Chapter 8: The Baby on the Birth Certificate
Daniel picked up the photograph.
His fingers moved over the image of the newborn.
For one terrible second, I saw something in his face that I couldn't identify.
Hope.
Even after everything Claire had done, even after the fake pregnancy and the financial deception, a part of him still wanted that baby to be real.
Then he looked at the birth certificate.
"Where did this child come from?""
Claire began crying.
"Daniel, please let me explain.""
"Whose baby is this?""
"He's our son.""
Daniel dropped the photograph.
"No.""
"Daniel—"
"Don't you dare say that.""
Claire reached for him.
He stepped away.
I picked up the birth certificate.
The document listed a hospital in Dallas and a birth date three months earlier.
But something immediately caught my attention.
The father's signature was dated on a day Daniel had been working at a construction site in Oklahoma.
I looked at him.
"Daniel, you weren't in Dallas that week.""
He shook his head.
"I was supervising the highway project. I have time sheets and hotel records.""
Claire's face went white.
Margaret rushed forward.
"Emily, put that document down.""
I looked at her.
"Why?""
"Because this is a private family matter.""
I laughed.
"That's what you said about the fake pregnancy, the forged property documents, and the twenty-two million dollars. Apparently, everything is private until someone gets caught.""
Daniel turned toward Claire.
"Where is the baby?""
Claire looked at Margaret.
My mother answered instead.
"He's safe.""
"Where?""
"At a private residence.""
"Whose residence?""
Margaret hesitated.
Claire started shaking her head.
"Please, Daniel. Don't make this worse.""
He stepped toward her.
"Where is the child?""
Claire covered her face.
Then she whispered something.
"He's at Patricia's house.""
Daniel looked confused.
"Why would Patricia have a baby?""
Claire broke down.
"Because he's not mine.""
Nobody moved.
I stared at her.
"What?""
Claire wiped her nose.
"The baby belongs to Patricia.""
Daniel looked at the birth certificate again.
"Then why does it say you're the mother?""
Margaret finally spoke.
"Because Patricia couldn't use her own name.""
I felt the room tilt.
"What are you talking about?""
Claire sat down.
"Patricia and her husband had been trying to have a child for years. They went through fertility treatments, but nothing worked. Eventually, they found another arrangement.""
Daniel frowned.
"What arrangement?""
"A private surrogate.""
My mother continued.
"Patricia arranged for an embryo to be carried by another woman. The baby was born three months ago.""
I stared at her.
"And you put Claire's name on the birth certificate?""
Margaret nodded.
"Patricia needed a way to protect the child's identity while her divorce proceedings were being finalized.""
Daniel looked at her.
"Her divorce?""
Patricia's husband was wealthy. I had met him twice, and both times he seemed distant and arrogant.
Margaret explained that he had discovered the fertility arrangements and threatened to challenge the child's legal parentage during their divorce.
But there was another problem.
The surrogate had refused to sign additional paperwork without payment.
Patricia had run out of money.
"So you used Claire?"" I asked.
Margaret nodded.
"Claire agreed to help temporarily.""
Daniel looked at his wife.
"You agreed to pretend to be the child's mother?""
Claire began crying.
"I didn't know it would become this complicated.""
"You signed a birth certificate with my name on it!""
"Your mother said it was only temporary.""
Daniel looked at Margaret.
"And you thought using my identity was acceptable?""
Margaret lifted her chin.
"We were trying to protect a child.""
"By committing fraud?""
"Don't be dramatic.""
Daniel stared at her.
"You're unbelievable.""
Claire suddenly stood.
"Daniel, listen to me. I didn't know the baby would become part of the inheritance arrangement.""
Daniel turned slowly.
"What inheritance arrangement?""
Claire pressed her lips together.
Margaret looked furious.
"Claire, don't.""
But Claire was crying too hard to stop.
"Patricia told me the baby could help establish a legitimate family connection. If Robert's lawyers believed you had a child, they would have fewer reasons to question your future as an heir.""
Daniel looked horrified.
"You're telling me you used another woman's baby to make my fake pregnancy believable?""
Claire shook her head.
"I didn't know about the DNA requirement at first.""
"At first?""
She lowered her eyes.
Daniel took a step closer.
"How long have you known?""
"Two months.""
He laughed.
"Two months.""
Claire reached for his arm.
"I was going to tell you.""
"When? After the inheritance was transferred?""
She started sobbing.
I looked at the birth certificate again.
There was a hospital name, a physician's signature, and a registration number.
Something didn't add up.
I pulled out my phone and photographed the document.
Then I looked at Claire.
"Did you ever actually visit this hospital?""
She shook her head.
"Patricia handled everything.""
"Then how did you get the birth certificate?""
"Margaret gave it to me.""
I turned toward my mother.
"Who prepared it?""
Margaret didn't answer.
Daniel grabbed his keys.
"We're going to Patricia's house.""
Claire rushed toward him.
"No!""
He stopped.
"Why not?""
"Because she isn't there.""
"Where is she?""
Claire looked at Margaret.
My mother finally spoke.
"Patricia left Dallas last night.""
"Why?""
"She said she needed time.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Convenient.""
I opened the photograph I had just taken and enlarged the birth certificate.
Then I noticed something strange.
The registration number was identical to the number printed on the hospital invoice we had found the day before.
The same number.
The same supposed patient account.
I showed Daniel.
"Look.""
He compared the documents.
His eyes narrowed.
"This isn't a birth certificate.""
"What?""
He pointed at the small print near the bottom.
It was a hospital registration form.
Someone had copied the format and changed the heading.
The signature wasn't from a registrar.
It was Patricia's.
Claire sank into the chair.
"She said it was official.""
Daniel looked at her.
"You didn't even check?""
"I trusted her!""
He shook his head.
"That's exactly what I did with you.""
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A woman's voice sounded breathless.
"Is this Emily Carter?""
"Yes.""
"My name is Laura. I'm a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital.""
I looked at Daniel.
"What's wrong?""
"There's a woman here asking for your brother.""
"Who?""
"Claire Carter.""
I turned toward Claire.
She was sitting directly in front of me.
The nurse continued.
"She's asking about a baby delivered three months ago. But there's something you need to know.""
"What?""
"The baby's mother has filed a formal complaint. She says someone stole her identity and registered the child under another woman's name.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who is the mother?""
The nurse hesitated.
Then she said:
"Margaret Carter.""
Daniel slowly turned toward our mother.
May you like
Margaret's face drained of color.
And for the first time, I wondered whether the baby wasn't Patricia's after all.
