Chapter 5: The Name Written Beside My Baby
The words didn’t sound real.
“The father listed on the original record is not you.””
Daniel’s voice echoed through the empty ballroom.
I watched Marcus’s face.
I watched the exact moment the sentence reached him.
The confusion disappeared.
The anger disappeared.
What remained was something far more painful.
Fear.
He looked at me.
Not accusing.
Not yet.
Just searching.
“Nia.””
My name sounded different when he said it.
Like he was asking for an answer.
Like he was begging me to fix something that might already be broken.
“Marcus…”
He took a step back.
“Tell me.””
I shook my head.
“I don’t know what that file says.””
Daniel looked down at the document.
“The original record contains information from the first consultation.””
Marcus turned toward him.
“Read it.””
Daniel hesitated.
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
His voice was firm.
“Read it.””
Daniel opened the file.
“The report states that Nia Carter received fertility-related genetic screening before pregnancy.””
I nodded.
That part was true.
Marcus looked at me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because I never thought it would matter.””
“It matters now.””
“I know.””
His eyes closed briefly.
Pain crossed his face.
Not anger.
Pain.
Daniel continued.
“The record also states that a genetic sample was collected during the consultation.””
Marcus looked confused.
“Why would they collect a sample?””
“For medical analysis,” Daniel explained.
“And?””
Daniel looked at the page.
“And that sample was later accessed without authorization.””
A cold silence filled the room.
Brielle whispered:
“Mom.””
Marcus turned sharply.
“What?””
Brielle looked terrified.
“It was Mom.””
“You said you didn’t know.””
“I didn’t know she would go that far.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You knew she was involved.””
Brielle looked down.
“Yes.””
The confession was quiet.
But it destroyed something.
Marcus shook his head.
“How long?””
“What?””
“How long have you known?””
Brielle wiped her tears.
“Since before the wedding.””
He laughed once.
A painful, empty sound.
“So this whole time…”
His eyes moved around the ballroom.
The flowers.
The decorations.
The guests who had left.
“This whole time, you were standing there smiling while hiding this from me?””
Brielle cried.
“I wanted to tell you.””
“When?””
She didn’t answer.
Marcus nodded slowly.
“That’s what I thought.””
I wanted to reach for him.
But I didn’t.
Because I understood something.
Right now, Marcus wasn’t just hurt by Brielle.
He was hurt by everyone.
Including me.
Daniel looked at the document again.
“There’s something important here.””
Nobody moved.
“What?”” Marcus asked.
“The father information wasn’t added during the first appointment.””
Marcus frowned.
“Then when was it added?””
Daniel scrolled.
“Seven months ago.””
My heart stopped.
Seven months.
That was after I was already pregnant.
After Marcus and I had celebrated our first ultrasound.
After he had painted the nursery walls himself.
After he had whispered to our baby every night.
Someone changed the record after our family had already started.
“Who added it?”” Marcus asked.
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“The system shows the update came from an internal account.””
“Whose?””
Daniel looked at the name.
Then slowly turned the phone around.
Marcus stared.
I watched his expression collapse.
Because the account name belonged to someone none of us expected.
Not Brielle.
Not his mother.
Not a hospital employee.
It belonged to him.
“Marcus Carter.””
Nobody spoke.
Marcus looked up.
“That’s impossible.””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
“Someone used my account?””
“Yes.””
“Then why does the system show my name?””
“Because whoever did this had your credentials.””
Marcus stared at the screen.
I saw memories crossing his face.
The times he helped his family.
The times he logged into shared computers.
The times he trusted people around him.
Someone had used his own identity against him.
But there was one thing I couldn’t understand.
“Marcus…”
He looked at me.
“If someone wanted to make it look like you weren’t the father…”
My voice shook.
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
Because that was the question.
The one question that mattered.
Brielle suddenly stood.
“I know.””
Everyone turned.
Marcus looked at his sister.
“You know why?””
She looked at me.
