Chapter 1
I had never seen my seven-year-old son look that afraid.
Noah stood in the middle of my living room with a sewing needle gripped in his small fist.
My fiancée, Vanessa, stood near the fireplace with one hand resting on her huge pregnant belly.
Eight months, she said.
Our miracle, she said.
The reason we needed to marry next weekend, she said.
“Noah,” I warned. “Put that down.”
Vanessa stepped back fast.
Too fast.
“Daniel, get him away from me!”
Before I could reach him, Noah rushed forward and jabbed the needle into the side of her belly.
Vanessa screamed.
I grabbed my son around the waist.
“What are you doing?”
Then I heard it.
A hiss.
Soft.
Strange.
Wrong.
Everyone froze.
My mother dropped her wineglass.
Vanessa’s belly began to shrink under her dress.
Seconds later, a half-deflated balloon slid down and hit the floor.
No one breathed.
I stared at the rubber shape by her feet.
Then I looked at the woman who had let me paint a nursery, buy tiny clothes, and kiss that fake belly every night.
“What the hell is that?”
Vanessa went white.
“Daniel, I can explain.”
“You’re not pregnant?”
Tears filled her eyes instantly.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
She swallowed.
“After the wedding.”
My stomach turned.
Noah grabbed my sleeve.
“Daddy, she told me never to tell you.”
I crouched in front of him.
“You knew?”
He nodded, shaking.
“I saw her take the belly off when you went to work.”
Vanessa snapped, “He’s lying!”
Noah flinched.
Then he reached into his backpack and pulled out my old phone.
“I recorded it.”
Vanessa lunged toward him.
I stepped between them.
“Don’t touch my son.”
On the screen, Vanessa stood in my bedroom without the belly.
But she was not alone.
A man stood beside her, holding legal papers.
I turned up the volume.
Vanessa’s voice filled the room.
“Once Daniel marries me, I won’t need the pregnancy anymore.”
My hands began to shake.
The man asked, “And what about Noah?”
Vanessa smiled.
“That’s already being handled.”
I slowly looked at my son.
May you like
Noah’s face crumpled.
“Daddy,” he whispered, “there’s another video you need to see.”
