Chapter 7: The Child My Father Never Told Me About
I couldn't stop looking at the photograph.
My father stood outside a hospital entrance, wearing the navy jacket he'd owned for nearly twenty years. His hair was thinner than I remembered, and his face looked older, but there was no mistaking him.
Beside him stood Wes.
He looked younger, perhaps twenty-eight or twenty-nine.
And between them was a woman holding a newborn baby.
The woman had dark hair and a familiar smile.
I turned the photograph over again.
The truth about your first child, Holly.
My hands began to shake.
"Dr. Patel, who is that woman?""
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she took the photograph and examined the hospital entrance.
"Do you recognize her?""
"No.""
"Look carefully.""
I studied the woman's face.
Something about her seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it.
Then I noticed the baby.
A tiny face.
A little tuft of dark hair.
And a hospital bracelet around one wrist.
"Is that Wes's child?""
Dr. Patel placed the photograph on the blanket.
"I can't determine that from a photograph.""
"But you recognize the woman.""
She looked at me.
"I believe I do.""
My heart began racing.
"Who?""
Before she could answer, the door opened.
Megan walked in.
She was holding a leather folder against her chest.
Her eyes immediately went to the photograph.
She stopped moving.
"Oh, God.""
I stared at her.
"You know her?""
Megan's face crumpled.
She placed the folder on the counter.
"Holly, I can explain.""
I laughed bitterly.
"That's becoming everyone's favorite sentence.""
She pulled the chair toward the bed.
"Her name is Rebecca.""
"Rebecca what?""
"Rebecca Moore.""
I shook my head.
"I've never heard of her.""
"You met her once.""
"When?""
"At Dad's funeral.""
I frowned.
There had been dozens of people at my father's funeral.
Friends, neighbors, former colleagues.
I remembered greeting strangers and thanking them for coming.
"I don't remember her.""
"She was standing near the back.""
"Why was she there?""
Megan looked down.
"Because she knew Dad.""
I stared at the photograph.
"How?""
Megan swallowed.
"She worked with him.""
"Where?""
"At the medical research center.""
My father had spent most of his career working in medical administration. He wasn't a doctor, but he had helped manage a research foundation connected to several hospitals.
I remembered him talking about colleagues.
I remembered office parties.
I remembered him occasionally mentioning Rebecca.
But I had never known anything about a child.
"Why was she holding a baby with Wes?""
Megan closed her eyes.
"Because the baby was Wes's.""
The words landed like a physical blow.
I gripped the blanket.
"What?""
"Wes had a child before he married you.""
I looked at Dr. Patel.
She was watching Megan carefully.
"How old is the child?""
Megan whispered, "Eight.""
Eight years old.
Wes and I had been married for eleven years.
That meant the child had been conceived before our wedding.
I felt sick.
"Why didn't he tell me?""
Megan wiped her cheeks.
"Because Rebecca was pregnant when he first met you.""
I stared.
"What?""
"He told Dad he wasn't ready to be a father. He said Rebecca had become pregnant unexpectedly, and he wanted to help her financially, but he didn't want to raise the child.""
My hands began trembling.
"And Dad knew?""
"Yes.""
I looked at the photograph.
"Was that why Dad confronted him four years ago?""
Megan nodded.
"Partly.""
I couldn't breathe properly.
For eleven years, I had believed Wes was the man who had stood beside me through infertility because he desperately wanted a family with me.
But he had already had a child.
He had watched me undergo treatments.
He had watched me cry over negative tests.
He had held me after miscarriages.
And he had never once told me that somewhere in the world, he already had a daughter.
"Did Rebecca know about me?""
Megan nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did she know we were trying to have children?""
"Yes.""
"Did she know about Vanessa?""
Megan looked away.
"Yes.""
I laughed, but there was no humor in it.
"Apparently, everyone knew about my marriage except me.""
Megan began crying.
"Holly, please.""
I turned toward her.
"Why did Dad keep this secret?""
She took a breath.
"Because he thought Wes might eventually tell you himself.""
"And when he didn't?""
"Dad started investigating.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Investigating what?""
Megan reached into the leather folder.
She removed a second photograph.
This one showed my father standing with Rebecca outside a small house.
There was a little girl beside them.
She looked about four.
My father's hand rested gently on her shoulder.
I stared at the child.
"That's her?""
Megan nodded.
"Her name is Sophie.""
I felt my chest tighten.
"Did Dad know her?""
"Very well.""
"Why?""
Megan hesitated.
"Because he helped Rebecca raise her.""
I closed my eyes.
My father had helped another woman raise my husband's daughter.
He had attended birthdays.
He had taken photographs.
He had been part of a secret family while I spent ten years trying to create one.
"Did he love that little girl?""
Megan nodded.
"Yes.""
I looked at her.
"Did he love her more than he loved me?""
"No!""
"Then why did he hide her?""
Megan grabbed my hand.
"Because he didn't want you to lose the chance of having your own family.""
I pulled away.
"Don't tell me what Dad wanted.""
She lowered her eyes.
I picked up the first photograph.
"Why is Wes standing with my father and Rebecca?""
Megan took a shaky breath.
"Because Dad made Wes promise to support Sophie.""
"Financially?""
"Yes.""
"And did he?""
"At first.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Then what happened?""
Megan's expression changed.
"Wes stopped paying.""
"Why?""
"Because he met Vanessa.""
I stared.
"What does Vanessa have to do with Sophie?""
"Rebecca found out about the affair. She threatened to tell you.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"And Wes?""
"He asked Dad to intervene.""
"Why would Dad protect him?""
Megan's voice dropped.
"Because Rebecca had something that could destroy Wes.""
I looked at the picture.
"What?""
Megan reached into the folder and removed a small USB drive.
"This.""
I stared at it.
"What is it?""
