Chapter 7: The Nursery in the Other Woman's House
I couldn't stop staring at the photograph.
A white crib stood against a pale pink wall. Above it hung wooden letters spelling out a name I had chosen months earlier.
Amelia.
My daughter's name.
I had told Marcus about it during our twentieth-week ultrasound appointment. He had smiled, kissed my forehead, and said he couldn't wait to meet our little girl.
Now I was looking at a nursery inside the house he had purchased for Vivian.
"Is that really her name?"" Eleanor asked quietly.
I nodded.
"Marcus and I chose it together.""
Andrea enlarged the photograph.
There was a small rocking chair beside the crib, a white dresser, and a framed ultrasound image hanging above a shelf.
I recognized the picture immediately.
It was from our appointment at the beginning of my second trimester.
I had emailed it to Marcus because he was traveling that week.
Someone had printed it and placed it inside a frame.
But the photograph contained another detail.
On the dresser sat a small silver bracelet.
I recognized the engraving.
For Amelia, with love from Daddy.
My stomach tightened.
"Who bought that?"" I whispered.
Eleanor leaned closer.
"Claire?""
I pointed to the bracelet.
"Marcus gave me that at our baby shower. He said it was a family heirloom.""
Andrea looked at the photograph again.
"Could it be the same bracelet?""
"Yes.""
I remembered opening the little velvet box in front of our friends. Marcus had told everyone his grandmother had purchased it before he was born.
I had cried.
I had believed he was giving our daughter something precious.
Now the same bracelet was sitting in a house where another woman apparently planned to raise my child.
"Why would Vivian have it?"" I asked.
Nobody answered.
Andrea carefully saved the photograph.
"Someone wants us to find something at that property. But we shouldn't act without knowing whether the message is legitimate.""
Eleanor nodded.
"I agree. I'll arrange for the property records and access information to be reviewed.""
I looked at her.
"I want to see that house.""
"Claire, you're still under medical observation.""
"I know.""
"Then you need to put your health first.""
I glanced at the photograph again.
"That nursery has my daughter's name on the wall. Somebody has been planning something involving my child, and I refuse to keep sitting here while everyone decides what I can handle.""
Andrea considered it.
"We can arrange a supervised visit once your doctor clears you. But I want security present, and nobody should enter or remove anything without proper documentation.""
I nodded.
For the first time in my life, I was grateful that someone was thinking about evidence instead of appearances.
Later that evening, Marcus arrived at the hospital.
He walked into the room carrying a bouquet of white roses.
For one foolish second, my heart remembered the man who used to bring me flowers after every difficult day.
Then I remembered the slap.
The divorce papers.
The forged signature.
And the money from my father's inheritance.
I turned my face away.
"Claire, we need to talk.""
"Why are you here?""
He placed the flowers on the table.
"To make sure you're okay.""
"You could have done that before you left me at the hotel.""
He sighed.
"Can we please stop bringing up the hotel?""
"Did you buy Vivian a house?""
He looked toward the door.
"Not here.""
"Did you use my inheritance?""
His expression changed.
"Who told you that?""
"So it's true.""
"Claire, those funds were used for an investment.""
"Those funds belonged to me.""
"They were helping secure our family's future.""
"Whose family?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"You're not thinking clearly.""
I laughed once.
"That's what you say whenever I ask you a question you don't want to answer.""
Marcus pulled a chair closer.
"Listen. Vivian and I made some mistakes. But the situation is more complicated than you understand.""
"Then explain the nursery.""
His eyes lifted.
"What nursery?""
I watched his reaction.
He had recognized the word.
"The nursery in the Westlake house.""
His face drained of color.
"Who showed you that?""
"So you know about it.""
"Claire, stay away from that property.""
"Why?""
"Because it's not safe.""
"What's inside?""
He stood.
"You're not going there.""
I stared at him.
"Are you giving me another order?""
"I'm trying to protect you.""
"From what? The woman you're planning to marry?""
He clenched his jaw.
"Vivian has nothing to do with this.""
"Then why is my daughter's name above a crib in her house?""
Marcus looked toward the window.
For several seconds, he seemed unable to find an answer.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
"Because I wanted Amelia to have a place where she wouldn't be surrounded by all this.""
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
He didn't answer.
"Marcus, what does that mean?""
He picked up his jacket.
"You're going to make everything worse if you keep listening to my mother.""
He walked toward the door.
I called after him.
"Did you intend to take my daughter?""
He stopped.
But he didn't turn around.
Then he left.
The door clicked shut.
I sat motionless.
Eleanor entered a moment later.
She had heard enough from the hallway to understand.
"Claire, sweetheart, I think we need to know exactly what Richard placed in that trust.""
I looked at her.
"What does that have to do with the nursery?""
She took a seat.
"Richard created a protected residence provision for future grandchildren. It allowed the family to maintain a property for an heir's use if certain circumstances arose.""
"Why would Marcus need that?""
Eleanor looked uncomfortable.
"Because Richard feared a situation where his son might use a child's inheritance to control the child's mother.""
My heart began pounding.
"Could Marcus use the trust to claim custody?""
"No. Not by itself.""
"But could he try?""
Eleanor didn't answer immediately.
Then she reached into her purse and removed an old photograph.
It showed Richard Hale standing in front of the Westlake property.
Beside him was a much younger Marcus.
On the back, Richard had written a sentence.
For the next generation. May they never have to choose between love and security.
Eleanor placed it beside the hospital photograph.
"This house belonged to the family long before Marcus bought it through that company.""
I looked at her.
"What are you saying?""
"That Vivian may not have known the entire history of the property.""
My phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
Tomorrow morning. Westlake Estates. Storage room. Ask for the blue box.
Then another message.
Don't let Marcus know you're coming.
I showed Eleanor.
She looked at Andrea.
Andrea read it twice.
"We need to verify the source.""
I stared at the picture of my daughter's nursery.
Someone knew what was happening.
Someone inside Marcus's operation.
May you like
And that person wanted me to discover what he had hidden.
But I had no idea that the blue box contained something that would change everything I believed about my marriage.
