Chapter 3: The Embryo That Was Never Destroyed
I didn't remember walking into the study.
One moment, I was standing in the hallway holding a photograph of two newborn babies.
The next, I was sitting in Daniel's grandfather's old leather chair while Dr. Harris closed the door.
Rachel stood beside the desk.
Daniel remained near the entrance, his arms folded.
Melissa had followed us inside.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Finally, I looked at the doctor.
“Explain.””
Dr. Harris rubbed his forehead.
“Claire, this is a complicated situation.””
“Then start with something simple.””
I held up the photograph.
“Which baby is mine?””
He looked at Rachel.
She answered.
“The little girl.””
I stared at the tiny pink blanket.
“What is her name?””
“Lily.””
The name sounded unfamiliar and heartbreakingly beautiful.
“Who is her mother?””
Rachel swallowed.
“Her biological mother is you.””
I looked at Daniel.
“And her father?””
His jaw tightened.
“Claire, don't do this.””
I turned back to Rachel.
“Who is raising her?””
Rachel's eyes filled again.
“She's currently living with a foster family while the authorities investigate a matter involving her original birth records.””
My heart began beating so hard I could hear it.
“Why?””
Rachel placed the photograph on the desk.
“Because the clinic discovered irregularities in the embryo storage records.””
Dr. Harris interrupted.
“Rachel is simplifying matters.””
“Then you explain them,” I said.
He looked at me.
“During your final treatment cycle, four years ago, two viable embryos remained after the procedure.””
I nodded.
I remembered.
Daniel and I had been told that the embryos would be frozen while we considered another transfer.
But after our marriage collapsed, I had signed paperwork authorizing their disposal.
Or so I believed.
Dr. Harris continued.
“Your divorce proceedings occurred shortly afterward. There was some confusion concerning the storage authorization.””
“Confusion?””
“Your records were transferred incorrectly.””
I leaned forward.
“I signed a document.””
“Yes.””
“I asked for the embryos to be destroyed.””
“Yes.””
“And you are telling me one of them became a child?””
He looked down.
“Yes.””
I laughed.
It came out as a strange, broken sound.
“That's impossible.””
Rachel shook her head.
“It wasn't destroyed.””
I looked at Daniel.
He hadn't moved.
His expression was no longer smug.
It was something else.
Fear.
“Daniel,” I said quietly.
“Did you know?””
He stared at the floor.
“Claire—”
“Did you know?””
He exhaled.
“I knew about the storage issue.””
My stomach dropped.
“What does that mean?””
He rubbed his jaw.
“I received a call from the clinic after the divorce.””
“And?””
“They explained that there had been a mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“That one embryo was still being stored.””
I stared at him.
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
He looked at me as if I were being unreasonable.
“Because we were divorced.””
I stood up.
“That's your explanation?””
“Claire, you had made it very clear that you wanted nothing more to do with the treatment.””
“I wanted nothing more to do with you.””
“That was the point.””
Melissa stepped forward.
“Daniel, what the hell is wrong with you?””
He ignored her.
I looked at Rachel.
“Why was the embryo transferred?””
She hesitated.
“That's the part we're still investigating.””
Dr. Harris stepped between us.
“Claire, I want to be very clear. The embryo transfer occurred under circumstances that are still being reviewed. We have reason to believe someone submitted an authorization document that was not properly verified.””
“Whose authorization?””
He didn't answer.
I looked at Daniel.
He stared back at me.
“Did you authorize it?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
Rachel spoke.
“That's not what the internal emails suggest.””
Daniel's head snapped toward her.
“You have no right to access those emails.””
“I didn't access them illegally.””
“You were dismissed.””
“I resigned.””
“After the investigation began.””
Rachel's voice hardened.
“Because I refused to destroy evidence.””
I looked between them.
“What evidence?””
Rachel opened her envelope again.
This time she removed several printed pages.
They appeared to be copies of medical forms.
She placed them on the desk.
“This is the embryo transfer authorization.””
I picked it up.
My name was printed at the top.
