Chapter 2

Frank and I met in college. We went from campus sweethearts to husband and wife, a solid ten years.

I gave up a job at a top company to follow him and start our own business.

We began as two people in a tiny studio, and grew it into a corporate group with hundreds of employees.

I stuck by him through the struggle, helped him build everything from the ground up, and once he hit it big, he cheated on me.

The day I went to the hospital to pick up our checkup results, I saw Frank step out of the car with Claire, beaming as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her right in front of me.

His mom had been making snide remarks about my infertility for years, and then he went and betrayed me with my so-called best friend.

Since Claire's family favored boys over girls, she never got to go to college and couldn't find a decent job. Out of kindness, I brought her into the company. We were childhood friends, after all.

But instead of being grateful, she used her closeness to have an affair with my husband.

The company I had put everything into, Frank used the whole "let's try for a baby" thing as an excuse to push me out.

I saw "azoospermia" on Frank's report and gave a cold laugh.

I had nothing but time. From that day on, I started keeping tabs on the two of them.

Frank bought Claire an apartment right by the office.

My in-laws visited now and then.

Every time Frank claimed he was working late or away on business, the four of them were in that apartment playing happy families.

Then, when Claire got pregnant, my in-laws moved right in to take care of her.

I'd show up at the office every now and then.

But as I saw fewer and fewer familiar faces around, I realized Frank was erasing all traces of me from the company.

After that, I barely set foot in the office anymore.

Claire couldn't hide her pregnancy from me. She said she was all about staying single and that she wanted a kid, not a family.

I watched her performance with a cold stare, never bothering to expose her lie.

Sometimes, I'd drop a few hints just to see how she'd react. Claire seemed convinced the kid was Frank's. She swore up and down she'd only slept with the father once.

She said she hadn't expected to get pregnant from one time. She took it as fate, so she accepted it and had the baby.

I said nothing and gave her a smile.

Seven days later, my in-laws called me. The DNA test results were in, and they wanted me to come over tomorrow to see them together.

I agreed right away. Who wouldn't want to watch the drama unfold in person?

*****

Early the next morning, I took a cab to the DNA testing center.

The staff handed over the report. Orion snatched it up before anyone else could.

He flipped it open, glanced at the results, and broke into a grin.

Wait, that wasn't the reaction I was expecting.

I glanced over. The report stated it plainly: [The tested individual is the biological father.]

How could this be? I looked down, deep in thought.

No way. Frank's medical report clearly said he had azoospermia.

To double-check, I'd even dragged him to other hospitals for more tests. Every result was exactly the same.

One hospital might make a mistake, but all of them? That was nearly impossible.

Did Claire fake the results?

But this was an official, legal testing center. Claire was just a small-town girl with no connections or influence. There was no way she could pull off something like that.

So where did things go wrong?

Frank was an only child, so there was no way anyone could've swapped the samples with a sibling.

Seeing me stay silent with my head down, Edith put her hands on her hips and gloated. "Emily, see? Ben is my own grandson.

"You barren waste. Pack your stuff and leave. Everything my son had goes to my grandson. You won't see a penny."

Claire's triumph only grew. She couldn't resist taunting me.

"Emily, relax. I keep my word. The apartment you're in stays with you. The savings and the business, though, came from Ben's real father. Now they're Ben's. Do yourself a favor and don't bother fighting it," she said.

I sneered at their two smug faces. "I'm Frank Harper's lawful wife, and I'm the primary heir. I have every right to inherit.

"Your son, and your grandson? They're bastards. This is a kinship test, not a real paternity test with Frank. You should probably talk to a lawyer before you get ahead of yourself.

"Let me be clear. I follow the law. You want his estate? Then let the law decide. You'll take whatever it grants you."

Orion was the clever one. He'd stayed silent while Claire and Edith went on. Now that I was talking legal business, he finally decided to talk.

"Emily, you and Frank spent so many years together. Now he's gone, and Ben is the only child left. I'm not asking you to treat him like your own, but for Frank's sake, can't you give a little?" he said.

Hard didn't work, so now they were trying soft? Sorry. I didn't respond to either.

"I told you. The law decides, and I follow. You have a problem? Go take it up with the government. Ask them to change it," I shot back.

Edith lost her cool and tried to come at me, but Orion grabbed her before she could get close.

"Why are you stopping me? Let me tear that little bitch apart," she snapped.

One of the staff stepped in. "You're in a government building. Put your hands on anyone here, and you're getting arrested."

"Enough." Orion shot me a nasty look as he dragged Edith toward the door. "Let's get out of here. She's not giving an inch. We'll go talk to a lawyer."

Edith backed down once the staff spoke. She pointed at me over and over. "Just you wait. We're getting a lawyer and suing you."

I smiled and waved. "Go ahead. I'll be waiting."

Claire quickly caught up to them.

I watched as the three of them disappeared down the hallway, my smile fading.

I needed to figure out what was going on, and fast.