Chapter 5: The Sister Who Carried My Children
I read the name three times.
Rebecca Bennett.
My younger sister.
The girl who used to steal my sweaters, borrow my makeup, and crawl into my bed whenever thunderstorms frightened her.
The woman who had disappeared from my life four years earlier.
I looked at Vanessa.
"Where did you get this?""
"From the email.""
"Show me.""
She handed me the phone.
The message was from an investigator representing the adoption agency. It stated that new information had emerged concerning the gestational carrier's identity and the circumstances surrounding the original agreement.
Rebecca's name appeared in the third paragraph.
I felt as though someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart.
"She was the gestational carrier?""
Vanessa nodded.
"That's what the document says.""
I shook my head.
"No. Rebecca wouldn't do that.""
Melissa approached carefully.
"Claire...""
I turned toward her.
"Did you know?""
Her face crumpled.
"I knew she was involved in something. I didn't know the whole story.""
"What does that mean?""
Melissa glanced at Daniel.
"Your sister visited the estate several times after your divorce.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
"I thought she was helping Daniel with the children.""
My throat tightened.
"She knew?""
Melissa nodded.
"She knew they were connected to you.""
I turned toward Daniel.
He was standing beside the attorney, speaking in a low voice.
When he noticed me watching, he stopped.
"Daniel.""
He looked at me.
"Where is my sister?""
"Claire, this isn't the time.""
"Where is Rebecca?""
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie to me.""
He sighed.
"She's an adult. She can make her own decisions.""
I stepped closer.
"You told me she moved overseas.""
"She did.""
"When?""
"After the divorce.""
"Where?""
He looked away.
I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself.
"Tell me where my sister is.""
Daniel's voice became colder.
"Maybe you should ask yourself why she didn't want to contact you.""
The words struck harder than I expected.
Because I knew Rebecca had loved me.
We had been inseparable after our father died.
When I married Daniel, she was my maid of honor.
When the fertility treatments began, she accompanied me to several appointments.
She used to bring me homemade soup after procedures.
She had once sat on the bathroom floor with me, holding my hand while I cried over another negative pregnancy test.
She knew exactly how much I wanted to become a mother.
So why would she participate in something that took my children away?
I looked at Dr. Harris.
"Did you know Rebecca was the carrier?""
He nodded reluctantly.
"I knew a woman had been selected through an outside arrangement. I was not informed of her identity until much later.""
"Did she know the embryos belonged to me?""
"That is something I cannot confirm without reviewing the complete records.""
Rachel stepped forward.
"She knew.""
Everyone turned.
Rachel looked at me.
"Rebecca came to the clinic before the transfer. She asked whether you would be informed.""
My breath caught.
"What did you tell her?""
"I told her that the consent documents showed both intended parents had agreed to the arrangement.""
"But I hadn't.""
"I know that now.""
Rachel lowered her eyes.
"At the time, I believed the paperwork was legitimate.""
I stared at her.
"Did Rebecca believe it?""
Rachel hesitated.
"She was told you had signed.""
I closed my eyes.
Daniel had used forged documents to remove me from the arrangement.
Then he had told Rebecca that I had agreed.
Two lies.
One family.
And two children caught in the middle.
The garden was becoming increasingly crowded with people who had no business listening to our conversation.
Daniel's attorney finally spoke.
"Everyone should stop discussing the children's private medical and legal information in public.""
I turned toward him.
"You're right.""
I looked at Daniel.
"But I'm not leaving without answers.""
He scoffed.
"You're making this about yourself.""
I stared at him.
"Those children are four years old. They have been asking why a woman they've never met is wearing their mother's face. How is this not about me?""
Vanessa suddenly stepped forward.
"Daniel, I want the truth.""
He looked at her.
"Vanessa, please.""
"No. You told me you had adopted them. You told me their biological parents had voluntarily surrendered their rights.""
She held up the phone.
"Now I'm reading that their biological mother may be standing in front of me.""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"Everything was legal.""
Dr. Harris shook his head.
"That remains to be established.""
Daniel pointed at him.
"You should remember who paid your clinic's consulting fees.""
The doctor stiffened.
Rachel looked at Daniel in disbelief.
"Are you seriously threatening him in front of everyone?""
He lowered his voice.
"I'm trying to keep this family from falling apart.""
Vanessa gave a small, broken laugh.
"You already did that.""
She removed her wedding ring.
Not dramatically.
She simply placed it on the table beside the cake.
"I need some time away from you.""
Daniel stared at the ring.
"You're pregnant with my child.""
"And those two children are already here.""
He reached for her arm.
She stepped back.
"Don't use the baby to make me stay.""
The photographer, who had been standing near the garden doors, quietly lowered his camera.
Nobody was celebrating anymore.
I walked toward the entrance.
Melissa followed.
"Where are you going?""
"To find my sister.""
"Claire, you don't even know where she is.""
I pulled out my phone.
"Then I'll start calling people.""
I tried Rebecca's old number.
Disconnected.
Her email address.
No response.
I searched through old photographs, social media accounts, and messages.
Nothing recent.