Claire Bennett.
My date of birth.
My patient identification number.
And beneath the medical information was a signature.
My signature.
Except it wasn't mine.
I knew immediately.
The C was too small.
The final stroke of the B was wrong.
I had signed enough paperwork during those years to recognize my own handwriting.
“This is a forgery.””
Rachel nodded.
“Yes.””
Daniel shook his head.
“That's an allegation.””
I turned toward him.
“Who signed this?””
He didn't answer.
“Daniel, who signed it?””
He took a step toward me.
“Listen. There are things you don't understand.””
“Then explain them.””
“Not here.””
“Why not?””
“Because this is a private matter.””
I looked around the room.
“Apparently, you invited half of Boston to celebrate it.””
His face reddened.
Melissa picked up one of the documents.
“Daniel, this says the transfer was authorized eighteen months after the divorce.””
He nodded.
“Yes.””
“That's when you were already married to Vanessa.””
He didn't respond.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Was Vanessa involved?””
Daniel's expression changed.
“Leave her out of this.””
I stared at him.
“Why?””
“Because she's pregnant. She doesn't need this stress.””
Rachel spoke quietly.
“Daniel, Vanessa knows.””
Silence.
He turned toward her.
“Shut up.””
Rachel flinched, but continued.
“She knows about Lily.””
My chest tightened.
“Vanessa knows?””
Rachel nodded.
“She was the intended recipient of the embryo transfer.””
I felt as though someone had struck me.
“What?””
Dr. Harris closed his eyes.
“Claire, please sit down.””
I remained standing.
Rachel continued.
“Daniel wanted to use the remaining embryo after his remarriage. He and Vanessa had been trying to conceive naturally, but there were complications. They approached the clinic about using the embryo.””
I looked at Daniel.
“You used my embryo?””
He spoke quickly.
“It was our embryo.””
“It was created from my eggs.””
“And my sperm.””
“It was my body.””
“You had already signed the disposal papers!””
“Exactly!””
My voice echoed through the study.
“You had no right to change that decision.””
He rubbed his temples.
“I was trying to have a child.””
I stared at him.
“So was I.””
For the first time, he looked away.
Rachel placed another document on the desk.
“This is the transfer record.””
I examined it.
The recipient's name was listed as Vanessa Whitmore.
But something was wrong.
The transfer date was six months after Daniel's second marriage.
The procedure had been performed using an embryo that was supposedly still frozen under my original patient account.
“Did Vanessa give birth to Lily?””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
“Then what happened?””
“During the transfer process, the clinic discovered that the embryo had been thawed and transferred before the date recorded in the file.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Rachel nodded.
“Someone had already used it.””
My mouth went dry.
“Who?””
Rachel looked at Daniel.
He said nothing.
Then Dr. Harris finally spoke.
“Claire, the child named Lily was conceived using your embryo. However, the person who carried her was not Vanessa.””
I looked at him.
“Who carried her?””
He hesitated.
Rachel answered.
“A surrogate.””
I closed my eyes.
The room felt too small.
A surrogate.
A child.
My embryo.
A little girl who had been born without my knowledge.
I pressed my palm against the desk.
“Where is she?””
Rachel looked at me.
“She's safe.””
“Where?””
“I can arrange for you to meet her.””
I swallowed.
“And the other baby in the photograph?””
Rachel hesitated.
“That baby belongs to Vanessa.””
I looked at the pink blanket again.
Then the blue one.
Two babies.
One photograph.
One family secret.
I turned toward Daniel.
“You invited me here to humiliate me.””
He said nothing.
“You wanted me to see your pregnant wife and believe she had given you everything I couldn't.””
His jaw tightened.
“Claire—”
“But you knew about Lily.””
He finally looked at me.
And the expression on his face told me there was something even worse.
Something he had not yet admitted.
“There's another reason I invited you,” he said.
I felt cold.
“What?””
Daniel glanced at the doctor.
May you like
Then he looked directly at me.
“Because Lily isn't the only child involved.””
