Chapter 7 - The Paternity Trap
Rachel told us everything she knew.
After leaving her apartment, Dad drove her to Uncle Victor’s lake cabin.
He took her phone.
He told her she would stay there until his attorney “fixed the situation.”
Rachel waited until Dad and Victor started arguing downstairs.
Then she climbed through a bathroom window.
She walked nearly two miles before a truck driver picked her up.
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
“I was scared.”
“You were scared before you kicked me too.”
Rachel lowered her eyes.
“I know.”
I wanted to hate her.
Part of me did.
But I also understood something important.
Rachel had been cruel.
Jealous.
Dangerous.
But my father had spent years feeding that jealousy.
He had convinced her that my existence was the reason she had less.
Daniel asked about the second plan.
Rachel wiped her face.
“Dad took your fertility records.”
“We know.”
“He said there was enough there to create doubt.”
“How?”
“He knows you and Daniel stored genetic samples at the clinic.”
Daniel went still.
Years earlier, during fertility testing, both of us had provided samples.
The clinic kept some material for additional testing.
Rachel continued.
“Dad knows someone at the clinic.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“He said by tomorrow there would be proof Daniel isn’t the father.”
My stomach tightened.
Maya Collins arrived before dawn.
She immediately contacted the clinic.
Their director denied any breach.
Then he checked the access logs.
Someone had opened our old files three times in the previous week.
The employee account belonged to a lab technician named Owen Price.
Owen had resigned the previous afternoon.
Detective Hale went to his apartment.
Empty.
His bank records later showed a twenty-five-thousand-dollar transfer from a consulting company linked to Uncle Victor.
The second plan became clear.
They intended to fabricate a paternity result.
Not because they expected it to survive forever.
They only needed delay.
A delay could prevent the trust from becoming permanent immediately after birth.
And during that delay, my father would remain temporary trustee.
Maya filed emergency motions.
Detective Hale opened a financial fraud investigation.
Daniel barely slept.
Neither did I.
Rachel agreed to cooperate.
She gave Hale access to messages between herself and Dad.
Most were manipulative.
Some were incriminating.
One message from my father made me sick.
Your sister has always believed she is untouchable because Eleanor chose her.
Another said.
When the baby arrives, Claire will control everything through that child.
Then came the worst one.
Sent three weeks earlier.
We only have until September.
My due date was September 18.
Rachel looked at me.
“I should’ve realized.”
“Yes.”
She cried.
“I should’ve protected you.”
“Yes.”
I did not forgive her.
Not then.
Maybe not ever.
But I let her tell the truth.
At noon, Hale received a call.
Owen Price had been found.
He was sitting in an airport lounge with a ticket to Mexico City.
Police detained him before boarding.
During questioning, Owen admitted someone paid him to alter stored laboratory data.
He denied knowing why.
Then Hale showed him my photograph.
Owen’s face changed.
He asked for a lawyer.
That was enough to know he recognized me.
But before Hale could build the case, something happened that none of us expected.
A courier arrived at our attorney’s office.
Inside the package was a prenatal paternity report.
It stated Daniel was not my daughter’s biological father.
The report had my doctor’s forged signature.
My identification number.
My medical history.
Everything looked real.
Then I noticed the date.
The sample supposedly taken from me had been collected the morning Rachel kicked me.
At 10:42 a.m.
I had been sitting in my parents’ backyard at 10:42.
Surrounded by twenty witnesses.
The fake was imperfect.
But Maya stared at the document with growing concern.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“This report wasn’t prepared for court.”
“How do you know?”
“Because there’s no petition attached.”
“Then what was it prepared for?”
Maya looked at Daniel.
“Someone wants this leaked publicly.”
Daniel’s phone buzzed.
A news alert appeared.
May you like
MERCER HEIRESS FACES PATERNITY SCANDAL AMID FAMILY ASSAULT INVESTIGATION.
The second plan had begun.
