Chapter 5: The Woman Who Knew My Name
I didn't go home immediately.
Melissa drove the children back to my house while I stayed behind with Dr. Harris.
Vanessa had gone upstairs.
Daniel was pacing near the fireplace, making frantic phone calls.
I sat at the dining table with the envelope between my hands.
"Doctor, I need the truth.""
Dr. Harris removed his glasses.
"I understand.""
"No more half-answers. No more telling me there are legal restrictions. Someone used an embryo created during my marriage without my consent.
Someone knew about it. And now I have two children who are asking why a stranger made their mother cry.""
He looked genuinely troubled.
"You're right.""
He opened his briefcase.
"There's something I can show you.""
He placed a document in front of me.
It was a copy of the original embryology report.
Three embryos.
Two transferred.
One frozen.
Beside the third embryo was a handwritten note.
*Preservation authorized pending joint consent.*
I stared at it.
"Whose handwriting?""
"Mine.""
"Then you knew the embryo was supposed to remain frozen.""
"Yes.""
"How did it get transferred?""
He took a breath.
"That is precisely what the investigation was meant to establish.""
I leaned back.
"Who contacted the clinic three years later?""
"A woman named Rachel Collins.""
The name meant nothing to me.
"Who is she?""
"She was listed as the prospective recipient in the disputed paperwork.""
I looked down at the report.
"Was she the woman who received our embryo?""
"That is what the records suggest.""
"Did she have a child?""
Dr. Harris nodded.
"According to the information provided to the clinic, she gave birth to a daughter.""
My fingers went cold.
"How old?""
"Approximately three years.""
I thought of Emma and Noah.
Three years.
A child born from the embryo Daniel had tried to take from us.
"Why did she request a DNA verification?""
"She claimed that the genetic information in her child's medical records did not match the information she had been given.""
I looked up.
"She thought someone had lied to her?""
"Yes.""
"About the biological parents?""
He nodded.
I pressed my palms against the table.
"Where is she now?""
Dr. Harris hesitated.
"I don't have her current address. But I have a contact number from the investigation file.""
"Please.""
He wrote it on a piece of paper.
I looked at the number for a long moment.
Then I called.
It rang four times.
A woman answered.
"Hello?""
"Is this Rachel Collins?""
There was a pause.
"Who is asking?""
"My name is Claire Bennett.""
Silence.
Then a sharp intake of breath.
"Oh, my God.""
I gripped the phone.
"You know who I am?""
"Yes.""
"How?""
Her voice began shaking.
"Because I've been trying to find you for almost two years.""
I looked at Dr. Harris.
He was watching me carefully.
"Why?""
Rachel exhaled.
"Because I think your ex-husband lied to both of us.""
I closed my eyes.
"Tell me everything.""
She began crying.
"Four years ago, my husband and I were desperate to have a child. We'd been through three miscarriages. We were told adoption was probably our best option, but then someone contacted us about an embryo donation.""
"Who contacted you?""
"A fertility coordinator. She said a divorced couple had decided not to use their remaining embryo. She told us both genetic parents had signed the necessary paperwork.""
My stomach tightened.
"Did she give you their names?""
"No. The records were supposed to remain anonymous.""
"Did you meet Daniel?""
"No. But a man came to our house once to discuss the arrangement.""
I stopped breathing.
"What man?""
Rachel paused.
"Daniel Whitmore.""
I stared at the table.
"You're sure?""
"I remember him. He introduced himself as a family representative. He said he was helping make sure everything went smoothly.""
I felt sick.
"What did he tell you?""
"That the embryo belonged to a couple who had divorced. He said the woman couldn't have children and had no interest in becoming a mother.""
My throat tightened.
"He said that?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Dr. Harris.
He had gone pale.
Rachel continued.
"He told us she had signed away her rights. He said she didn't want to be contacted because the whole experience had been traumatic.""
I pressed my hand against my mouth.
