Chapter 4: The Other Woman's Pregnancy
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
The photograph remained on Andrea's phone, showing Marcus outside a private medical clinic with Vivian. His hand rested against her lower back, and she was holding a white envelope against her chest.
But it was the message beneath the photograph that made my stomach turn.
Ask your husband why Vivian has been telling people she's carrying his child.
I looked at Eleanor.
"Is she pregnant?""
Eleanor's lips parted, but no answer came.
Andrea took the phone and enlarged the photograph.
"Do you recognize this clinic?""
I shook my head.
"No.""
She studied the sign above the entrance.
"Westbridge Women's Medical Center.""
Vivian had been there with Marcus yesterday.
I looked down at my own stomach.
My baby kicked gently beneath my palm.
"How long has she known?""
Andrea placed the phone on the bedside table.
"We don't know whether the message is accurate. We need to verify everything before drawing conclusions.""
"But why would someone send me this?""
"Possibly because they know something about the financial transactions.""
Eleanor stood beside the window, staring at the parking lot.
"Marcus has been hiding more than an affair.""
I looked at her.
"What aren't you telling me?""
She turned around.
"Three months ago, Marcus asked me to approve an additional distribution from the family trust. He said the company needed emergency capital.""
"Did you approve it?""
"No. The documents were incomplete.""
Andrea opened her briefcase.
"That request was followed by several smaller transfers through different consulting companies. We're now investigating whether those transfers were connected.""
I remembered Marcus's behavior during that period.
He had started sleeping in the guest room.
He stopped asking about my prenatal appointments.
When I complained, he said the business was consuming him.
I'd apologized for needing attention.
Now I wondered whether he had been spending those nights with Vivian.
My phone vibrated.
Marcus.
I stared at his name.
Eleanor shook her head.
"Don't answer him while you're upset.""
But I needed to hear his voice.
I needed to know whether he would lie again.
I answered and put him on speaker.
"Claire.""
His voice sounded impatient.
"Where are you?""
"At the hospital.""
"Why?""
I looked at Eleanor.
"Because your mistress hit me while I'm seven months pregnant.""
"Don't start that again.""
I felt my fingers tighten around the blanket.
"Did you take Vivian to Westbridge Medical Center yesterday?""
Silence.
Then he laughed.
"Who told you that?""
"Answer the question.""
"It's none of your business.""
"Is she pregnant?""
A sharp breath came through the speaker.
"Claire, listen to me. You're creating problems where there aren't any.""
"Then tell me she's not pregnant.""
"She's dealing with a personal medical situation.""
"Is the baby yours?""
His voice suddenly hardened.
"Stop asking questions you don't understand.""
I closed my eyes.
That wasn't a denial.
It was an answer.
"Marcus, have you been planning to replace our child with hers?""
"That's ridiculous.""
"Then why did Vivian say you promised her the baby wouldn't matter?""
He went quiet.
For several seconds, I heard only the faint sound of traffic.
Then he said something I would remember for the rest of my life.
"Claire, you need to understand that the baby you're carrying doesn't change everything.""
I stared at the phone.
"Everything about what?""
"My life. My future. My decisions.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"That baby is your child.""
"I know that.""
"Then why are you talking like this?""
"Because I'm tired of being trapped.""
I looked at Eleanor.
Her face had gone pale.
"Trapped by whom?"" I whispered.
"By expectations. By my family. By this marriage.""
"Nobody forced you to marry me.""
"Just stop, Claire.""
The call ended.
I lowered the phone.
Andrea quietly wrote something in her notebook.
Eleanor came to my bedside.
"Sweetheart, I need you to understand that whatever happens between Marcus and Vivian, you and this baby will be protected.""
I nodded, but I couldn't stop thinking about the clinic.
About the envelope.
About the possibility that Marcus had been building another family while I was preparing a nursery for our first child.
An hour later, Andrea received a response from the bank.
The transfer had been temporarily blocked.
But there was another problem.
The bank's fraud department had identified an attempted change to the account's recovery contact information.
The new contact number belonged to Vivian.
Andrea looked at Eleanor.
"This wasn't simply an unauthorized transfer. Someone was preparing to control the account after the money moved.""
Eleanor's jaw tightened.
"Find out who authorized it.""
Andrea nodded.
Then her phone rang again.
This time, it was a number from Westbridge Medical Center.
She answered.
"Andrea Bennett speaking.""
She listened carefully.
Then she glanced at me.
"Yes. She's here with me.""
Another pause.
"Could you send the records to our office through the proper legal channel?""
She ended the call.
I looked at her.
"What was that?""
"Someone from the clinic contacted our office after receiving an inquiry about Vivian's records.""
"What did they say?""
Andrea hesitated.
"They confirmed that Vivian attended an appointment yesterday. They cannot disclose private medical information without authorization.""
"Of course.""
"But there's something unusual.""
"What?""
"The appointment was scheduled under a different surname.""
Eleanor stepped forward.
"Which surname?""
Andrea looked at her notes.
"Hale.""
My blood ran cold.
Vivian had registered herself as Vivian Hale.
And suddenly, I understood why she had looked so comfortable standing beside Marcus at the hotel.
She wasn't merely waiting for him to divorce me.
She was already behaving as though she belonged to his family.
But before I could say anything, my phone lit up with a message.
It was from Vivian.
You should stop asking questions about my pregnancy. Marcus has already made his choice.
A second message appeared.
And there's something you should know about the baby you're carrying.
I stared at the screen.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
Your husband knows the truth. Ask him why he wanted a paternity test.
