Chapter 5: The Third Name
For several seconds, I couldn't understand what I was looking at.
The words were there.
The letters were clear.
But my brain kept rejecting them.
*Marcus Vale.*
Not Daniel.
Not me.
Not some mistake in a medical file.
His name.
The doctor.
The man who had been connected to the money transfers.
The man who had signed off on procedures I didn't remember.
The man whose company had received thousands of dollars from my husband's accounts.
I looked at Claire.
"Explain.""
She shook her head slowly.
"I don't know.""
"Don't tell me you don't know.""
"I'm telling you the truth.""
"Then what does this mean?""
Claire took the paper from my hand and looked again.
"The archived sample isn't from the twins.""
"I know that.""
"The record says it was created from a different genetic source.""
"Whose?""
Her eyes moved to the name.
"His.""
A cold feeling spread through my entire body.
"Dr. Vale.""
Claire nodded.
"But that doesn't make sense.""
"No.""
"Why would a fertility doctor be involved?""
"I don't know.""
"Why would my husband pay him?""
"I don't know.""
"Why would he use my treatment records?""
"I don't know.""
My voice cracked.
"Everyone keeps saying they don't know.""
Claire looked away.
Because she knew.
Not everything.
But enough.
I walked to the window.
The parking lot outside looked exactly the same as it had fifteen minutes earlier.
People walking.
Cars arriving.
A mother carrying a diaper bag.
A man drinking coffee.
Normal.
Everyone else had normal lives.
Mine had turned into a question with no bottom.
My phone buzzed.
Rebecca.
I answered immediately.
"Tell me you found something.""
There was a pause.
"I found something worse.""
My grip tightened.
"What?""
"I spoke with North River.""
"About the records?""
"Yes.""
"And?""
"They confirmed the embryo transfer documentation exists.""
My heart stopped.
"The transfer to Claire?""
"No.""
I closed my eyes.
"Then what?""
Rebecca's voice became careful.
"Anna, I need you to listen to me before you react.""
"I hate when people say that.""
"I know.""
"Rebecca.""
"The procedure you remember three years ago wasn't listed as a diagnostic procedure.""
I couldn't speak.
Claire looked at me.
"What?""
I put the phone on speaker.
Rebecca continued.
"The procedure was coded differently.""
"Different how?""
"Assisted reproductive intervention.""
The room went silent.
Claire sat down.
"That means...""
"Yes," Rebecca said.
"Someone altered your medical records.""
I felt dizzy.
"But why?""
"We're trying to determine that.""
"No.""
I looked at the report again.
"I need to know now.""
"Anna—"
"No.""
My voice became stronger.
"Everyone keeps telling me to wait. Everyone keeps telling me there are procedures and lawyers and investigations.""
I looked at the locked door.
"While Daniel has been deciding my life for years.""
Rebecca didn't interrupt.
Good.
Because I wasn't finished.
"I want the truth.""
A long pause.
Then Rebecca said:
"I found another thing.""
"What?""
"The company records.""
I looked toward Claire.
"What about them?""
"The entity Claire was listed under wasn't created six months ago.""
My stomach tightened.
"When?""
"Three years ago.""
The same time.
The same week.
The same period when everything in my life changed.
"Who owns it?""
"Originally?""
"Yes.""
"Daniel.""
I laughed once.
A broken sound.
"Of course.""
"But that's not the important part.""
"What is?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"The company was created as a medical research investment group.""
I stared.
"Research?""
"Yes.""
"By Daniel?""
"With another partner.""
I already knew.
But I asked anyway.
"Who?""
"Marcus Vale.""
Claire covered her mouth.
"No.""
Rebecca continued.
"Anna, there are multiple payments from Daniel's personal accounts to Vale's company. They began three years ago.""
"How many?""
"Twenty-seven.""
My eyes moved to the glass wall in my study.
Twenty-seven payments.
I had seen them.
I just didn't know what they meant.
"Can you send me everything?""
"I already did.""
My phone pinged.
An email arrived.
Rebecca continued.
"Do not contact Vale.""
"Why?""
"Because if he knows you found this, he can prepare.""
I looked at the report.
Too late.
I already knew I wasn't going to sit quietly.
"Rebecca.""
"Yes?""
"What if he was involved from the beginning?""
She was silent.
Then:
"That's exactly what I'm trying to determine.""
The call ended.
Claire and I sat in silence.
The anger I felt toward her hadn't disappeared.
It couldn't.
Some betrayals don't vanish just because a larger betrayal appears.
She had still lied.
She had still been with Daniel.
She had still held my pain while carrying something that came from me.
But now there was another layer.
Something darker.
Something neither of us fully understood.
"Did Daniel know about the genetic report?"" I asked.
Claire shook her head.
"No.""
"Then why did you test the baby?""
She looked down.
"Because something didn't feel right.""
"What?""
"Daniel never acted like a father.""
I frowned.
"What do you mean?""
"He loved the idea of having children.""
"That's not the same thing.""
