My Husband Married Me Because I Couldn't Give Him Children

Alexander wanted me to stay at the mansion.

I wanted to drive to my father's house and put the altered report in Victoria's face.

For the first time in our marriage, we had a genuine fight.

"You are not confronting them alone," he said.

"I didn't ask permission."

"You are fourteen weeks pregnant with twins and someone has accessed or discussed your medical information twice in three years. This is not a normal family disagreement."

"It's my family."

"That is not the defense you think it is."

I flinched.

He saw it.

His expression softened by a fraction.

"Claire, I am not trying to control you."

"You're very good at making control sound like concern."

"And you're very good at calling reckless behavior independence."

I stared at him.

He stared back.

Mrs. Rossi quietly backed out of the breakfast room carrying a tray she had absolutely not needed to remove.

"I need answers," I said.

"You will get them."

"From one of your investigators?"

"From evidence."

"I want to see their faces."

That stopped him.

I stepped closer.

"I want to ask Victoria why she spent three years making jokes about something that wasn't even true. I want to ask Olivia how she knew what I was going to accuse them of before I accused anyone. And I want to ask my father why he let them humiliate me with a medical report he never even bothered to question."

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No."

"That part is not negotiable."

"Why?"

His answer came without hesitation.

"Because you're my wife."

Something in my chest shifted.

Five months earlier, those words would have sounded contractual.

That morning, they didn't.

We arrived at my father's Gold Coast house just after noon.

Victoria opened the door herself.

She wore cream trousers, a silk blouse, and the expression of a woman who had been expecting company without wanting to admit it.

Her eyes went first to me.

Then Alexander.

Then my stomach.

I wasn't showing much yet, but suddenly I felt exposed.

"Claire," she said brightly. "What a surprise."

"Is it?"

Her smile changed.

Behind her, Olivia appeared at the foot of the staircase.

She was twenty-two, beautiful in the delicate way Victoria had spent years encouraging and weaponizing. Olivia had always known how to look innocent when she was most involved.

"Claire," she said. "I texted you."

"I know."

My father came from his study.

"What's going on?"

I walked into the living room without waiting to be invited.

Alexander followed.

I placed two versions of page four on the coffee table.

"One of these came from the hospital archive. The other is the copy Olivia brought to the family dinner three years ago."

My father's face went pale.

Victoria did not move.

Olivia looked at the pages, then at me.

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone changed my medical record."

Silence.

My father whispered, "Changed it how?"

I pointed to the wording.

"The real version said I had diminished ovarian reserve and a possible problem with one tube that required further testing. The version I was given said both tubes were completely blocked and spontaneous conception was almost impossible."

Victoria recovered first.

"Medical records get corrected all the time."

Alexander's voice was quiet.

"This was not a correction."

She turned toward him.

"And you're an expert in gynecology now?"

"No. I'm an expert in determining when someone is lying to my wife."

My wife.

Again.

Victoria's mouth tightened.

Olivia folded her arms.

"Why are you suddenly digging through old records?"

I looked directly at her.

"I'm pregnant."

My father's mouth fell open.

Olivia went white.

Victoria did not react for nearly two full seconds.

That was how I knew she had already heard.

"Pregnant?" my father said.

I nodded.

"With twins."

He sat down.

"Twins?"

For one brief, aching moment, he looked happy.

Then Victoria spoke.

"Well. That's certainly unexpected."

I watched her.

"You don't seem surprised."

"Why would I be? Miracles happen."

"You spent three years telling everyone they didn't."

Her eyes sharpened.

"I spent three years repeating what your doctors said."

"No. You spent three years repeating what that altered page said."

"Claire, be careful what you're implying."

"Why?"

Alexander stepped slightly closer to me.

Victoria noticed.

So did Olivia.

"Because accusations have consequences," Victoria said.

Alexander answered before I could.

"So does falsifying a medical record."

The room went still.

My father stood.

"Enough. No one is accusing anyone of a crime in this house."

I stared at him.

"Why are you defending them?"

"I'm not defending anyone. I'm trying to keep this family from tearing itself apart."

"This family tore me apart three years ago. You watched."

