Chapter 2: The Secret Behind the Dress
The room felt smaller when Dr. Harrison walked inside.
Nobody had invited him.
Nobody expected him.
He stood near the doorway holding a brown folder against his chest, his expression serious. The cheerful celebration that had filled the room minutes earlier was gone. The decorations, the flowers, the expensive food—all of it suddenly felt like a cruel joke.
Claire stared at him like she had seen a ghost.
“Why are you here?”” she whispered.
Dr. Harrison looked at Daniel.
“I received a message tonight asking me to come.””
Daniel frowned.
“From who?””
The doctor’s eyes moved toward Claire.
“From someone who was worried the truth would never come out.””
Claire’s face drained of color.
I looked around the room, trying to understand what was happening.
Daniel stepped closer.
“What truth?””
Dr. Harrison opened the folder.
“Before I say anything, I want everyone here to understand something. Pregnancy is not a game. It is not a costume. It is not something someone can use to manipulate another person’s emotions.””
Claire started shaking her head.
“No.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Claire, what is he talking about?””
She grabbed his arm.
“Don’t listen to him.””
But Daniel pulled away.
For the first time all night, he looked afraid.
Dr. Harrison took out several papers.
“Daniel, you came to my clinic three months ago with Claire because you wanted to discuss prenatal care.””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“You remember that appointment?””
“Of course.””
The doctor looked down.
“That appointment never happened.””
A wave of confusion spread through the room.
Daniel blinked.
“What?””
Dr. Harrison handed him the papers.
“My clinic records show that Claire canceled every appointment scheduled under her name.””
Claire’s breathing became uneven.
“That’s not true.””
Dr. Harrison continued.
“She also provided you with ultrasound images that did not belong to her.””
Daniel stared at the papers.
“What are you saying?””
“I’m saying,” the doctor replied calmly, “that Claire has never been pregnant.””
The silence afterward was unbearable.
Someone dropped a fork onto a plate.
It sounded like an explosion.
Daniel stepped backward.
“No.””
His voice was barely audible.
“No, that’s impossible.””
Claire immediately started crying.
“Daniel, please. Please don’t let him do this.””
But Daniel wasn’t looking at her anymore.
He was looking at the fake belly that had fooled him for months.
“How long?”” he asked.
Claire said nothing.
“How long have you been lying to me?””
She covered her face.
“I was scared.””
Daniel laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“You were scared?””
His voice broke.
“You let me tell everyone we were having a child.””
“I wanted to give you a family.””
“You already had one!””
Daniel pointed toward me, then toward his relatives.
“You had people who loved you.””
Claire’s tears fell faster.
“You don’t understand.””
“No,” Daniel said.
“I don’t.””
Dr. Harrison closed the folder.
“There is something else you need to know.””
Everyone looked at him.
Claire suddenly moved forward.
“Don’t.””
The doctor ignored her.
“Claire did not just fake the pregnancy.””
My heart started pounding.
Daniel looked confused.
“What else could there be?””
Dr. Harrison hesitated.
Then he pulled out another document.
“This pregnancy was created to stop someone from leaving.””
Daniel stared.
“What does that mean?””
The doctor looked directly at him.
“Claire knew you were planning to divorce her.””
The room erupted with whispers.
Daniel’s face changed.
“What?””
Claire’s expression collapsed.
I felt a chill run through me.
Because I remembered something Daniel had told me months earlier.
He had discovered something about Claire.
Something serious.
Something he said he needed time to handle before making a decision.
But he never told me what it was.
Daniel turned toward Claire.
“You knew?””
She didn’t answer.
“You knew I was going to leave?””
Claire wiped her tears.
“I knew you were unhappy.””
“And your solution was to invent a child?””
“I thought you would stay.””
Daniel looked completely broken.
Then Dr. Harrison spoke again.
“And there’s one more thing.””
Claire suddenly screamed.
“Stop!””
Everyone froze.
The doctor looked at Daniel.
“The person who contacted me tonight wasn’t Sophie.””
My eyes moved toward the little girl standing quietly beside her mother.
Dr. Harrison continued.
“It was someone else who found evidence before today’s celebration.””
Daniel’s voice was low.
“Who?””
The doctor slowly turned and looked across the room.
At me.
“I believe she deserves to tell you herself.””
Every face in the room turned in my direction.
And then I realized Claire wasn’t looking at me with anger.
May you like
She was looking at me with fear.
Because she knew exactly what I had found.
