Chapter 3: The Signature
“The embryo transfer scheduled for tomorrow morning.””
Mark’s hand tightened around the phone.
“What did you just say?””
The woman on the other end repeated herself, slower this time.
“Mrs. Hayes is scheduled for an embryo transfer tomorrow at nine-fifteen. We have her consent on file, along with the required financial authorization.””
Mark looked at me.
Then at the folder.
Then back at me.
“Lauren,” he said carefully, “did you ever go to this clinic?””
“No.””
“Did you ever sign anything?””
“No.””
His jaw flexed.
The woman on the phone continued.
“Mr. Hayes, if there has been a misunderstanding, we need to resolve it immediately. The physician has already reviewed the chart.””
“There hasn't been a misunderstanding,” Mark said.
“There has been a fraud.””
Silence.
“What?””
“You have paperwork with my wife's name on it. She never authorized a transfer.””
“I understand your concern, but I can't discuss another patient's information.””
“It isn't another patient.””
Mark looked down at the folder.
“It says Lauren Hayes.””
The woman paused.
“Can you confirm Mrs. Hayes's date of birth?””
I gave him the information.
The line went quiet again.
“That matches our record.””
My stomach dropped.
Mark stared at the folder as if it had become something alive.
“Then tell me,” he said, “who signed it.””
“I can't provide that over the phone.””
“Then I'm coming there.””
“Sir—”
“We'll be there in thirty minutes.””
He ended the call.
The room was almost empty now.
Only a handful of relatives remained, standing awkwardly near the front door. Uncle Ray looked as though he'd forgotten where he had parked his car. Aunt Brenda was staring at Evelyn.
Chloe sat on the sofa, shoulders shaking.
Evelyn didn't look frightened.
That almost made it worse.
She looked annoyed.
“You're blowing this out of proportion,” she said.
Mark turned toward her.
“Who signed it?””
She said nothing.
“Mom.””
“I'm trying to help Chloe.””
“With a forged signature?””
“I did what had to be done.””
My breath caught.
Mark walked to the console table and lifted the folder.
“Did you sign my name?””
Evelyn scoffed.
“Don't be ridiculous.””
“Did Chloe?””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
She folded her arms.
“Your father's attorney arranged the paperwork.””
“My father has been dead for six years.””
Evelyn's expression flickered.
It was tiny.
But I saw it.
Mark did too.
He opened the folder.
The first page was a consent form.
My name appeared in black ink.
Under “Patient Signature,” there was a looping signature that looked close enough to mine to fool anyone who didn't know me.
Mark stared at it.
“You've got to be kidding.””
I came closer.
He held the page toward me.
“Is this yours?””
“No.””
He turned it sideways.
The signature really did look like mine.
Almost.
The capital L was too narrow.
The final stroke of the n was too long.
And my signature always had a little slash through the H.
This one didn't.
“I've signed my name thousands of times,” I whispered.
“That's not mine.””
Aunt Brenda stepped closer.
“Can I see that?””
Mark handed her the page.
She studied it.
Then looked at me.
“Lauren, didn't you sign something when you got married? For the name change?””
“Yes.””
“And didn't Evelyn keep copies of your documents?””
I frowned.
“I think so. Why?””
Aunt Brenda's face hardened.
She handed the paper back.
“Because this signature looks traced.””
Evelyn snapped, “That's absurd.””
Mark looked up.
“Is it?””
“Yes.””
“Then you're going to be very comfortable explaining it to a fraud investigator.””
Evelyn's cheeks reddened.
“You would call the police on your own mother?””
“I'm not calling them on my mother.””
He held up the page.
“I'm calling them about whoever forged my wife's signature.””
Chloe suddenly stood.
“Wait.””
Everyone looked at her.
She rubbed her palms against her jeans.
“Mom didn't forge it.””
Evelyn's eyes widened.
“Chloe.””
“You said you didn't, but you did tell me who could.””
“Stop talking.””
Chloe looked at Mark.
“She had someone at the clinic.””
My heart started pounding again.
“Who?””
Chloe's lips trembled.
“The patient coordinator.””
Mark's voice was flat.
“What was her name?””
“I don't know.””
“You don't know the name of the person arranging a procedure using your sister-in-law's body?””
“She spoke to Mom.””
“That's not what I asked.””
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut.
“Marissa.””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Don't say anything else.””
“Why?”” Mark demanded.
Evelyn ignored him.
“Chloe, go upstairs.””
“No.””
“You're confused.””
“No, I'm not.””
For the first time, Chloe sounded angry at her mother.
“I remember everything.””
She looked at me.
“I remember Mom saying the clinic could use your old file because you'd had bloodwork there before.””
A cold wave moved through me.
“I've never had bloodwork there.””
“You did,” Evelyn said quickly.
“Years ago.””
I stared at her.
Then I remembered.
Not the fertility clinic.
The medical center beside it.
