leaving Cleo to manage everything on her own.
One late night, just three weeks from her due date, Cleo noticed a lone figure struggling along the highway, drenched and visibly injured. Even eight months pregnant, she couldn’t bring herself to drive past. She rolled down her window and called, “Are you okay? Need help?” The man, bruised and shaken, only managed to say, “I just need to get somewhere safe.”
Ignoring her caution, Cleo unlocked the door, and he collapsed in the backseat. She soon realized they were being followed, the headlights closing in as she sped through winding streets to lose the trailing car. Finally, she brought him to the hospital, thinking little of her good deed as she went home, exhausted.
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