Chapter 4: The Woman Who Held My Baby First
I couldn’t speak.
For a few seconds, I honestly forgot how.
The phone was pressed against my ear, but Dr. Carter’s words kept replaying in my mind.
The woman who held your newborn daughter before you did…
It was Megan.
“No,” I whispered.
The word came out automatically.
Not because I knew it was false.
Because I needed it to be.
Dr. Carter stayed quiet.
“Chloe,” she said gently, “I know this is difficult.””
“Difficult?””
My voice cracked.
“My sister-in-law held my baby before I did?””
I looked toward the hallway.
Toward the stairs where Lily slept.
My daughter.
My little girl.
The child I carried for nine months.
The child I spent hours in labor bringing into the world.
And suddenly, I felt like someone had taken a piece of that memory away from me.
“Why?”” I asked.
Dr. Carter sighed.
“Because your husband asked me not to tell you.””
My stomach dropped.
“Mark asked you?””
“Yes.””
I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter.
“Why would he do that?””
There was a long pause.
Then the nurse answered carefully.
“I think you need to hear the entire story.””
I looked at Zoe.
She was already reaching for her coat.
“What are you doing?”” I mouthed.
She shook her head.
“Getting ready.””
I turned back to the phone.
“Where are you?””
“I’m at home.””
“Can you come here?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Yes.””
An hour later, Dr. Emily Carter sat across from me at my kitchen table.
She looked older than I expected.
Tired.
Like someone who had carried a secret for too long.
She placed a folder on the table.
“I kept copies.””
My eyes went to the folder.
“Copies of what?””
“Hospital records.””
I swallowed.
“Why?””
“Because something felt wrong that night.””
Zoe leaned forward.
“Start from the beginning.””
Dr. Carter nodded.
“It was October 14th. You were in labor for twelve hours.””
I remembered.
Every second.
The pain.
The fear.
Mark holding my hand.
“I remember,” I whispered.
“You were exhausted,” Dr. Carter continued.
“After Lily was born, there were complications. Your blood pressure dropped, and the doctor asked the team to focus on stabilizing you.””
I nodded slowly.
That part I knew.
“I remember waking up and seeing Mark holding her.””
Dr. Carter looked down.
“That wasn’t the first time someone held her.””
My heart sank.
“Tell me.””
She took a breath.
“While you were being treated, Mark asked if his sister could come into the room.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“Megan?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Dr. Carter hesitated.
“He said she was family. He said Megan had been emotional throughout your pregnancy and wanted a moment with the baby.””
I laughed softly.
But there was no happiness in it.
“Emotional?””
I looked at Zoe.
“Megan hated that I was pregnant.””
Zoe nodded.
“I remember.””
Dr. Carter opened the folder.
“She came in for less than five minutes.””
“Five minutes?””
“Yes.””
I stared at her.
“What happened?””
“She picked Lily up.””
My fingers went numb.
“Without asking me?””
“You were unconscious.””
I looked away.
The room blurred.
Dr. Carter continued.
“Megan held Lily and started crying.””
That surprised me.
“Megan cried?””
“Yes.””
“What did she say?””
The nurse looked uncomfortable.
“She said, ‘She should have been mine.’”
The silence afterward felt unbearable.
Zoe’s face changed.
“What?””
Dr. Carter nodded.
“I heard her.””
I looked at the folder.
“She said she wished she was the one who gave Mark a child.””
My heart pounded.
“But Mark was there?””
“Yes.””
“And he did nothing?””
Dr. Carter didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
I closed my eyes.
The memory of our wedding vows appeared in my mind.
I promise to protect you.
I promise we’ll always choose each other.
Lies.
Maybe not all lies.
But enough of them.
“What happened after that?”” I asked.
Dr. Carter folded her hands.
“Megan tried to leave with Lily.””
My blood ran cold.
“She tried to leave?””
“She said she wanted to take the baby to show Linda.””
“But she wasn’t allowed.””
“No.””
“Who stopped her?””
Dr. Carter looked at me.
“I did.””
I stared.
“You?””
“Yes.””
She opened the folder.
“There was an argument.””
“With Mark?””
“With both of them.””
I felt sick.
“Mark argued with you?””
“He said Megan was harmless.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Harmless.””
The word sounded ridiculous now.
Dr. Carter nodded.
“He asked me not to tell you.””
“Why?””
“He said you were already overwhelmed. He said he didn’t want to create conflict between you and his family.””
My hands shook.
“He protected her.””
“Yes.””
Again.
Always.
Zoe reached over and squeezed my hand.
I pulled away.
Not because I didn’t love my sister.
Because I was trying to understand how many times I had been betrayed without knowing.
“Why are you telling me now?”” I asked.
Dr. Carter looked toward the stairs.
“Because I saw your daughter’s face in the news.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“Your Thanksgiving dinner was recorded.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“Someone posted part of the argument online.””
I felt cold.
“No.””
“It was removed quickly, but I saw it.””
Dr. Carter looked at me.
“I saw Lily standing there.””
Her voice softened.
“And I remembered that night.””
Nobody spoke.
Then she pushed the folder toward me.
“There’s something else.””
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
A hospital room.
Me lying unconscious.
A tiny baby wrapped in a blanket.
And Megan.
Holding Lily.
My hands started shaking.
Because Megan wasn’t looking at the baby.
She was looking at Mark.
And Mark was looking back.
Like they were sharing something I had never been allowed to see.
Then I noticed something else.
A message written on the back of the photograph.
Four words.
My blood turned cold.
Because I recognized the handwriting.
May you like
It was Mark’s.
“Keep this between us.””
