Chapter 6: The Woman Who Signed Away My Motherhood
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Patricia's expression changed immediately.
"Daniel, stop talking.""
He looked at her.
"Mom, it's over.""
"Don't you dare!""
Oliver stood between us, clutching his stuffed dinosaur.
I crouched beside him.
"Sweetheart, why don't you go get your favorite book? I need to talk to Daddy and Grandma for a minute.""
He looked uncertain.
"Will you still be here when I come back?""
I swallowed.
"Yes.""
He hurried upstairs.
As soon as he disappeared, I turned toward Daniel.
"Tell me exactly what your mother paid for.""
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
"Sarah, the hospital records weren't supposed to exist anymore.""
"That's not an answer.""
He looked toward Patricia.
She was standing beside the fireplace, gripping its wooden mantel.
Finally, Daniel spoke.
"Four years ago, after you became pregnant, Mom started talking about how much she wanted a grandchild.""
"She already had grandchildren through Jason's family.""
"She wanted one she could raise herself.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"She believed you were too independent. She thought you'd take the baby away from the family.""
I almost laughed.
"Take my own child away from the family?""
Daniel continued.
"Mom contacted a private fertility consultant. She found Vanessa, who agreed to carry a pregnancy under a legal arrangement.""
"Using my pregnancy?""
He nodded.
"Your pregnancy had complications. The doctors believed continuing it would be risky.""
"Then why wasn't I told?""
"Mom said you wouldn't agree.""
"So she decided to make the decision for me?""
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"She said it was the only way.""
I turned toward Patricia.
"Did you tell the hospital I had agreed?""
She lifted her chin.
"You were unstable at the time.""
"I had just discovered I was pregnant!""
"You were crying constantly. You were terrified. I knew you wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility.""
My hands trembled.
"Who authorized the transfer?""
Patricia didn't answer.
Daniel finally said, "Mom arranged the paperwork.""
"And the signature?""
His silence told me everything.
I looked at Patricia.
"You forged my name.""
She took a step toward me.
"Your child was going to be raised by family. What's so terrible about that?""
I stared at her.
"You convinced me my baby was dead.""
"You needed time to recover.""
"Four years?""
She snapped.
"Oliver needed stability!""
I shook my head.
"No. You needed control.""
Patricia's face twisted.
"You have no idea what I sacrificed for that boy.""
I stepped closer.
"Tell me what you sacrificed.""
She looked toward the staircase.
Then she said something I would never forget.
"I gave Vanessa money to carry him. I paid the hospital. I paid the lawyer.
I paid Daniel to keep you away. And I made sure nobody told you the truth.""
The room seemed to go silent.
Even Daniel looked shocked.
I turned toward him.
"Paid you?""
He immediately interrupted.
"That's not what she meant.""
Patricia glared at him.
"Don't pretend you weren't compensated.""
My stomach dropped.
"How much?""
Neither answered.
I opened my banking app and pulled up the transactions Robert had sent me.
"Was the $148,000 payment your compensation?""
Daniel looked away.
"Some of it.""
I stared at him.
"You sold your own child's existence for money?""
He raised his voice.
"I was trying to protect everyone!""
"Everyone except me.""
His expression hardened.
"Sarah, you need to understand. Mom promised to provide for Oliver. She promised to pay off my debts and help with the business.""
I felt physically sick.
"So you traded your son for financial security.""
"Don't make it sound like that.""
"Then what should I call it?""
He had no answer.
Patricia suddenly walked toward the kitchen.
"That's enough. This conversation is over.""
I stepped in front of her.
"Not until you tell me who helped you forge my signature.""
She looked at me with open contempt.
"You think a lawyer can undo everything? The documents were signed. Oliver has lived with me for four years.""
"Documents signed by whom?""
She smiled bitterly.
"Ask your own mother.""
I froze.
"What?""
Patricia tilted her head.
"Your mother knew about the pregnancy arrangement.""
The room tilted.
"My mother is dead.""
"I know exactly when your mother died, Sarah.""
My mother, Margaret, had passed away two years earlier after a sudden stroke.
She had been my closest friend, the one person who had supported my marriage even when she disliked Patricia.
I shook my head.
"Don't you dare bring my mother into this.""
Patricia walked to a cabinet and removed a thick envelope.
"She came to see me before she died.""
I stared at the envelope.
"What is that?""
"Something she left behind.""
Patricia opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
My mother stood beside Patricia in a hospital corridor.
Both women were smiling.
On the back was a handwritten date.
It was the day my pregnancy supposedly ended.
My knees weakened.
Patricia placed another document on the table.
It was a signed statement.
My mother's signature appeared at the bottom.
I read the first paragraph.
Then I read it again.
According to the statement, my mother had agreed to remain silent about Oliver's survival.
But the final sentence was what destroyed me.
*"I understand that Sarah must never discover that the child was originally intended to be raised by her biological father alone.""*
I looked up.
"Biological father alone?""
Daniel's face turned white.
Patricia immediately snatched the document.
"That's enough.""
I grabbed the photograph.
"Who was Oliver's father before the arrangement?""
Daniel backed away.
"Sarah, please.""
I stared at him.
"Is Oliver even your biological son?""
He couldn't look me in the eyes.
Then my phone vibrated.
Robert had sent an urgent message.
Sarah, I obtained another document from the hospital. The donor information doesn't match Daniel's records.
A second message appeared.
There is a second biological parent listed. You need to see this before you confront Patricia again.
I looked at Daniel.
Then at the staircase where my little boy had disappeared.
"What have you done?""
Daniel finally broke.
"Sarah, there's something about Oliver's birth that Mom never wanted you to know.""
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And before he could finish, Patricia screamed:
"IF SHE FINDS OUT WHO THE FATHER REALLY IS, WE'LL ALL LOSE EVERYTHING!""
