Chapter 2: The Woman Who Knew My Husband's Secret
"Get out.""
My voice was barely audible.
Vanessa looked almost amused.
She set her handbag on the chair Dr. Patel had been using.
"I understand you're upset.""
"You're in my hospital room. Get out.""
Dr. Patel stood immediately.
"Ms. Cole, you were not authorized to enter this patient's room.""
Vanessa didn't even look at her.
"I'm not here to cause trouble.""
"Then leave," I said.
She finally turned toward me.
She was probably in her early thirties, with perfectly styled brown hair and a face that looked carefully maintained. Her makeup was flawless. Her nails were pale pink.
She looked like someone who had never spent an entire night crying in a hospital bathroom.
Someone who had never watched her savings disappear because she wanted children.
Someone who had never sat across from a doctor and heard the words, "I'm sorry, but this cycle wasn't successful.""
She looked at my hospital bracelet.
Then she looked at my stomach.
"Congratulations on the girls.""
I felt sick.
"How do you know their names?""
Vanessa blinked.
"Names?""
I swallowed.
"We haven't announced them.""
She gave a small shrug.
"Wes told me.""
The room became unbearably quiet.
Dr. Patel stepped between us.
"That's enough. You need to leave.""
Vanessa sighed.
"Fine. But Holly deserves to know the truth.""
I looked at her.
"Then tell me.""
She glanced at Dr. Patel.
"Privately.""
"No," I said.
"You don't get to come into my hospital room, talk about my children, and decide when I get information.""
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
She pulled a folded envelope from her handbag.
"Wes and I have known each other for a long time.""
I stared at her.
"How long?""
"Almost three years.""
Three years.
My marriage had lasted eleven.
My throat tightened.
"Are you having an affair with my husband?""
Vanessa tilted her head.
"I wouldn't call it that.""
"What would you call it?""
"Complicated.""
I laughed.
It was an ugly, broken sound.
"Of course. It's always complicated when a married man gets caught.""
Vanessa's cheeks colored.
"You don't understand the situation.""
"Then explain it.""
She opened the envelope and removed several photographs.
She placed them on the bedside table.
The first showed Wes standing outside a restaurant.
His arm was around Vanessa.
The second showed them sitting together in a booth.
His hand was resting on hers.
The third made my stomach turn.
They were standing in front of a house.
Wes was holding a set of keys.
Vanessa was kissing him.
I stared at the photographs.
"Where were these taken?""
"Different places," she replied.
"When?""
"Over the last two years.""
Two years.
I remembered our tenth wedding anniversary.
Wes had taken me to a small hotel outside the city.
He had bought me a necklace and told me he wanted us to celebrate the fact that we were still fighting for our dream.
Had he been seeing her then?
Had he been kissing her in parking lots while I was injecting hormones into my stomach?
I pressed my palm against my incision.
"Why are you showing me these?""
Vanessa looked toward the bassinets.
"Because Wes made me a promise.""
"What promise?""
"He said once the babies were born, he would finally tell you everything.""
"Tell me what?""
She hesitated.
Then she said, "That he wants to be with me.""
I stared at her.
My husband had just left the hospital after the birth of our daughters.
I had woken up from major surgery.
I was still connected to monitors.
And this woman was standing beside my bed discussing her relationship with him as though we were negotiating furniture.
"Does he know you came here?""
"Yes.""
"Did he send you?""
She didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Dr. Patel reached for the envelope.
"These photographs are irrelevant to her immediate medical care. Ms. Cole, you need to leave.""
Vanessa pulled the envelope away.
"There's more.""
I looked at her.
"More than the affair?""
She ignored my question.
"Have you ever wondered why Wes suddenly became so enthusiastic about having children?""
I frowned.
"What are you talking about?""
"For years, he told me he didn't want to spend his entire life waiting for something that might never happen.""
My stomach tightened.
"Stop.""
"He said he loved you, but he couldn't keep living like that.""
"Stop talking.""
"And then, when the pregnancy finally happened, he told me he had a plan.""
I shook my head.
"What plan?""
Vanessa looked directly into my eyes.
"To have a family without losing everything he'd built.""
I didn't understand.
"What does that mean?""
She pulled another paper from the envelope.
It was a photocopy of a document.
I couldn't read the small print from where I lay.
But I recognized the heading.
It was from the fertility clinic we had used.
I looked at Dr. Patel.
"Is that what you were talking about?""
She nodded slowly.
Vanessa stepped closer.
"Wes told me that one of the embryos was created using my egg.""
I stopped breathing.
For several seconds, the words meant nothing.
Then they began to make sense.
"No.""
Vanessa continued.
"He said you knew.""
"No.""
"He said you agreed to it.""
"No!""
My voice cracked.
Dr. Patel immediately moved toward the bed.
"Holly, breathe.""
I grabbed her wrist.
"Tell her she's lying.""
Dr. Patel looked at Vanessa.
"That is a serious allegation.""
Vanessa lifted her chin.
"I have paperwork.""
"Then provide it to the hospital's legal department. You do not get to interrogate a patient who has just undergone surgery.""
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Fine.""
She dropped the photocopy onto the blanket.
"Look at it yourself.""
I stared at the paper.
There was a section titled DONOR INFORMATION.
Under it was a name.
Vanessa Cole.
My hands began shaking.
"That's not possible.""
