Chapter 2: The Call That Exposed a Second Betrayal
Nobody moved.
The music continued playing softly through the restaurant speakers, an absurdly cheerful song about celebrating new beginnings.
A waiter stood frozen near the doorway with a tray of untouched desserts.
My mother covered her mouth.
Daniel held the plastic wrapper between two fingers as if it were something contaminated.
“Explain it,” he said.
Claire's eyes darted around the room.
“Daniel, please. Not here.””
“Not here?”” He let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
“You threw a party for our unborn child. You invited everyone we know. You told my mother she was going to be a grandmother.””
His voice cracked.
“And now you're telling me we can't discuss this here?””
Claire lowered her voice.
“This is a misunderstanding.””
“Then explain the packaging.””
“It doesn't belong to me.””
Sophie sniffled against my shoulder.
“But I saw Aunt Claire put it on,” she whispered.
Claire's head snapped toward her.
“Stop talking!””
“Claire!”” Daniel shouted.
My daughter buried her face in my neck.
I felt something harden inside me.
“You will not speak to her like that again.””
Claire's lips parted, but Daniel stepped between us.
“Emily's right,” he said.
“Leave Sophie alone.””
Claire looked at him as if she no longer recognized her husband.
Then she began crying.
Not quiet tears. Not the trembling, helpless crying she'd done at our mother's house after another failed fertility treatment.
These were loud, desperate sobs, accompanied by shaking hands and hurried breaths.
“I can't believe you would do this to me,” she said.
“After everything I've sacrificed!””
Daniel stared at her.
“What have you sacrificed?””
“My body! My privacy! My entire life has revolved around giving you a family!””
She pressed both hands against her stomach.
“I've endured humiliation for three years. Every appointment. Every test.
Every time someone asked when we were going to have children. You have no idea what that feels like!””
Daniel's face crumpled.
For a moment, I saw the brother who had sat alone in his truck after their last failed treatment, crying because he thought he'd never become a father.
“I know what we've been through,” he said softly.
“I was there.””
“Then trust me!””
“I'm trying to understand why my niece found packaging for a fake pregnancy belly in your possession.””
Claire looked toward the gift table.
Then toward her purse.
I followed her gaze.
Sophie had mentioned something else earlier. Something about Claire speaking to a man in the bathroom.
I hadn't wanted to believe it.
Now I couldn't stop thinking about it.
“Sophie,” I whispered, “you said Aunt Claire was talking to someone. Can you tell me what you heard?””
Claire's crying stopped.
“Emily, don't you dare interrogate my niece like she's some kind of witness.””
I ignored her.
Sophie lifted her head.
“There was a man in the bathroom hallway.””
“What did he look like, sweetheart?””
“He had a blue shirt and a shiny watch.””
Claire's face went pale.
Sophie continued.
“He said, ‘You have to tell him soon.’ Then Aunt Claire said, ‘Not until the money comes.’”
A murmur swept through the room.
Daniel slowly turned toward his wife.
“What money?””
Claire shook her head.
“She doesn't know what she heard.””
Sophie frowned.
“I heard you say Uncle Daniel would give you the money after the baby comes.””
Daniel grabbed the edge of the table.
“What money, Claire?””
She snatched her purse from beneath the gift table.
“I'm leaving.””
Daniel moved in front of her.
“No. You're going to answer me.””
“Get out of my way!””
“Tell me who that man was!””
“I don't owe you an explanation while you're letting your family abuse me!””
She tried to push past him.
Her purse struck the table, knocking over a glass of sparkling cider. The liquid spread across a stack of gift cards and dripped onto the white tablecloth.
Then her phone began ringing.
The sudden sound made everyone turn.
Claire froze.
The phone vibrated inside her purse.
Daniel glanced down as the screen lit up.
He saw the caller's name.
His face changed so dramatically that I almost reached for him.
“Marcus?””
Claire snatched for the phone.
Daniel caught the purse first.
“Why is my best friend calling you?””
Marcus Reed had been Daniel's closest friend since college. He'd stood beside him at our father's funeral, helped him move into his first apartment, and served as best man at his wedding.
He was practically family.
And he was the last person any of us would have expected to be involved in something like this.
Claire grabbed Daniel's sleeve.
“Please don't answer that.””
He looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because you're upset, and this is going to make everything worse.””
Daniel pulled the phone from the purse.
“Worse than what?””
The call ended.
A second later, a message appeared on the screen.
*Marcus: Did you get the packaging? We need to talk before Daniel finds out what happened at the clinic.*
Daniel read the message silently.
Then he read it again.
“What clinic?”” he whispered.
Claire reached for the phone.
He stepped back.
“Don't touch me.””
Those three words seemed to frighten her more than his shouting had.
She lowered her hands.
“Daniel, I can explain.””
“Then explain.””
“It's complicated.””
“Try me.””
Claire glanced at the guests. Most were staring openly now. Aunt Patricia had stopped defending her. My mother was crying quietly into a napkin.
Claire leaned toward Daniel and whispered something I couldn't hear.
Whatever she said, it made him recoil.
“No,” he breathed.
She began shaking her head.
“Please. You have to understand—”
Daniel raised the phone.
“I'm calling Marcus.””
“Don't!””
He pressed the number.
The room was so quiet that I could hear the faint ringing through the speaker.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then Marcus answered.
“Daniel?”” His voice sounded breathless.
“Listen, man, before you do anything, you need to hear me out.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Tell me the truth.””
A pause.
Then Marcus asked a question that made my skin turn cold.
“Did Claire tell you about the money we took from your account?””
Daniel stopped breathing.
I stared at the phone.
“Took?”” he repeated.
“What money?””
May you like
Marcus went silent.
And in that silence, I realized the fake pregnancy might be only the beginning.
