Chapter 2: My Sister's Price
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
My wife sat on our bed, clutching the fake pregnancy belly as though it could somehow protect her.
I stared at her.
"Say that again.""
Nia wiped her cheeks.
"Marcus, please don't make this worse.""
"How much?""
She looked down.
"How much did Olivia pay you?""
"Two hundred thousand dollars.""
I laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because my brain couldn't process what I had just heard.
"My sister paid you two hundred thousand dollars to pretend to be pregnant?""
"She said it would be temporary.""
"Temporary?""
"She said your father would leave the house, and once everything was settled, I could tell you the truth.""
I stared at her.
"My father?""
Nia nodded.
"Olivia wanted him gone.""
"Why?""
"She said he was planning to change his will.""
I sat on the edge of the dresser.
My father, Richard Hayes, had built a successful construction company from almost nothing. He had worked for forty years, starting with a single truck and three employees.
When my mother died, he sold the family home and moved closer to me.
He never cared about money in the way people assumed wealthy men did.
He cared about family.
He also had a habit of keeping his business affairs private.
"Olivia told you Dad was changing his will?""
"Yes.""
"And you believed her?""
"She showed me documents.""
"What documents?""
Nia hesitated.
I stood.
"Show me.""
She reached for her handbag.
Inside was a folded sheet of paper.
I took it.
The document appeared to be a draft amendment to my father's estate plan. It stated that his shares in Hayes Construction would be transferred to Olivia, while my inheritance would be reduced.
At the bottom was a signature.
Richard Hayes.
My father's signature.
But something about it bothered me.
"Where did you get this?""
"Olivia.""
"When?""
"Three weeks ago.""
I examined the paper again.
"Did you see him sign it?""
"No.""
"Then why did you believe it?""
Nia's eyes filled.
"Because Olivia said he was planning to give everything to you and your imaginary child.""
I looked at her.
"Imaginary child?""
She swallowed.
"She said your father wanted a grandson to inherit the company. She thought he would never accept me if he knew I couldn't have children.""
The room became very quiet.
I remembered the fertility appointments.
The tears.
The conversations about names.
The little yellow blanket Nia had bought.
Had all of it been part of the performance?
"Did you ever actually want a child with me?""
Nia said nothing.
That silence hurt more than any confession.
I walked toward the window.
Outside, the garden lights illuminated the empty driveway where my father's car had been parked.
For years, Dad had warned me that Olivia was becoming increasingly interested in the company.
I had dismissed him.
I had called him controlling.
I had even told him that he needed to stop treating my sister like a child.
Now I understood why he had looked so devastated when I threw him out.
He had been trying to tell me something.
My phone rang.
Olivia.
I answered and put it on speaker.
"Marcus!"" she exclaimed.
"How's Nia? I've been trying to call.""
I looked at my wife.
She shook her head desperately.
"She's fine," I said.
"Thank God. I was so worried. I heard what Dad did.""
I clenched my jaw.
"What exactly did Dad do?""
There was a pause.
"He pushed her, didn't he?""
"I didn't say that.""
"Marcus, I saw the messages.""
"What messages?""
"The ones Nia sent me.""
I looked at Nia.
Her face had turned pale.
Olivia continued.
"Listen, don't let Dad manipulate you. He's always been good at making himself look innocent.""
I took a breath.
"Olivia, where were you tonight?""
Another pause.
"At home.""
"Really?""
"Of course. Why?""
I glanced at the security footage.
"Interesting. Because I have a video of you standing in my hallway.""
Silence.
Then Olivia laughed nervously.
"Marcus, I stopped by earlier. I wanted to check on Nia.""
"You were recording her.""
"I was documenting what happened.""
"What happened?""
"Her fall!""
"She staged it.""
The line went quiet.
I heard a faint exhale.
Then Olivia said something I would never forget.
"She wasn't supposed to tell you.""
Nia began sobbing.
I felt the last piece of my trust disappear.
"Who else is involved?""
"Marcus, you're confused. Dad has been manipulating everyone.""
"Who else?""
Olivia lowered her voice.
"Don't make me say this over the phone.""
I stared at the screen.
"Then come here.""
"Absolutely not.""
"Why?""
"Because if I come there, you'll make the biggest mistake of your life.""
I almost laughed.
"My biggest mistake was believing you.""
I ended the call.
Nia reached for my hand.
"Marcus, please. I was scared.""
I pulled away.
"Don't touch me.""
"Your sister said your father was dangerous.""
"My father has never hurt anyone.""
"She said he would destroy us.""
"Us?""
Nia began crying harder.
I opened the bedroom closet and pulled out a suitcase.
"What are you doing?""
"Packing your things.""
"Marcus, you can't throw me out!""
"You threw my father out of my life.""
"I didn't!""
"You helped someone frame him.""
She grabbed the suitcase.
"Please. I love you.""
I looked at the woman I had spent three years loving.
"Then why did you let me believe our child was real?""
She had no answer.
I left her packing while I went downstairs.
My first call was to Dad.
He didn't answer.
I called again.
Voicemail.
Then I opened my contacts and found his old lawyer, Daniel Foster.
Daniel had handled my father's business affairs for more than twenty years.
When he answered, I barely managed to speak.
"Daniel, I need to ask you something.""
"Marcus? Is everything all right?""
"No. Did Dad change his will recently?""
The lawyer went silent.
"Why are you asking?""
"Because someone showed my wife a document claiming he did.""
Another long pause.
Then Daniel said, "Marcus, your father did prepare a new estate document.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who does it leave everything to?""
"That's not the issue.""
"Then what is?""
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Your father came to my office yesterday. He wanted to discuss something involving your sister.""
"What?""
"He discovered that someone had been using his signature to transfer company assets.""
I gripped the phone.
"Who?""
Before Daniel could answer, I heard a crash upstairs.
Nia screamed.
I ran toward the bedroom.
The suitcase lay open on the floor.
Nia stood beside the window, holding a small envelope.
Her face was white.
"Marcus," she whispered.
"What happened?""
She handed me the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed my father sitting at a restaurant with a woman I recognized immediately.
My mother.
But my mother had been dead for six years.
May you like
On the back, someone had written:
*YOUR FATHER HAS BEEN LYING ABOUT HER DEATH.*