Vanessa leaned forward.
"Wes said he couldn't bear watching you go through another failed treatment. He told me you were desperate. He said he needed someone who could help.""
"You're lying.""
"He said he would never tell you unless he had to.""
I looked at Dr. Patel.
"Is this real?""
She carefully took the paper.
"I can't verify this document without reviewing the original medical records.""
"But is it possible?""
She hesitated.
"Some fertility treatments involve donor eggs. But any use of a donor's genetic material requires proper informed consent.""
"I never agreed to this.""
"I hear you.""
I began crying.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just tears sliding into my hair as I stared at the ceiling.
Ten years.
Ten years of believing my body was the problem.
Ten years of blaming myself.
Ten years of thinking that if I had been healthier, younger, or somehow better, I would have given Wes the family he wanted.
And now a stranger was telling me that he might have used another woman's eggs without my knowledge.
"Why would he do that?"" I whispered.
Vanessa answered before Dr. Patel could.
"Because he wanted children, Holly. And he wanted me.""
I turned toward her.
"Then why didn't he leave me before the treatment?""
She shrugged.
"Because you had money.""
I froze.
"What?""
Vanessa glanced at Dr. Patel, then continued.
"Wes told me about your inheritance. Your grandmother's property. The investment account. The money you received after she died.""
My blood went cold.
My grandmother had left me a substantial inheritance five years earlier.
I had kept most of it separate from our joint finances.
Wes knew about it.
But he had never seemed interested.
Until recently.
"He told me he wanted to secure his future," Vanessa said.
"He said he couldn't just walk away from the marriage without losing his share of the things you'd built together.""
I stared at her.
"You're saying he married me for money?""
"No. I'm saying he didn't want to leave empty-handed.""
Dr. Patel stepped forward.
"Ms. Cole, leave now.""
Vanessa picked up her handbag.
Before walking out, she turned back.
"One more thing.""
I closed my eyes.
"What?""
"Wes said he would come back once everything settled down. But I wouldn't count on it.""
"Why?""
She gave a thin smile.
"Because he told me the twins were supposed to be our fresh start.""
Then she walked out.
The door closed.
For a long time, I didn't move.
Dr. Patel sat beside me.
"Holly, I'm going to have the hospital contact our patient advocate. We also need to review your records.""
I wiped my face.
"Can I see my daughters?""
"Of course.""
"Now?""
"Let me arrange it.""
She reached for the call button.
I stopped her.
"Wait.""
She looked at me.
"Did you know about this?""
"No.""
"Are you sure?""
"Holly, I would never knowingly allow something like that to happen.""
I studied her face.
I wanted to believe her.
But my life had become a room full of people telling me things I couldn't verify.
"Please," I whispered.
"I need the truth.""
She squeezed my hand.
"You deserve it.""
A nurse eventually brought my daughters into the room.
They were tiny.
Two little faces wrapped in pink blankets.
One had a small patch of dark hair.
The other had her eyes tightly closed, her lips moving as though she were dreaming.
I reached out.
"Hello, my angels.""
The nurse smiled.
"Which one would you like to hold first?""
"The one on the left.""
She placed the first baby carefully in my arms.
I looked down.
"You're Lily," I whispered.
"And your sister is Emma.""
Those were the names Wes and I had chosen months earlier.
Lily moved her mouth.
I touched her cheek.
"Your daddy loved you," I whispered, though I no longer knew whether that was true.
A tear fell onto the blanket.
"And whatever happened, sweetheart, none of this is your fault.""
The nurse brought Emma closer.
I looked at both of them.
They were beautiful.
They were mine.
And suddenly I realized something.
Whatever Wes had done, whatever Vanessa claimed, whatever the medical records might reveal, I would not allow my daughters to become bargaining chips in a fight between adults.
I would protect them.
Even if I had to do it alone.
A few minutes later, my mother called.
I answered on speaker because my hands were occupied.
"Holly? Oh, sweetheart. I heard the girls arrived!""
"Yes, Mom.""
"Are they okay?""
"They're perfect.""
"Where's Wes? Your father wants to congratulate him.""
I stared at the wall.
"He left.""
Silence.
"What do you mean, left?""
"He went home.""
My mother sighed.
"Well, he's probably exhausted. Men don't always know how to handle these things.""
I closed my eyes.
"Mom, he didn't come back.""
"Holly, don't start creating problems on the day your babies are born.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Creating problems?""
"Your husband has worked very hard for this family.""
"Mom, he abandoned me.""
"That's a terrible thing to say.""
Then I heard another voice in the background.
My sister Megan.
"Is she talking about Wes?""
My mother moved away from the phone.
I heard them whispering.
Then Megan said something that made my blood run cold.
"Mom, don't tell her yet.""
I grabbed the phone.
"Don't tell me what?""
Neither of them answered.
"Mom?""
My mother returned to the line.
"Holly, you need to rest. We'll come tomorrow.""
"No. What is Megan talking about?""
"Nothing.""
"Then why did she say not to tell me?""
The line went silent.
Finally, my mother whispered, "Your sister has been trying to help Wes.""
My chest tightened.
"Help him with what?""
And then Megan took the phone.
"Holly, I think you should hear this from me before you find out somewhere else.""
I looked down at my daughters.
"What did you do?""
May you like
Megan's voice trembled.
"I didn't know he was going to leave you today.""
