Chapter 5 - THE FIRST CONFRONTATION
Nathan stared at the computer screen for nearly a minute.
Nobody spoke.
Ethan had placed the stolen ultrasound beside the original blog photograph.
They were identical.
Nathan enlarged both images.
His jaw tightened.
“Where did you find this?”
“Online.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Claire folded her arms.
“It makes perfect sense if she’s lying.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Turn this into something before I speak to Vanessa.”
Claire gave a bitter laugh.
“She brought you a seven-year-old stranger’s ultrasound and you still want to protect her.”
“I’m not protecting her.”
“You always say that right before you do.”
Ethan interrupted.
“Dad.”
Nathan turned.
“The appointment confirmation is fake too.”
Ethan placed the two clinic forms on the desk.
Nathan compared them.
His face drained of color.
Then Ethan told him about the safety pin.
Nathan shook his head.
“There are pregnancy support belts.”
“I checked.”
“You’re sixteen.”
“And I have eyes.”
“Ethan.”
“She threatened me.”
Nathan froze.
“What?”
Ethan repeated the hallway conversation.
Nathan’s expression changed completely.
He reached for his phone.
Claire stopped him.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling her.”
“She’ll lie.”
“I need to hear her explain this.”
Nathan dialed.
Vanessa answered on the third ring.
“Hey.”
Nathan put the phone on speaker.
“Where did you get the ultrasound?”
Silence.
Then Vanessa laughed nervously.
“What?”
“The ultrasound you gave me.”
“At the clinic.”
“No.”
Nathan’s voice sharpened.
“It came from a parenting blog from seven years ago.”
Another pause.
Vanessa exhaled.
“Nathan, I can explain.”
“Then explain.”
“The technician gave me the wrong print.”
Ethan looked at Claire.
Claire shook her head.
Nathan continued.
“And the appointment confirmation?”
“What about it?”
“It has the clinic’s old address.”
“I don’t know.”
“And why was there a safety pin holding something beneath your dress?”
The silence became longer.
Vanessa finally spoke.
“Who told you that?”
Nathan looked at Ethan.
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It was Ethan.”
“Answer the question.”
Vanessa’s voice changed.
“Nathan, I’ve been terrified.”
“Of what?”
“Losing you.”
Nathan stared at the phone.
Claire closed her eyes.
Vanessa continued quickly.
“The pregnancy is real.”
“Then come here.”
“What?”
“Right now.”
“I can’t.”
“Come here, Vanessa.”
“Nathan, I’m at my sister’s.”
“I’ll drive there.”
“No.”
That single word exposed more than she intended.
Nathan gripped the desk.
“Why not?”
“Because I need time.”
“To do what?”
Vanessa began crying.
“You’re attacking me.”
Nathan’s voice stayed flat.
“I’m asking whether you’re pregnant.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because nothing you’ve shown me is real.”
Vanessa stopped crying.
For several seconds there was only silence.
Then she said quietly, “You’ll regret humiliating me.”
The call ended.
Nathan stared at the phone.
Claire looked toward the window.
Ethan expected his father to explode.
Instead, Nathan sat down.
He looked broken.
“I destroyed my marriage over this.”
Claire’s head snapped toward him.
“No.”
Nathan looked at her.
“You damaged our marriage when you slept with her.”
He flinched.
Claire continued.
“If she lied about the baby, that does not erase what you did.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Nathan lowered his head.
Ethan looked between his parents.
He had wanted the truth to fix everything.
Instead, the truth had only opened another wound.
Then Nathan’s phone buzzed.
A message from Vanessa appeared.
YOU WANT PROOF?
COME TO ST. ANDREWS TOMORROW AT 9 A.M.
I’LL SHOW YOU THE BABY MYSELF.
Ethan looked at his father.
Nathan looked at Claire.
May you like
Nobody believed Vanessa anymore.
But all three of them knew they had to go.
