Chapter 5 - THE TEST THAT MADE THE AFFAIR LOOK LIKE PATERNITY
Claire did not sleep at home.
She stayed with her friend Nina in Lincoln Park.
Mark knew because Nina texted:
SHE IS SAFE. DO NOT COME HERE.
He replied:
UNDERSTOOD.
Then sat alone in their kitchen until sunrise.
At eight, Mark called the fertility clinic.
No information.
Patient privacy.
Investigation pending.
He said the signatures were fraudulent.
They transferred him to legal counsel.
That told him everything and nothing.
By ten, Claire had retained an attorney.
Not divorce counsel.
Not yet.
A reproductive-law attorney named Dana Park.
Mark learned because Dana emailed him requesting written preservation of all Lakeview records and informing him not to contact clinic staff directly except through counsel.
Claire was moving faster than he was.
Good.
Mark deserved to be behind her.
Richard arranged a separate attorney for himself.
Margaret had not.
“She needs one.”
Richard’s answer was cold.
“She can find one.”
The first paternity testing with Mark occurred two days later.
Not secret.
Not theatrical.
Accredited lab.
Chain of custody.
Claire attended.
Margaret consented for the twins while still their legal mother of record.
Richard came.
Mark almost stayed away.
Claire said:
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You need to be there.”
Her face was flat.
“If those babies are genetically yours, I want to watch you receive the result.”
So he went.
Forty-eight hours later, Dana called everyone to her office.
Claire sat at one end.
Mark sat alone at the other.
Margaret and Richard did not sit together.
Dana opened the envelope.
“Joseph first.”
Mark stopped breathing.
“Probability of paternity exceeds 99.99 percent.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Margaret started crying.
Richard looked at the wall.
Mark’s stomach twisted.
Then Dana continued.
“Lucy.”
Margaret looked up.
“Same result.”
Silence.
Both twins.
Mark was the biological father.
Claire stood.
“No.”
Dana lifted one hand.
“Claire.”
“No.”
She looked at Margaret.
“You said the embryos were created with Dad.”
“They were supposed to be.”
“You slept with Mark.”
“Yes.”
“You were on fertility drugs.”
“Yes.”
“So this could still be—”
Dana interrupted gently.
“I’ve spoken with an independent reproductive endocrinologist.”
Claire turned.
“What?”
“Based on Margaret’s treatment records, she underwent suppression and donor-egg embryo transfer five days before the lake-house event.”
“So?”
“Natural conception from intercourse that night would be extraordinarily unlikely.”
“Not impossible.”
“No.”
Dana remained careful.
“But there’s another reason we should not assume intercourse caused this.”
She placed a second report on the table.
“Margaret agreed to maternal genetic testing.”
Mark frowned.
“She used donor eggs.”
“Yes.”
“So she won’t match.”
“Correct.”
Dana turned to Claire.
“We compared the twins against you.”
Claire stopped moving.
“What?”
Mark felt cold.
Dana spoke slowly.
“Both children are genetically consistent with you as their biological mother.”
No one breathed.
Claire stared.
“That’s impossible.”
Dana slid the paper over.
Claire read.
Then read again.
Mark could not move.
The twins were genetically his.
And Claire’s.
Not Margaret’s.
Not Richard’s.
Claire whispered:
“They’re ours.”
Dana nodded.
“They appear to be embryos created from your eggs and Mark’s sperm.”
Margaret covered her face.
Richard stood abruptly.
“You knew.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
“You knew.”
“I didn’t know for certain.”
Claire looked at her mother.
The betrayal on her face changed shape again.
“You gave birth to my children.”
Margaret began sobbing.
“Claire.”
“You carried my embryos.”
“I—”
“You knew about the invoice.”
“Yes.”
“You knew they might be ours.”
“Only later.”
“How much later?”
Margaret did not answer.
Claire walked toward her.
Mark stood too.
Claire held up one hand without looking at him.
He stopped.
“Mom.”
Margaret looked up.
“When did you first suspect those embryos were mine?”
Margaret whispered:
“Before the transfer.”
The room went silent.
Richard turned slowly.
“What did you say?”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Claire’s face emptied.
“You knew before you were pregnant?”
Margaret shook her head.
“I knew there was a possibility.”
“How?”
No answer.
“Mom.”
Dana said:
“Margaret, you need counsel.”
Margaret nodded.
Claire laughed.
“Now everybody needs counsel.”
Margaret started crying harder.
Then said:
“Because Dr. Rowan told me there was a problem with my embryos.”
“What problem?”
“One of the donor embryos failed during thaw.”
Claire stared.
“And?”
“He said there were two embryos available from a family-directed donation.”
Her mouth went dry.
“What family?”
Margaret looked at her daughter.
“You.”
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