Chapter 4: The Secret of Michael Reeves
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Vanessa sat frozen on the sofa, one hand gripping the armrest and the other resting protectively against her stomach.
Daniel's father.
The man Patricia had buried ten years earlier.
"That's impossible," Daniel finally whispered.
I looked at him.
"What's impossible?""
He shook his head and stepped toward his mother.
"Mom, tell them this is some kind of mistake.""
Patricia's lips trembled.
"Daniel, please. Not here.""
Vanessa stood up.
"Not here? You brought forty people here to celebrate this pregnancy, and now you're telling me the biological father might be your own father?""
Patricia's eyes filled with tears.
"Vanessa, there's a complicated history you don't understand.""
"Then explain it!""
Daniel grabbed the document from Vanessa's hand.
"These records could be wrong. Anybody can type a name into a computer.""
I held out my phone.
"Rebecca has the original laboratory records. She can explain everything.""
Daniel's face hardened.
"You're still talking to that woman?""
"Yes.""
"Give me her number.""
"No.""
He stepped closer.
"Sarah, this is getting out of control.""
I didn't move.
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before your mother started submitting fraudulent medical documents.""
Patricia suddenly began crying.
Not quiet tears.
She covered her face and made a dramatic sound that immediately attracted the attention of several relatives.
"After everything I've sacrificed for this family," she sobbed, "this is how I'm repaid?""
Vanessa stared at her.
"What exactly did you sacrifice?""
Patricia lowered her hands.
"When Michael was alive, he made a terrible mistake. He had a relationship with another woman before we married. Daniel was born during that relationship, but Michael raised him as his own.""
Daniel looked confused.
"What are you saying?""
Patricia swallowed.
"Michael wasn't your biological father.""
Daniel staggered backward.
For years, he had spoken proudly about Michael. He had shown me photographs of them fishing together. He had told me his father taught him how to drive and helped him buy his first house.
Now his mother was telling him that none of those family stories meant what he believed.
"Who was my biological father?"" Daniel asked.
Patricia looked down.
"Michael Reeves.""
I frowned.
"But you just said Michael wasn't his father.""
Patricia shook her head.
"No. I said Michael raised him as his own. The laboratory record uses Michael's name because he was the biological father. My husband knew the truth.""
Daniel stared at her.
"Then why did you tell me something different?""
"Because Michael wanted you to grow up believing he was your father in every way that mattered.""
Vanessa pressed her fingers against her forehead.
"And you decided to use his sperm in the embryos?""
Patricia flinched.
"I was trying to help Daniel.""
"By making him a biological father with his own father's genetic material?""
"Don't say it like that!""
"How else am I supposed to say it?""
I watched Daniel's expression change.
His anger was slowly giving way to something resembling terror.
"Mom, why was Michael's name on the donor records?""
Patricia looked at him.
"Because he had samples stored at the clinic before he died. They were part of a preservation program.""
Daniel's voice cracked.
"And you used them?""
"I thought it was the only way you could have a child.""
I felt sick.
The woman who had spent years calling me an inadequate wife had secretly arranged something so disturbing that even she couldn't explain it without crying.
Then Vanessa asked the question nobody had considered.
"How many embryos were created using those samples?""
Patricia didn't answer.
"How many?"" Vanessa repeated.
Patricia looked at Daniel.
"Three.""
I felt the room tilt.
Three embryos.
One had been transferred to Vanessa.
The other two?
My phone vibrated again.
Rebecca had sent another message.
Sarah, I found the original laboratory incident report. There were three embryos, but only two were genetically linked to the documented patient samples. The third was created using a different specimen.
I read it twice.
Then I looked at Daniel.
"Patricia, you said Michael's samples were used for all three embryos.""
Her face went white.
"What?""
I showed her the message.
Daniel snatched my phone.
May you like
He read it.
And for the first time, his mother looked afraid of her own son.
