Chapter 4 - The Clinic File
By nine that morning, Samuel had found the retired administrator who once ran billing at Hawthorne Fertility.
Her name was Grace Nolan.
She agreed to meet only after Samuel told her Thomas Carter’s daughter was asking.
Grace chose a church parking lot.
She climbed into the back seat of Samuel’s SUV carrying a grocery bag full of old paper.
“I kept these because I knew someday somebody would ask.”
My mouth went dry.
“Ask what?”
“Why your account was handled differently.”
She handed me a photocopied authorization form.
My signature was at the bottom.
It looked almost right.
Almost.
“I never signed this.”
“I know.”
Grace pointed to a notation.
SPECIAL FAMILY CONTACT - V. VANCE.
I pressed my palm against my stomach.
“What did she receive?”
“Billing notices. Appointment schedules. Treatment summaries.”
“Anything else?”
Grace looked away.
Samuel leaned forward.
“Grace.”
“She asked whether failed cycles could be documented as patient-factor infertility.”
My breath stopped.
“What does that mean?”
“It means she wanted records to make the problem look like it was you.”
A horn sounded behind us.
Grace flinched.
“No. I’m done.”
She opened the door.
I caught her wrist gently.
“Did they hurt my pregnancies?”
Her eyes met mine.
“I don’t know.”
That answer was worse than a lie.
She pulled a sealed envelope from the grocery bag.
“This was left in my desk after your third miscarriage. I was told to destroy it.”
On the front was Ryan’s handwriting.
VICTORIA - DO NOT PUT THIS IN MADDIE’S FILE.
I opened it.
Inside was a lab report.
Not mine.
Ryan’s.
At the bottom, one line had been circled in red.
SEVERE MALE-FACTOR INFERTILITY.
I read it until the letters blurred.
For eleven years, Ryan had let everyone blame me.
Samuel’s phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
Then at me.
“Ryan just filed an emergency motion.”
May you like
“For what?”
“To freeze your access to every Carter family account.”
