Chapter 5 - THE EMBRYO ERROR

The clinic report did not say Oliver or Emma belonged to another woman.

It said one archived embryo sample associated with our treatment cycle carried DNA inconsistent with mine.

That was all.

Not a child.

A sample.

Naomi made Ryan slide the report through the document slot.

"Where did you get this?"

"Clinic administrator."

"Legally?"

Ryan did not answer.

Of course not.

I called the clinic myself.

By evening, their attorney confirmed a serious records discrepancy.

A former embryology technician had mislabeled several stored samples around the time of our treatment.

No evidence yet showed that an embryo transfer had been wrong.

Ryan had turned an uncertain laboratory problem into a family bomb.

"Why didn't you tell me before investigating?"

He stared through the gate.

"Because I thought you'd blame me."

"For what?"

His eyes moved away.

That was when I knew.

"There is more."

He pressed his forehead against the iron.

"During treatment, I signed a consent change."

My stomach dropped.

"What change?"

"You were hospitalized with ovarian hyperstimulation."

I remembered.

Three nights.

Morphine.

A swollen abdomen.

Fear.

"The clinic called because one embryo wasn't viable after thawing."

"And?"

"They asked whether to thaw another."

"That sounds normal."

Ryan's voice cracked.

"I authorized a different vial."

I did not understand.

Then I did.

"Without asking me?"

"You were sick."

"You could have waited."

"They said timing mattered."

"You could have called my doctor. My lawyer. My mother. Me."

"I made the decision."

A real decision.

His.

Not his mother's.

Not confusion.

Not fear alone.

He had taken control of my reproductive consent because he believed his judgment mattered more.

I sat down.

For the first time since coming home, revenge disappeared from my mind.

I only felt tired.

Then Naomi read the last page.

"Claire."

"What?"

"This report wasn't requested last month."

She showed me the date.

Ryan had first requested the genetic review eleven months earlier.

Almost a year.

He had known there might be a problem for eleven months.

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