Three years earlier, I'd gone there for a routine physical after changing jobs.
That was all.
I had filled out paperwork.
Given blood.
Provided identification.
Then never thought about it again.
Evelyn knew that.
She knew all of it.
Mark was flipping through the folder now.
“Insurance authorization.””
He turned another page.
“Medical history.””
Another.
“Emergency contact.””
He stopped.
His finger rested on the page.
My mother's name.
My old phone number.
All information from years ago.
Everything looked authentic except the signature.
“Someone accessed her medical file,” he said.
No one answered.
Uncle Ray finally spoke.
“That's not something you hide under a tablecloth.””
Mark nodded.
“No.””
He looked at Evelyn.
“That's identity theft.””
Evelyn's face went pale.
“It was for family.””
“Family doesn't make you immune from the law.””
“You don't understand!””
“Then explain.””
She stepped closer.
“I knew Chloe had one chance left.””
Her voice cracked.
“One embryo. One chance. Do you know what that does to someone?””
Mark didn't answer.
“She had already lost pregnancies. She had already gone through procedures that nearly destroyed her. The doctors said carrying a baby herself was dangerous.””
Chloe whispered, “Mom…”
“I couldn't watch my daughter lose everything.””
Evelyn's eyes filled.
“So I found another way.””
I stared at her.
“Another way?””
She looked directly at me.
“You could carry it.””
The words were so calm that they were almost cruel.
“I could carry someone else's child?””
“Our family's child.””
“No.””
“You wouldn't lose anything.””
My mouth fell open.
“I wouldn't lose anything?””
“You were already planning to have a child.””
I took a step back.
“This is my child.””
Evelyn's expression changed.
Not remorse.
Calculation.
“The embryo belongs to Chloe and David.””
I froze.
Chloe's husband.
That meant the genetic parents would be Chloe and David.
Evelyn continued.
“Once you delivered, the baby would go to them.””
My hand covered my stomach.
A laugh escaped me.
It sounded broken.
“You planned to take my baby away.””
“It was never supposed to be your baby.””
Mark moved between us.
“She is eight months pregnant.””
Evelyn blinked.
“What?””
“She is already pregnant.””
“I know.””
“No.””
Mark pointed at my stomach.
“She is eight months pregnant with our child.””
Evelyn looked confused for a moment.
Then I saw realization hit her.
Slowly.
She looked from my belly to the folder.
Then back to Mark.
Chloe's face went white.
“Oh my God.””
Mark turned toward her.
“You didn't know either?””
Chloe shook her head.
“I thought…”
She swallowed.
“I thought Lauren was supposed to carry our embryo after her delivery.””
My fingers went numb.
Mark stared at her.
“After her delivery?””
Evelyn went silent.
“That isn't what you told me,” Chloe whispered.
“What did she tell you?”” Mark asked.
Chloe looked terrified.
“She said Lauren's baby would be born first.””
I felt the room spin.
Then Chloe said the sentence that made my blood run cold.
“She said after the birth, Lauren would be sedated.””
Mark's face changed.
“Why?””
Chloe began crying.
“She said it would be easier.””
“For what?””
“To switch the babies.””
Nobody moved.
Nobody even seemed able to blink.
I could hear the clock on the wall.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Then Mark said, very softly,
“You planned to steal our newborn.””
Evelyn's silence was the only answer.
He took one step toward her.
“You were going to tell us our baby died.””
“I never said that.””
“You didn't have to.””
His voice shook now.
“You were going to put Chloe's embryo in Lauren and then hand us another story.””
“It was for Chloe!””
“It was for you,” Mark shouted.
The sound rattled the windows.
Evelyn flinched.
“It was about control.””
“You're wrong.””
“You always decide what happens to everyone!””
Mark threw the folder onto the table.
Pages scattered.
“I thought you were difficult.””
He laughed bitterly.
“I thought you were controlling.””
He shook his head.
“This is something else.””
Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
“You'll thank me someday.””
Mark stared at her.
“No.””
Then he looked at me.
“We're going to the hospital.””
I stood.
My legs felt weak.
“Mark…”
“We're getting you checked. Then we're going straight to the police.””
Chloe stepped toward us.
“Wait.””
Mark turned.
She was holding a small envelope.
“I found this in Mom's room last night.””
She extended it toward him.
“I didn't know what it was.””
Mark took it.
There was no return address.
Only one name handwritten across the front.
*MARISSA.*
He opened it.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
His face lost all color.
“What?”” I whispered.
He didn't answer.
I took the paper from his hand.
At the bottom was a date.
Tomorrow.
And beneath it was a line that made my knees nearly give out.
*Delivery authorization: Lauren Hayes — fetal handoff to Chloe and David Mercer.*
Then I saw the part Mark hadn't yet noticed.
There was one more signature.
Not Evelyn's.
Not Chloe's.
Not mine.
May you like
It belonged to Mark's father.
The dead man who had supposedly been gone for six years.