Then I remembered something.
Four years earlier, during the final weeks of my marriage, Rebecca had sent me a message.
I need to talk to you about Daniel. Please don't let him know I'm contacting you.
I had been at the clinic that afternoon.
Daniel had taken my phone to check something while we were waiting for an appointment.
When I got it back, the message had disappeared.
I had assumed Rebecca deleted it.
Now I understood.
I searched our old conversation.
There it was.
The message.
And beneath it, a second message I had never seen.
Claire, please listen. I think Daniel is planning something with the embryos. He told me you agreed, but I don't believe him. Call me before Friday.
The timestamp was four years old.
Three days before my divorce papers were filed.
I felt sick.
Melissa read the message over my shoulder.
"Oh, Claire.""
I kept scrolling.
There was another message.
If I can't reach you, I'll find another way. I promise.
I called Rebecca again.
This time, the phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then someone answered.
"Hello?""
I stopped breathing.
"Rebecca?""
Silence.
Then a shaky voice.
"Claire?""
I closed my eyes.
"Where are you?""
A long pause followed.
Then she whispered.
"I'm sorry.""
I pressed the phone against my ear.
"Where have you been?""
"Claire, I can explain.""
"You carried my children?""
She began crying.
"I didn't know what he was doing at first.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I tried!""
"Four years, Rebecca! Four years!""
"I know.""
I heard her take a shaky breath.
"Daniel told me you had agreed to everything. He showed me documents with your signature. He said you wanted the children to have a stable home, and that you didn't want to be involved because the divorce had been too painful.""
I gripped the phone.
"And you believed him?""
"I wanted to believe him.""
"Why?""
"Because he said you knew.""
Her voice cracked.
"Because I was already pregnant, Claire. And by the time I realized what he'd done, I was terrified.""
I closed my eyes.
"Where are you now?""
"Not far.""
"Tell me.""
"Claire, please. I need you to hear something first.""
"What?""
"Daniel didn't just forge your signature.""
I stopped moving.
"What else did he do?""
Rebecca lowered her voice.
"He told the agency you had abandoned the children before they were even born.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"That's impossible.""
"I saw the paperwork.""
"What paperwork?""
"The letter he submitted. He claimed you had voluntarily withdrawn from the arrangement and asked that all future contact be directed through him.""
I looked toward the estate.
Daniel was standing on the terrace, watching me.
Rebecca continued.
"Claire, I tried to contact you after the twins were born. I sent letters. Emails. I even went to your old house.""
"I never received anything.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you come to my new house?""
"I did.""
My blood ran cold.
"When?""
"About two years ago.""
I stared at the phone.
"What happened?""
"Daniel answered the door.""
I couldn't speak.
"He told me you were getting married again.""
My eyes widened.
"What?""
"He said you had moved on and didn't want to hear from me.""
I shook my head.
"I wasn't married.""
"I know that now.""
Rebecca began sobbing.
"He told me that if I contacted you again, he would make sure I never saw Oliver and Sophie.""
I looked toward the garden.
The two children were sitting beside Rachel.
Oliver was showing her his stuffed rabbit.
Sophie was eating another piece of cake.
My children.
My sister's children.
Our children.
I swallowed.
"Rebecca, I need you to tell me something.""
"Anything.""
"Did you give birth to them?""
"Yes.""
"Did you raise them?""
"For the first few months.""
I felt a strange mixture of relief and pain.
"What happened?""
"Daniel arranged everything. He said he would become their father and that Vanessa would help raise them. He told me I would be allowed to visit whenever I wanted.""
"And then?""
"He changed the agreement.""
"How?""
"He stopped answering my calls. Then he told the agency I was emotionally unstable after the birth.""
I closed my eyes.
Another familiar accusation.
Another woman being discredited to protect Daniel's version of events.
Rebecca continued.
"But there's something else, Claire.""
I waited.
"When I was pregnant, I found a letter in Daniel's study. It was addressed to someone at the clinic.""
"What did it say?""
"He was asking them to destroy the remaining embryos.""
I felt cold.
"Remaining embryos?""
"Yes. There were more than two.""
I gripped the phone.
"How many?""
"Three, I think.""
My heart pounded.
"Where are they now?""
"I don't know. But Daniel told me they had already been destroyed.""
"Did he have permission?""
"No.""
A silence followed.
Then Rebecca whispered something that made my entire world shift again.
"Claire, I kept something from the day the twins were born.""
"What?""
"The original medical consent forms.""
I stared at the estate.
"Where?""
"In a safe-deposit box.""
"Can you prove that Daniel forged my signature?""
"I think so.""
"Then we need to get them.""
"There's a problem.""
"What?""
Rebecca took a breath.
"The bank contacted me last week. Someone tried to access the box using my name.""
I looked at Daniel.
He was still watching me.
"Who?""
Rebecca's answer came quietly.
"Daniel.""
Before I could respond, another voice interrupted the call.
A man's voice.
"Rebecca, give me the phone.""
My blood froze.
I recognized that voice immediately.
May you like
Daniel.
And then the call disconnected.
