Chapter 9: The Truth Beneath the Nursery Floor
Camille stared at the document in Beatrix's hands.
"No.""
Alistair turned toward her.
"What's that?""
She shook her head.
"That's not what it looks like.""
Beatrix read the heading aloud.
"Contingency: Removal of Biological Father's Claims.""
Alistair took the document.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then he looked at Camille.
"You agreed to this?""
She began crying.
"I didn't know what it meant.""
He turned the page.
"Your signature is here.""
Camille covered her face.
Roland stepped forward.
"That document was never finalized.""
Richard looked at him.
"Why was it drafted?""
"Legal protection.""
"Against what?""
Roland didn't answer.
Alistair read another paragraph.
It suggested that the biological father could be portrayed as financially unstable, emotionally unreliable, and potentially dangerous.
A supporting statement had been prepared.
It included allegations that Alistair had threatened Camille.
That he had pressured her during pregnancy.
That he had attempted to manipulate her into transferring the child to him.
Alistair lowered the paper.
"You were going to tell everyone I was dangerous?""
Camille whispered, "Roland said it was necessary.""
"For what?""
"To protect the baby.""
Alistair shook his head.
"From me?""
She reached for his hand.
He stepped away.
"Don't.""
I watched the scene unfold.
Camille had once sat beside me in a clinic and told me that friendship meant protecting each other.
Now she had helped prepare false allegations against the biological father of her unborn child.
And she had done it for the man who had lied to her about the future.
Richard looked toward Beatrix.
"This requires immediate legal review.""
"Agreed.""
Roland suddenly grabbed the document.
"These are drafts. They mean nothing.""
Beatrix didn't move.
"Please put that down.""
He crumpled the top page.
Martin immediately raised his phone.
"Don't.""
Roland stopped.
Martin pointed toward the security cameras.
"Everything is being preserved.""
Roland dropped the paper.
Then he looked at Camille.
"Tell them what you told me.""
She stared at him.
"What?""
"Tell them you were afraid of Alistair.""
Camille shook her head.
"Roland...""
"Tell them.""
For a moment, she seemed to consider it.
Then she looked at Alistair.
"I wasn't afraid of you.""
He said nothing.
"I was afraid of losing everything.""
Alistair's voice was quiet.
"You already lost it.""
Camille began sobbing.
Roland turned away.
"Unbelievable.""
Richard closed the folder.
"I've heard enough. No trust-related announcements will proceed. All disputed transactions will be referred for independent investigation.""
Roland stared at him.
"You can't take this away from me.""
Richard's expression was cold.
"You did that yourself.""
The security staff approached.
"Mr. Mercer, we'd like you to accompany us to the private office.""
Roland looked around.
Nobody moved to help him.
Not his mother.
Not Camille.
Not the guests who had spent the afternoon congratulating him.
He turned toward me one last time.
"You think this makes you better than me?""
I looked at him.
"No. It makes me free of you.""
He walked away.
Camille remained near the stage.
Her baby shower decorations surrounded her.
White flowers.
Gold ribbons.
A beautiful cake decorated with a tiny golden crown.
The photographer had stopped taking pictures.
Guests were leaving.
I approached her.
She looked up.
"Ellie.""
I stopped.
"Don't.""
She wiped her cheeks.
"Please. Just let me explain.""
I looked at her.
"You've had years to explain.""
"I made mistakes.""
"You made decisions.""
"I was scared.""
"So was I.""
She stared at me.
I continued.
"I was scared every time a doctor told me another treatment had failed. I was scared every time Roland looked at me like I'd disappointed him. I was scared when I discovered you together in my living room.""
My voice remained steady.
"And you were there through all of it. You watched me suffer while you knew exactly what was happening.""
Camille lowered her head.
"I didn't mean for things to go this far.""
I almost smiled.
"That's what makes you dangerous. You never think about how far your decisions go. You only think about what you want right now.""
She looked toward the nursery-themed decorations.
"What am I supposed to do now?""
I glanced at Alistair.
"That's something you and the father of your child need to work out.""
She looked at me sharply.
"You want me to be with Alistair?""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"I want you to stop treating people like pieces on a board.""
She began crying again.
I turned away.
Outside the ballroom, Beatrix caught up with me.
"Eleanor, we need to talk.""
I stopped.
"About the trust?""
"About your company.""
She handed me a message from the investigator.
The forensic examiner had completed an initial review of the forged medical consent form.
The signature had been copied from a document I had signed during an earlier fertility appointment.
But the copy had not been created at the clinic.
It had been created on a computer registered to my former home.
I frowned.
"Whose computer?""
Beatrix looked at me.
"Roland's personal office.""
I stared.
"Then he forged it himself.""
"That's what the evidence currently indicates.""
I closed my eyes.
The same office where he'd spent years telling me we were a team.
The same desk where he'd signed anniversary cards.
The same computer where he'd apparently forged my signature.
"What's next?""
"An independent review of the financial transfers. We'll also challenge the false claims against your company.""
I nodded.
Then Martin approached.
"Ms. Mercer, there's one more thing.""
I looked at him.
He handed me a small flash drive.
"We recovered this from the office computer.""
"What's on it?""
"An audio recording.""
My stomach tightened.
"Of what?""
He glanced toward Beatrix.
"A conversation between Roland and Camille.""
"When?""
"Three weeks before your divorce was finalized.""
I looked at the flash drive.
"Have you listened to it?""
"Yes.""
"What did they say?""
Martin hesitated.
Then he answered.
"Roland told Camille that once you signed the divorce agreement, he would make sure you never discovered what happened to the money.""
I stared at him.
"Anything else?""
He nodded.
"Camille asked whether you would ever find out about the fertility diagnosis.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"And Roland?""
Martin looked directly at me.
"He said, 'She'll never know. By the time she finds out, everyone will believe she was the problem.''"
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
I looked toward the ballroom.
Camille was still sitting beside the cake.
Roland was nowhere to be seen.
I thought of every appointment.
Every injection.
Every night I'd apologized for not being able to give my husband a child.
And suddenly I understood that the cruelty hadn't been accidental.
It had been deliberate.
I took the flash drive.
"Send the recording to Beatrix.""
Then I walked out.
The following morning, the recording was formally reviewed by our legal team.
But at 8:17 a.m., my phone rang.
It was Alistair.
"Eleanor, you need to come to the hospital.""
I stood up.
"What's happened?""
"It's Camille.""
"Is she okay?""
"She's in labor.""
I grabbed my keys.
"Is the baby all right?""
There was a pause.
May you like
Then Alistair said:
"There's a complication. And Roland just arrived claiming he has legal parental authority.""