That was what Daniel had told everyone.
That I was incapable.
That I was broken.
That I didn't want a family badly enough.
"Rachel, did you have a child?""
"Yes. Her name is Lily.""
"How old is she?""
"Three.""
I swallowed.
"Does she know about the embryo donation?""
"Not yet. She's still little.""
I looked at the original report.
"Why did you contact the clinic?""
Rachel's voice broke.
"Because Lily needed a medical evaluation last year. The specialist asked for a detailed genetic history. I requested the original donor records, and that's when I discovered something wasn't right.""
"What did you discover?""
"The DNA profile didn't match the information we were given.""
I stared at the paper.
"What do you mean?""
Rachel lowered her voice.
"The clinic had a record showing that the embryo came from two people. But the information attached to the transfer was different from the original file. The father's identifying information had been altered.""
I felt the room tilt.
"Daniel changed his information?""
"That's what the clinic suspected.""
"Why would he do that?""
"I don't know. But Claire, there's something else.""
I closed my eyes.
"What?""
"Three years ago, Daniel contacted me again.""
My blood ran cold.
"What did he want?""
"He asked whether I would consider letting him meet Lily.""
I almost dropped the phone.
"He wanted to meet her?""
"Yes. He said he had changed his mind about the donation. He said he was her biological father and wanted a relationship.""
I looked toward Daniel.
He was still pacing.
"Did you let him?""
"No. My husband was furious. We thought the whole thing was strange, so we refused.""
"Did he threaten you?""
Rachel hesitated.
"He said he could make things difficult for us if we refused to cooperate.""
I felt a wave of anger so intense that I had to stand.
"Did you report him?""
"We tried. But without the original consent records, we couldn't prove what he had done.""
I looked at Dr. Harris.
He had been listening.
"Rachel," I said, "I need to ask you something.""
"Anything.""
"Did you know the embryo came from me?""
"No. Not until I found the original record. I saw your name during the investigation.""
I closed my eyes.
For four years, I had believed the last piece of our fertility journey had been destroyed.
Instead, someone had taken it.
Someone had lied to another family.
And Daniel had apparently returned years later, demanding access to a child he had helped place with strangers.
"Rachel, can we meet?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"Tomorrow, if you can.""
I looked at the clock.
It was almost six.
"Where?""
"There's a coffee shop near the old clinic. I'll send you the address.""
Before ending the call, she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
"Claire, I don't think Daniel invited you today because he wanted to show you his new family.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"Then why?""
"Because I received a message from him on Tuesday.""
My heart stopped.
"What did it say?""
"He told me you were going to be at the baby shower. He said you might try to contact me.""
I looked down at the invitation.
Tuesday.
The same day I had received the anonymous message.
"Rachel, did he tell you why?""
She was quiet.
Then she said:
"He told me that if I spoke to you, I would lose the child I've spent three years raising.""
The call ended.
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Then Dr. Harris spoke.
"Claire, I think you should see this.""
He turned his laptop toward me.
On the screen was a scanned email from Daniel to the clinic's legal department.
The subject line read:
*REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF EMBRYO RECORDS.*
The email was dated three years ago.
I began reading.
Daniel had requested access to the genetic records of the child born from the disputed embryo.
But one sentence stood out.
I have reason to believe the recipient's child may be biologically related to another child currently living with my former wife.
I read it again.
Another child.
Emma and Noah.
My stomach twisted.
Daniel had known about them.
Not just known.
He had apparently been investigating their genetic relationship to Lily.
I looked at Dr. Harris.
"Why would he do that?""
The doctor shook his head.
"I don't know.""
But the final attachment in the email was a scanned photograph.
A little girl with dark curls and bright green eyes.
And beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
*Possible half-sibling match: Emma and Noah Bennett.*
I stared at the screen.
Lily.
The child born from the embryo.
May you like
My children's genetic sibling.
And Daniel had known for three years.