Then him.
“Yes.””
“Tell me.””
Her face twisted with guilt.
“I thought it was because Mom wanted control.””
Marcus waited.
“But there was another reason.””
“What reason?””
Brielle took a shaky breath.
“She found out something before anyone else.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
Brielle looked at Marcus.
“She found out about the night Nia got pregnant.””
My blood ran cold.
Marcus frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
Brielle looked at me.
And suddenly I remembered.
The hospital.
The appointment.
The strange timing.
The one night I had always considered impossible to forget.
The night Marcus wasn’t there.
“Brielle…”
She whispered:
“You never told him.””
Marcus looked between us.
“Told me what?””
I felt my hands go cold.
Because there was something I had buried.
Not because I was guilty.
Because I was afraid.
“Marcus, before I say anything…”
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“Say it.””
I looked at him.
“The night I found out I was pregnant…”
He waited.
“You weren’t home.””
His face changed.
“I know.””
“I was alone.””
“Okay.””
“I went to the hospital.””
Marcus nodded slowly.
“And?””
I looked down.
“And someone was with me.””
Silence.
Brielle closed her eyes.
Marcus stared.
“Who?””
I couldn’t speak.
Because saying the name would change everything.
But I had no choice.
“Brielle.””
Marcus turned toward his sister.
“What?””
Brielle looked at him.
“I was there.””
His face went blank.
“You were there?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Brielle started crying.
“Because Nia called me.””
I looked at Marcus.
“I was scared. I thought something was wrong. You were working late, and I didn’t want to worry you.””
Marcus looked hurt.
“You called my sister instead of me?””
“I tried calling you.””
That stopped him.
“I called three times.””
He looked away.
“I didn’t see it.””
“I know.””
Brielle stepped forward.
“And when I got there, she was scared.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What happened at the hospital?””
Brielle didn’t answer.
I did.
“The doctor told me something unusual.””
“What?””
I swallowed.
“They said there was a possibility the pregnancy was high-risk.””
Marcus looked at my stomach.
“But everything was fine.””
“Yes.””
“Then why would someone change the father information?””
I looked at Brielle.
Because suddenly I understood.
Brielle understood too.
She whispered:
“Because they wanted to make it look like the pregnancy came from that night.””
Marcus froze.
“What night?””
Nobody spoke.
Daniel looked confused.
“What are you saying?””
Brielle looked at Marcus.
“Your mother believed Nia was hiding something.””
My heart sank.
“She thought…”
Brielle’s voice cracked.
“She thought Nia was with someone else.””
Marcus stared.
“What?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“I know.””
Brielle looked at me.
“I know it wasn’t true.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Wasn’t true?””
I stepped closer.
“Marcus, I never betrayed you.””
His eyes searched mine.
“I know.””
The answer surprised me.
“You know?””
He nodded slowly.
“Because I know you.””
For the first time that night, his anger softened.
But the pain remained.
“I just don’t understand why everyone was willing to let me believe this.””
Nobody answered.
Because the truth was ugly.
They weren’t protecting him.
They were protecting themselves.
Daniel suddenly looked at the document again.
“Wait.””
Everyone turned.
“What?””
He zoomed in on the file.
“There’s another entry.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“What entry?””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“The original father information wasn’t blank.””
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel looked at the screen.
“It means someone entered a name.””
Marcus’s face tightened.
“Whose?””
Daniel looked up.
And this time, even he looked shocked.
“The name was added seven months ago.””
A terrible silence followed.
Then he said:
“The name listed as the biological father…”
He paused.
“It’s someone Marcus knows.””
My stomach dropped.
Marcus stared.
“Who?””
Daniel slowly turned the screen around.
And I saw the name.
A name I never expected.
A name that made Marcus take a step backward.
Because it belonged to his closest friend.
His best man.
The man standing beside him at every family event.
May you like
The man who had congratulated us when we announced the pregnancy.
Darius Cole.