"Rebecca's original records.""
"Which records?""
"Documents from the fertility clinic.""
My heart began pounding.
I looked toward Dr. Patel.
She stood slowly.
"May I see that?""
Megan handed it to her.
Dr. Patel examined the label.
Then her expression changed.
"Where did you get this?""
"From Dad's safe deposit box.""
I turned toward Megan.
"You went into Dad's safe deposit box?""
She nodded.
"Wes gave me the key yesterday.""
I frowned.
"Why would Wes have Dad's key?""
"He said he was trying to retrieve the original agreement.""
I stared at her.
"Did you give him the documents?""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Because when I opened the box, I found this.""
Dr. Patel connected the drive to her hospital computer.
A folder appeared.
There were several scanned documents.
She opened the first one.
A laboratory report.
The second was a consent form.
The third was a handwritten note.
Dr. Patel read the note silently.
Then she sat down.
"What?"" I asked.
She turned the screen toward me.
It was a message written by Rebecca.
If Holly ever learns what happened, tell her the truth. Wes was never the person who arranged the first sample.
I stared.
"Who did?""
Dr. Patel opened the next document.
It was a record from a fertility clinic dated eight years earlier.
The patient name was Rebecca Moore.
The intended father was Wesley Bennett.
And beneath it was another name.
*Megan Bennett.*
I turned toward my sister.
"What is that?""
Megan covered her mouth.
Dr. Patel looked between us.
"Holly, this document suggests that your sister was involved in an earlier fertility arrangement.""
I stared at Megan.
"Tell me.""
She began crying.
"Rebecca couldn't carry another pregnancy after Sophie.""
"So?""
"She wanted another child.""
I looked at the document.
"And?""
Megan whispered, "She asked me to help her.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Help her how?""
"I donated eggs.""
The room went silent.
I stared at my sister.
"You donated eggs to Rebecca?""
Megan nodded.
"Eight years ago.""
I couldn't speak.
Eight years ago, Wes and I were already struggling to conceive.
I had undergone two failed treatments that year.
My sister had known.
She had watched me inject medication into my stomach.
And she had donated eggs to another woman connected to my husband.
"Was Wes involved?""
Megan nodded.
"He paid for the treatment.""
I felt tears sliding down my face.
"Why?""
"Rebecca wanted another child. Wes said he wanted Sophie to have a sibling.""
I stared at the screen.
"And Dad knew?""
"Yes.""
"Did you tell him?""
"He found out afterward.""
I shook my head.
"Why would you do that?""
Megan's voice broke.
"Because Wes told me he would help you get pregnant too.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"He said the clinic could use the same treatment to help you. He told me he was trying to create a family for everyone.""
I stared at the report.
Something was beginning to take shape.
Something terrible.
I pointed to the document.
"Who was the intended father of Rebecca's second child?""
Megan looked down.
"Wes.""
"And the egg donor was you?""
She nodded.
"Yes.""
I felt sick.
"Was the child born?""
Megan didn't answer.
Dr. Patel scrolled down.
There was a birth record attached.
A baby girl.
Born seven years earlier.
Mother: Rebecca Moore.
Father: Wesley Bennett.
Egg donor: Megan Bennett.
I looked at my sister.
"Where is she?""
Megan wiped her face.
"She died.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
"She was born prematurely. She lived for six days.""
I covered my mouth.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Megan whispered, "Dad paid for the funeral.""
I looked at the screen again.
My father had known.
Wes had known.
My sister had known.
And I had spent those same six days in a fertility clinic, waiting to learn whether another treatment had worked.
I remembered calling Megan that week.
I'd cried because my period had started.
She had listened.
She had told me everything would be okay.
All while knowing she had just helped another woman have my husband's child.
I looked at her.
"You sat with me while I cried.""
Megan nodded.
"You told me I would become a mother.""
She began sobbing.
"I know.""
"How could you?""
"I was stupid.""
"No. You made choices.""
She lowered her head.
I turned back toward Dr. Patel.
"Why is this relevant to my twins?""
She pointed to the last document.
It was a laboratory transfer record dated during my successful fertility cycle.
The donor identification number matched Megan's earlier donation profile.
I felt my blood turn cold.
"Wait.""
Dr. Patel nodded.
"Holly, it appears the egg sample used during your successful treatment may have been associated with your sister's donor profile.""
I stared.
"May have been?""
"We need confirmation.""
I looked at Megan.
"Are Lily and Emma genetically related to you?""
She didn't answer.
Her tears were enough.
I looked down at my daughters.
Two beautiful little girls.
I had carried them.
I had given birth to them.
I had spent ten years praying for them.
And now I was being told that my sister might be their biological mother.
I reached toward Lily's bassinet.
Her tiny hand moved beneath the blanket.
"She's my daughter," I whispered.
Dr. Patel nodded.
"Yes, Holly. Nothing in these records changes the fact that you are their mother.""
I wanted to believe that.
I needed to believe that.
Then Megan spoke.
"There is something else you need to know.""
I looked at her.
She was staring at the last page.
"The baby who died seven years ago wasn't the only embryo created from my eggs.""
My blood ran cold.
"What do you mean?""
Megan pointed to a storage record.
"Three embryos were created.""
I remembered the documents from Vanessa.
Three embryos.
I looked at the screen.
Two had been transferred during Rebecca's treatment.
One had been placed in storage.
"Where is the third?""
Dr. Patel read the final line.
Her expression changed.
It had been transferred to a private facility.
Northbridge Reproductive Storage.
Vanessa's facility.
I looked at the document.
Then at Megan.
Then at Dr. Patel.
The final entry contained a note.
*Embryo designated for future use by intended parent.*
And beside it was a name.
Not Wes.
Not Rebecca.
May you like
Not Vanessa.
*Holly Bennett.*
