Chapter 2: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
Vanessa stood up so quickly that her chair scraped across the marble floor.
"Answer me!""
Daniel glanced around the room.
His relatives were no longer pretending to enjoy the party. Patricia's champagne glass sat untouched on a side table. A few guests had taken out their phones, while others whispered behind their hands.
"Everyone needs to calm down," Daniel said.
"This is a private medical matter.""
Vanessa held up the consent form.
"Then why does it have Sarah's signature?""
I stepped closer.
"Because someone copied it.""
Daniel shook his head.
"That's ridiculous. You signed the original documents when we were married.""
"I signed documents authorizing the clinic to freeze our embryos. I never authorized anyone to transfer them to another woman.""
"How would you know? You were divorced. You weren't even involved in the process anymore.""
"Exactly," I replied.
"That's why I requested the records.""
Vanessa looked between us.
"Wait. You mean the embryos were created during your marriage?""
"Yes," I said.
"We went through several rounds of treatment. We had three viable embryos frozen before our marriage ended.""
Daniel's mother interrupted.
"Those embryos were abandoned. Daniel had every right to use them.""
I turned toward her.
"Abandoned? I paid half the medical expenses. I signed a contract that required both parties' written consent before any embryo could be transferred.""
Patricia's expression changed.
For the first time that afternoon, she looked genuinely frightened.
Vanessa sat down again.
"Daniel, how did you get them?""
He loosened his tie.
"The clinic contacted me after our divorce. They said there were options.""
"What options?""
"They said we could transfer the embryos.""
"Who is we?""
Daniel didn't answer.
I reached into my folder and removed a photocopy of an email.
"Patricia was copied on the correspondence.""
The room erupted in whispers.
Patricia's face turned red.
"That email was confidential!""
I almost smiled.
"You should have told your son not to use your personal email account when discussing something this serious.""
Vanessa took the page.
The email was dated eighteen months earlier.
It contained a discussion between Daniel, Patricia, and a clinic administrator about transferring the remaining embryos.
One sentence had been highlighted.
The former spouse's consent remains necessary. We cannot proceed without verification of her authorization.
Vanessa looked up.
"So they knew.""
"Yes," I answered.
Daniel finally stepped forward.
"Sarah, you're twisting everything. I was trying to have a family.""
I stared at him.
"You were trying to have a family using something that belonged to both of us, without asking me.""
He lowered his voice.
"I knew you wouldn't agree.""
"You're right.""
His expression hardened.
"Then you would've denied me the chance to become a father.""
I took a breath.
"Daniel, you divorced me because you believed I couldn't give you children. You told your family I was defective. You laughed when I cried over negative pregnancy tests. And now you expect me to feel sorry because you wanted to use our embryos without permission?""
Ethan tugged at my dress.
"Mommy, can we go home?""
I kissed his forehead.
"Almost, sweetheart.""
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
"How many embryos were transferred?""
I looked at the document.
"One.""
She closed her eyes.
"One?""
"Yes. The record says one embryo was transferred.""
Daniel reached for her shoulder.
"Vanessa, listen. We wanted a baby together. That's all that matters.""
She jerked away.
"Don't touch me.""
Patricia hurried over.
"Vanessa, darling, think about your baby. Whatever happened before you came into this family doesn't change the fact that you're carrying Daniel's child.""
Vanessa looked at her.
"Are you sure?""
Patricia froze.
"What?""
"Are you sure he's Daniel's child?""
The question silenced the room again.
Daniel's face drained of color.
"Of course he's mine.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"Then why did you tell me we needed to keep the embryo transfer secret until after the birth?""
Patricia looked at her son.
Daniel looked at the floor.
I remembered something from the clinic's records.
A second page had been missing from the original packet.
When I contacted the clinic, the administrator had told me that the missing page contained information about the embryo's genetic testing and the identity of the person who had authorized the transfer.
I had assumed it was simply another piece of evidence showing that my consent had been forged.
But now, watching Daniel's reaction, I realized there was something else.
"Vanessa," I said carefully, "did your doctor ever tell you that the embryo had undergone genetic testing before implantation?""
She nodded slowly.
"Yes. He said everything was normal.""
"Did he tell you where the embryo came from?""
"No. Daniel said it was from a donor program.""
I turned toward Daniel.
"You told her it was a donor embryo?""
He said nothing.
Vanessa's hand moved protectively over her stomach.
"Daniel, what exactly did you give the doctor?""
Before he could answer, my phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
Sarah, don't leave yet. I'm the former embryology coordinator. I know what happened to your embryos, and I have the original transfer records.
A second message followed.
You need to know who actually authorized the procedure.
I looked up.
May you like
Across the room, Patricia was already reaching for Daniel's phone.
And suddenly, I understood why she had been so desperate to stop me from speaking.
