Chapter 4: The Man Behind the Fake Pregnancy
“Marcus Reed?””
Daniel repeated the name as though saying it aloud might somehow make the situation less absurd.
Claire stood motionless beside the overturned handbag. Her cream-colored maternity dress suddenly looked ridiculous, especially now that the silicone pregnancy belly lay exposed on the marble table.
Helen Brooks quietly closed her folder.
“I believe you should read the entire email before making any decisions,” she said.
Daniel didn't look at her.
“Who is Marcus Reed?””
Claire wiped her cheeks.
“He's an old friend.””
“An old friend?””
“Yes.””
“An old friend who sends you ten thousand dollars?””
She shook her head.
“I didn't say he sent me money.””
Daniel held up the bank statement.
“Then explain this.””
Claire looked toward the house.
“Not here.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You keep saying that. First, it wasn't here. Then it wasn't in front of my parents.
Now apparently it isn't in front of your former financial adviser. When exactly were you planning to tell me the truth?””
“I was going to tell you everything.””
“When?””
She looked at the ground.
He stepped closer.
“After the baby shower? After I painted the nursery? After I told my employees I was taking paternity leave?””
Claire's eyes filled again.
“Daniel, please.””
He turned away.
I had never seen my brother look so lost.
For years, he had been the responsible one in our family. When our father lost his business during the recession, Daniel had quietly helped pay the mortgage. When our grandmother became ill, he rearranged his work schedule to visit her every afternoon.
He was the person everyone called when something went wrong.
Now he was standing in our parents' garden, holding evidence that his entire marriage might have been built on lies.
My father finally broke the silence.
“Claire, I want you to answer one question. Who is Marcus?””
She swallowed.
“Someone I knew before I met Daniel.””
My mother frowned.
“Before your marriage?””
“Yes.””
“Then why is he involved in this pregnancy?””
Claire didn't answer.
Helen glanced at the email.
“Perhaps I should explain what I found.””
Daniel nodded.
“Please.””
Helen opened the folder again.
“The payment to Marcus Reed was transferred from an account that had previously received funds from your joint savings. The description attached to the transfer was 'maternity arrangement.''”
Daniel stared at her.
“What arrangement?””
“I don't know the complete details. However, I received an email from Mr. Reed asking whether the arrangement could be extended until January.””
January.
That was the month Claire's supposed baby was due.
My stomach tightened.
Daniel looked at his wife.
“Why January?””
Claire's voice trembled.
“Because that's when the baby was supposed to arrive.””
My mother gasped.
My father gripped the back of his chair.
Daniel went completely still.
“Supposed to arrive?””
Claire covered her mouth.
Helen placed the email on the table.
Daniel picked it up.
I watched his eyes move across the page.
Then he read the final paragraph twice.
“What does this mean?”” he asked.
Helen answered carefully.
“It appears that Mr. Reed was discussing the possibility of a child being presented to your family around the expected delivery date.””
Daniel looked up.
“Presented?””
Claire began crying.
“Please stop.””
“Was there going to be a baby?””
She shook her head.
“Not like that.””
“Then how?””
Claire pressed both hands against her stomach.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she whispered:
“Marcus has a daughter.””
Nobody moved.
Daniel frowned.
“What?””
“Marcus has a little girl.””
“Why are you telling me this?””
Claire's lips trembled.
“Because she's the baby.””
My mother slowly covered her face.
Daniel stared at his wife.
“You were going to bring another man's child into our house and tell everyone she was ours?””
Claire started sobbing.
“I didn't know what else to do!””
Daniel stepped backward.
“Did Marcus know?””
She nodded.
“Did he agree to this?””
Another nod.
“How long?””
“Daniel…”
“How long have you been planning this?””
Claire looked at the ground.
“Since before Christmas.””
My father slammed his hand against the table.
“That's enough!””
Claire flinched.
“You have lied to this family for months. You have taken money from your husband. You have involved another man. And now you're telling us you planned to pass off his child as Daniel's?””
“I was trying to make everyone happy!””
My father stared at her.
“By deceiving everyone?””
Claire turned toward my mother.
“Margaret, please. You know how much I wanted to be a mother.””
My mother looked up slowly.
“I know how much you told us you wanted to be a mother.””
Claire started crying harder.
My mother continued.
“But I never asked you to pretend.””
Daniel placed the email on the table.
“Tell me something. Is the little girl already born?””
Claire nodded.
“How old?””
“Seven months.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
Seven months.
The supposed pregnancy had started six months earlier.
The timeline didn't make sense.
Unless Claire had planned this before announcing anything.
Unless the entire story had been prepared long before we had been invited to celebrate.
“Where is the child now?”” he asked.
“With Marcus.””
“And you?””
“I've visited her.””
“How many times?””
Claire looked away.
Daniel laughed softly.
“Of course.””
He turned toward Helen.
“Can you tell me where Marcus lives?””
“I can give you the contact information I have.””
Claire suddenly stepped forward.
“No!””
Everyone turned.
“Daniel, don't contact him.””
“Why?””
“Because you don't understand what he's like.””
Daniel stared at her.
“You seem to understand him very well.””
“He'll manipulate you.””
My father let out a disbelieving breath.
“You're worried about him manipulating Daniel?””
Claire's voice rose.
“You don't know what he has threatened to do!””
The words changed the atmosphere.
Daniel turned slowly.
“What has he threatened?””
Claire immediately went silent.
I stepped closer.
“Claire, what are you hiding?””
She looked at me with hatred.
“You should stay out of this.””
I was stunned.
“I'm trying to understand what happened.””
“You've always hated me.””
“That isn't true.””
“You've always thought you were better than me!””
Daniel interrupted.
“Stop.””
But Claire continued.
“You think you're the perfect sister. The successful one. The one everyone loves.
You have your daughter, your husband, your beautiful little life. And I was supposed to stand beside you with nothing?””
I stared at her.
For the first time, I understood that her resentment might have been growing long before the fake pregnancy.
But that didn't explain the money.
Or Marcus.
Or the little girl.
Daniel picked up the handbag and pushed it away.
“I'm done listening to excuses.””
Claire grabbed his arm.
“Daniel, please. Don't leave me.””
He gently removed her hand.
“I need to know whether there is a real child involved.””
“There is.””
“Then I need to meet her.””
Claire shook her head.
“You can't.””
“Why?””
“Because she's not yours.””
Daniel's face hardened.
“I never said she was.””
Claire looked terrified.
Then she whispered:
“Marcus won't let you near her.””
Daniel stared at her.
“Why?””
She looked toward Helen.
Then back at Daniel.
And finally, she said the sentence that made the entire evening even darker.
“Because Marcus believes the child belongs to him.””
Daniel frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Claire swallowed.
“He doesn't know the whole arrangement either.””
Before Daniel could ask another question, Helen's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Her expression changed.
“It's Marcus.””
She answered and put the call on speaker.
A man's voice filled the garden.
“Claire, you need to tell Daniel that I want my money back. And if he thinks he can take the baby away from me, he needs to understand something.””
Daniel leaned toward the phone.
“Who is this?””
There was a brief silence.
Then the man replied.
“I'm the father of the little girl your wife has been pretending to carry.””
And before anyone could respond, he added:
May you like
“By the way, Daniel, there's something Claire hasn't told you about the baby's mother.””
The call disconnected.
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