Chapter 12: The Courtroom Threat
James listened while I repeated Vanessa's words.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he took my phone and asked Vanessa one question.
"Did Daniel tell you he had already filed anything?""
She hesitated.
"I don't know. He said his attorney was preparing documents.""
James handed the phone back.
"Thank you for telling us. Please don't confront him alone.""
After the call ended, James sat across from me.
"We need to speak to an attorney tomorrow.""
I nodded.
But my mind was racing.
Daniel had never met my sons.
He had never held them, changed their diapers, or sat beside their beds when they were sick.
He had never celebrated their birthdays.
He hadn't even known their favorite colors.
Yet now he wanted to challenge their birth records?
"What could he possibly claim?"" I asked.
James took my hand.
"Probably anything he thinks might give him leverage.""
I stared at him.
"He can't take them from us.""
"No one is taking our boys.""
His confidence helped.
But I knew Daniel.
He had always believed that the loudest person in the room deserved to win.
The following morning, our attorney, Melissa Grant, reviewed everything.
She listened carefully as I explained the invitation, the baby shower, the forged documents, and the clinic investigation.
When I finished, she leaned back.
"Sarah, first, I want you to understand something. Daniel cannot simply claim legal parenthood because he once attended fertility appointments with you.""
James nodded.
"Especially when the children were conceived after the divorce through separate treatment.""
"Correct," Melissa replied.
She opened a folder.
"However, we should take his threat seriously. If he has been collecting information about you, we need to establish exactly what he has and how he obtained it.""
She looked at me.
"Did you ever receive unwanted messages or visits from him?""
"No.""
"Did he contact your employer?""
"Not that I know of.""
Melissa wrote something down.
"Then we'll request the relevant records and preserve all communication.""
She paused.
"There's another issue. The attempted embryo transfer using your identity is potentially more serious than the custody threat. We need to make sure the clinic has formally frozen the account and flagged your records.""
I nodded.
"They confirmed that the transfer was stopped.""
"Good.""
Melissa turned to James.
"Has anyone contacted you?""
James shook his head.
"No.""
"Then keep it that way. Don't respond to Daniel directly. Let everything go through counsel.""
Before we left, Melissa made one final recommendation.
"Sarah, I also want you to obtain certified copies of your twins' birth certificates and their adoption records, if applicable, along with the relevant fertility treatment documentation. We should have a complete record.""
I agreed.
For the first time, I felt that someone was helping me fight this battle with facts rather than emotion.
Three days later, Daniel made his next move.
A large envelope arrived at our house.
It contained a formal legal notice requesting information about my fertility treatments and the children's biological parentage.
James read it twice.
"He's actually doing this.""
I called Melissa.
She wasn't surprised.
"Don't respond. Send me a scanned copy immediately.""
Then she said something unexpected.
"Sarah, I received a call from Daniel's attorney this morning.""
"What did he say?""
"He claims Daniel has evidence suggesting the clinic records were manipulated after your divorce.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"That's ridiculous.""
"I agree. But he also mentioned a witness.""
"Who?""
"Patricia Mitchell.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course.""
Melissa continued.
"There's another person involved. Daniel's attorney says a former clinic employee is prepared to testify that you knew about the specimen substitution during your marriage.""
I went cold.
"That's impossible.""
"That's what I thought. Do you recognize the name Robert Hayes?""
"Yes. He admitted that Daniel paid him to switch the specimen.""
"Then we need his formal statement immediately.""
I called Rebecca.
She answered quickly.
"Sarah?""
"Has Robert signed his statement?""
"Yes. Yesterday.""
"Can you send a copy to my attorney?""
"Of course.""
I exhaled.
Then Rebecca added something.
"But Sarah, there's a problem.""
My heart sank.
"What now?""
"Robert says Daniel contacted him last night. He offered him another payment if he would change his testimony.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did Robert agree?""
"No. But Daniel wasn't the only person who contacted him.""
"Who else?""
Rebecca lowered her voice.
"Patricia.""
I looked toward James.
He could see the fear on my face.
"What did she want?"" I asked.
"She wanted Robert to say that you had personally approved the specimen substitution and that you knew Michael Reeves was the biological source.""
I felt sick.
"Why would she do that?""
Rebecca answered.
"Because if she can make it look like you knew everything, she can shift responsibility for the entire scandal onto you.""
I walked to the window.
Outside, Ethan and Noah were playing in the backyard with James.
They were laughing, completely unaware that their mother's past was being dragged into a legal battle.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
You should have stayed away from Daniel's family. Now you're going to lose everything.
A second message arrived.
It contained a photograph.
It was taken from across the street outside our house.
James was holding Noah while Ethan ran toward him.
Underneath the photograph were six words:
We know where your children sleep.
My blood turned to ice.
I immediately showed James.
His expression changed.
He gathered the boys and brought them inside.
I called Melissa.
Then I called the police.
But before I could put my phone down, another message appeared.
This one contained a photograph of an old document.
A hospital record.
My name was printed at the top.
The date was the day I had delivered Ethan and Noah.
And beside the section marked *PATERNITY INFORMATION*, someone had handwritten a name.
Daniel Mitchell.
I stared at it in disbelief.
That was impossible.
Daniel had never been involved in my pregnancy.
He had never signed anything.
Then I noticed the final line at the bottom of the document.
Amended at the request of the biological father.
May you like
And suddenly, I realized Daniel wasn't merely threatening to challenge my children's birth records.
Someone had already begun changing them.
