Chapter 8: The Recording My Husband Never Wanted Me to Hear
Nathan Bennett arrived at the hospital the following morning.
He wasn't what I expected.
I'd imagined someone older, perhaps a businessman who looked like Wes.
Instead, he was a man in his early forties wearing a gray sweater and carrying a small leather case.
He stopped just inside the doorway.
"Holly?""
I nodded.
"You're Nathan?""
"Yes.""
Claire stood beside my bed.
"Before you say anything, I want you to know we're recording this conversation.""
Nathan glanced at her.
"That's fine.""
He placed the leather case on the table.
"I understand you've had a difficult few days.""
I almost laughed.
"That's one way to describe it.""
He looked toward the bassinets.
"Are those the twins?""
"Emma and Lily.""
He smiled sadly.
"Richard would have been thrilled.""
I frowned.
"You knew my father-in-law?""
Nathan nodded.
"He was my grandfather.""
"Why did he name you as the alternate beneficiary?""
Nathan pulled out a chair.
"Because he knew my uncle.""
He opened the case and removed a small digital recorder.
"Richard contacted me shortly before he died. He told me Wesley was becoming dangerous.""
I stared at him.
"Dangerous how?""
"He believed Wesley was willing to do almost anything to control the trust.""
I looked toward Daniel.
He had arrived fifteen minutes earlier and was sitting near the window.
"Play the recording," I said.
Nathan pressed a button.
At first, there was static.
Then I heard Margaret's voice.
Clear.
Cold.
Unmistakable.
"She thinks the transfer failed.""
A man's voice answered.
Wes.
"She needs to keep thinking that.""
My entire body went rigid.
Margaret continued.
"The clinic has been paid. The administrator has agreed to correct the file.""
"And the blood test?""
"Canceled.""
Wes sighed.
"Good. We can't have another complication.""
I pressed my hand over my mouth.
Then I heard Margaret ask:
"What if she gets pregnant again?""
Wes answered without hesitation.
"Then we'll deal with it when it happens.""
The recording continued.
Margaret's voice became sharper.
"Your father made one mistake when he created that trust. He assumed you would simply wait for a child to inherit the money.""
Wes laughed.
"I've waited long enough.""
"Then stop behaving like a husband and start thinking like the beneficiary's father.""
There was a pause.
Then Wes said something that made my blood turn to ice.
"I didn't marry Holly because I wanted a family, Mom. I married her because I needed to produce one.""
I stopped breathing.
Claire grabbed my hand.
On the recording, Margaret replied:
"Then make sure you get the result you need.""
Wes spoke again.
"And if she finds out?""
"She won't.""
The recording ended.
Nobody moved.
I stared at the recorder.
Ten years.
Ten years of loving a man who had apparently viewed me as a means to an inheritance.
Ten years of injections, surgeries, disappointments, and tears.
And somewhere in that decade, he had known I might have been pregnant.
He had allowed me to believe I had failed.
I finally looked at Nathan.
"Where did you get this?""
"My grandfather gave it to me.""
"How?""
"He recorded several conversations after becoming suspicious of Wesley's dealings. He wanted evidence in case anything happened to him.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Do you have the original recording and its metadata?""
"Yes. Everything is preserved.""
"Good. We need to have it authenticated.""
Nathan nodded.
"I expected that.""
I looked at him.
"Why didn't you come forward ten years ago?""
His expression changed.
"Because I didn't know about the recording until recently.""
"Why?""
"Richard had instructed his attorney to release the files only if Wesley attempted to interfere with the trust.""
Daniel nodded.
"That condition was triggered when the custody documents were submitted.""
Nathan looked at me.
"Your husband made his move too early.""
I stared at him.
"What do you mean?""
"Margaret believed she could have the girls placed under her temporary authority. Then she would argue that she should control their inheritance.""
"But why did she need me out of the way?""
Nathan hesitated.
"Because your father-in-law specifically required the children's mother to remain involved in decisions concerning their welfare unless a court determined otherwise.""
Daniel opened his briefcase.
"That is consistent with the original trust documents.""
Nathan continued.
"Wes thought he could establish that you were unstable, have Margaret appointed, and then use her position to influence the trustee.""
I looked down.
"So the whole hospital situation was planned.""
"Yes.""
I felt sick.
Then I remembered something.
"Why did you say you knew what happened to my first pregnancy?""
Nathan reached into his case and removed another document.
"This came from the clinic's former administrator.""
It was an internal report.
The report described a disputed medication order submitted after my embryo transfer.
The order had been requested by Margaret.
However, the authorization section contained another name.
Wesley Bennett.
I stared at it.
"Was the medication actually given to me?""
Nathan shook his head.
"That's what the investigation needs to establish. The clinic's records are incomplete.""
"Then why does the report say pregnancy termination?""
Daniel took the paper.
"Because the medication order was recorded as a pregnancy-related intervention. That doesn't prove it was administered.""
My eyes filled.
I wanted certainty.
I wanted someone to tell me exactly what happened.
But all I had were pieces.
Pieces that pointed toward something terrible.
My phone suddenly rang.
Wes.
I answered before Claire could stop me.
"How dare you?""
His voice was furious.
"Have you lost your mind?""
I stared at the phone.
"What?""
"Why is Nathan at the hospital?""
I looked at Nathan.
He was watching me carefully.
"How do you know he's here?""
"Because my mother just called me.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course she did.""
"Holly, you have no idea what you're doing.""
"I heard the recording.""
Silence.
Then:
"What recording?""
"The one where you told your mother you didn't marry me because you wanted a family.""
I heard him inhale sharply.
"Holly, that recording is edited.""
"Is it?""
"Yes.""
"Then tell me what part is false.""
He said nothing.
I continued.
"Did you know about the embryo transfer ten years ago?""
"Holly—"
"Did you know?""
His voice became quieter.
"I was trying to protect you.""
I felt tears running down my cheeks.
"Protect me from my own pregnancy?""
"You weren't ready.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"Your health wasn't good. The clinic had concerns.""
"You let me believe I couldn't have children.""
"I didn't want you to go through another loss.""
"Did you know I was pregnant?""
A long silence followed.
Then he whispered:
"Yes.""
The word hit me harder than anything else.
I gripped the phone.
"What happened to the baby?""
Wes started breathing heavily.
"I didn't make that decision.""
"Who did?""
He didn't answer.
I looked at the recording on the table.
Then I asked the question that had haunted me for ten years.
"Did you know your mother ordered medication after my embryo transfer?""
His voice cracked.
"Holly, please. You don't understand what she was trying to prevent.""
"Tell me.""
"She thought the baby might not be healthy.""
"How did she know?""
Silence.
Then Wes said:
"Because the embryo wasn't supposed to be yours.""
The room went completely still.
I felt my fingers go numb.
"What did you just say?""
He didn't answer.
I repeated the question.
"Wes, what does that mean?""
Finally, he whispered:
"Your first embryo wasn't created from my sample.""
I stared at him.
Then he added:
"And neither were Emma and Lily.""
The call disconnected.
I slowly lowered the phone.
Claire looked at me.
"What did he say?""
I couldn't speak.
Daniel stood immediately.
"Don't make any assumptions yet. We need the original laboratory records and an independent DNA analysis.""
Nathan closed his leather case.
But before he could leave, my phone received a message.
It was from Wes.
*If you want the real story, ask Margaret who the biological father of your daughters is.*
I looked toward the bassinets.
May you like
For the first time since Emma and Lily were born, I felt afraid of an answer.
Because whatever the truth was, my husband had just suggested that the two people I had spent ten years trying to bring into the world might have been conceived through a secret I had never consented to.