"No.""
Claire looked at me.
"He loved what children represented.""
I waited.
"Proof.""
"Proof of what?""
"That he was successful.""
The words hit harder than I expected.
Because I knew exactly what she meant.
Daniel loved achievements.
Numbers.
Milestones.
Things people could see.
A successful company.
A beautiful house.
A perfect family photo.
He didn't want a family.
He wanted evidence that he had won.
My phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice.
Older.
Calm.
"Anna Carter?""
Every muscle in my body tightened.
"Who is this?""
"You know who this is.""
I looked at Claire.
She already knew.
"Marcus Vale.""
Silence.
Then a small breath.
"Yes.""
"How did you get my number?""
"Daniel.""
Of course.
"Why are you calling me?""
"I heard you found the records.""
I stood.
"How?""
"Because Daniel came to see me twenty minutes ago.""
Claire went pale.
"What did he say?""
Vale ignored her.
"Anna, you need to understand something.""
"I don't need anything from you.""
"You do.""
"No.""
My voice shook.
"But you owe me answers.""
A pause.
Then:
"I agree.""
That surprised me.
"You're admitting it?""
"I'm admitting that you were never told the truth.""
"About what?""
"About the procedure.""
"About my embryo?""
"About everything.""
I felt my hands go cold.
"Where are you?""
"I'm not telling you that.""
"Then why call?""
"Because Daniel is going to try to destroy the evidence.""
I looked at the report.
"Evidence of what?""
Another pause.
Then he said:
"The fact that he never intended for you to have a child.""
The room went silent.
Claire whispered:
"What?""
I gripped the phone.
"What did he do?""
Vale exhaled.
"I need to meet with you.""
"No.""
"Anna—"
"You had a role in this.""
"I did.""
The honesty caught me off guard.
"I made mistakes.""
"Mistakes?""
His voice lowered.
"Yes.""
"People don't accidentally alter medical records.""
"No.""
"People don't accidentally move embryos.""
"No.""
"People don't accidentally let a woman believe she lost a child.""
Silence.
Then he said:
"I know.""
The anger inside me burned.
"You knew.""
"Yes.""
"And you said nothing.""
"I was afraid.""
"Of Daniel?""
"Of what would happen if I exposed him.""
I almost laughed.
"So you protected yourself.""
"Yes.""
Again.
No excuses.
No denial.
Just the truth.
For some reason, that made it worse.
"Why now?""
"Because Daniel is no longer protecting me.""
I looked at Claire.
"What does that mean?""
"He came to my office.""
"And?""
"He threatened me.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did he say?""
Vale's voice changed.
"He said if I didn't destroy the remaining records, he would tell everyone what I had done.""
"What did you do?""
A long pause.
Then:
"What Daniel asked me to do.""
The answer was horrifying.
But I needed it.
"Tell me.""
"Not over the phone.""
"Why?""
"Because once I say it, there is no going back.""
I looked around the room.
At Claire.
At the documents.
At the evidence of a life I thought I understood.
"There was never a going back.""
Another silence.
Then Vale said:
"Come alone.""
"No.""
"I expected you to say that.""
"Good.""
"But bring Claire.""
Claire looked shocked.
"Why?""
"Because she deserves to hear the part Daniel never told her.""
My heartbeat increased.
"What part?""
Vale's voice became almost a whisper.
"The reason he chose her.""
The line went quiet.
Then he added:
"Anna, Daniel didn't choose Claire because she gave him children.""
I waited.
"He chose her because she was the only person who could make his plan work.""
I looked at Claire.
She looked terrified.
"What plan?""
Vale answered:
"The one that started before your wedding.""
The call ended.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Claire whispered:
"Anna.""
I looked at her.
"Yes?""
Her face had gone pale.
"I think I know where he wants us to go.""
"Where?""
She swallowed.
"The old North River facility.""
"The one that closed?""
She nodded.
"Daniel bought the building last year.""
I stared at her.
"Why would he buy an abandoned fertility clinic?""
Claire didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
Because both of us understood.
The building wasn't abandoned.
Not really.
It was hiding something.
Something Daniel had spent years burying.
I picked up my bag.
Claire stood.
"Are you sure you want to do this?""
I looked at the genetic report.
At my name.
At Marcus Vale's.
At the life that had been stolen from me piece by piece.
"No.""
Claire looked surprised.
"No?""
I opened the door.
"I'm not sure.""
I stepped into the hallway.
"But I'm done being afraid of what I'll find.""
As we walked toward the exit, my phone buzzed.
A message from Daniel.
Only one sentence.
*If you go to that building, you will finally understand why I did everything.*
I stopped walking.
Claire read it over my shoulder.
Then another message appeared.
*And you will hate me more than you hate me now.*
I stared at the screen.
Because for the first time since the photograph arrived, I believed him.
Not because I trusted him.
Because I finally understood something.
May you like
Daniel wasn't afraid that I would discover what he did.
He was afraid I would discover why.