He looked away.

That hurt more than if he had shouted.

Olivia spoke softly.

"Claire, I got the report because I was worried about you."

"How?"

"What?"

"How did you get it?"

She hesitated.

"You gave Mom permission to help with your appointments."

"I gave Victoria permission to pick up one prescription after my procedure. I never authorized either of you to access my medical records."

Olivia's face tightened.

"Maybe the hospital made a mistake."

"Maybe. Who gave you the envelope?"

She glanced at Victoria.

Only for a second.

But I saw it.

Alexander saw it too.

"Answer her," he said.

Olivia's chin lifted.

"A woman at the records desk. I don't remember her name."

"Describe her," Alexander said.

"I don't have to answer you."

"No," he agreed. "You don't."

His calm was more threatening than anger.

"But the hospital will answer a subpoena."

Victoria stepped forward.

"This is absurd. Claire, you're pregnant. You should be celebrating instead of inventing a conspiracy because you can't accept that doctors sometimes get things wrong."

I looked at her.

"How did you know I was at the hospital this morning?"

For the first time, she blinked.

"Olivia told me."

I turned to Olivia.

"How did you know?"

"Someone saw you."

"Who?"

"I don't know. A friend."

"Name her."

Olivia's eyes flashed.

"God, Claire, not everything is about you."

There it was.

The sentence she had used since childhood whenever she got cornered.

When she wore my dress without asking.

When she broke my mother's bracelet.

When she told Victoria about the first boy I kissed and listened outside the door while I was punished for it.

Not everything is about you.

I looked at my father.

"Did you know?"

He looked confused.

"Know what?"

"That my record had been changed."

"Of course not."

"Did you ever ask how Olivia got it?"

He said nothing.

"Did you ever call the doctor yourself?"

Nothing.

"Did you ever ask whether I wanted my medical information discussed at dinner?"

His face crumpled slightly.

"Claire—"

"No. I want one answer. Did you ever do anything?"

"I thought giving you space was what you wanted."

I laughed once.

It sounded broken.

"You didn't give me space. You abandoned me in the middle of the room."

Alexander's hand touched the small of my back.

A simple gesture.

Steady.

Present.

My father's eyes dropped to it.

I think that was when he understood, maybe for the first time, that the cold husband he had quietly judged for marrying me in a practical arrangement had protected me more in five months than my own father had in years.

Victoria folded her arms.

"Are we finished?"

I looked at her.

"Not even close."

My phone rang.

Daniel.

Alexander answered on speaker.

"Tell me."

Daniel's voice filled the room.

"We got the preliminary access report from the current hospital. Mrs. Moretti's chart was opened yesterday afternoon by a scheduling contractor who had no clinical reason to view it. The account has been suspended."

My stomach turned.

Alexander asked, "Name?"

"Samantha Vale. Twenty-six. Her emergency contact is listed as Olivia Bennett."

The room stopped breathing.

I looked at my sister.

Olivia's face drained of color.

My father whispered, "Olivia?"

She backed up a step.

"I can explain."

Alexander ended the call.

I stared at her.

"Then explain."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Samantha is my friend. I asked her to check whether you were really there. That's all."

"Why?"

"Because Mom heard you were pregnant and she wanted to know if it was true."

Victoria snapped, "Do not drag me into your stupidity."

Olivia turned toward her.

The shock on her face was immediate.

"You told me to find out."

Victoria's eyes hardened.

"I told you no such thing."

Olivia stared at her mother.

For the first time in my life, I watched Olivia realize that Victoria would sacrifice her without hesitation.

"Mom."

"You accessed private medical information through a friend. That was your decision."

Olivia looked as if she'd been slapped.

I should have felt satisfied.

I didn't.

I felt tired.

Alexander stepped forward.

"Three years ago," he said, "did Victoria ask you to obtain Claire's report?"

Olivia said nothing.

Victoria's voice sharpened.

"Do not answer him."

That was the wrong thing to say.

Olivia slowly turned toward me.

Her mascara had begun to run.

"I didn't know she changed anything," she whispered.

My blood went cold.

"What?"

"I didn't know."

Victoria lunged forward.

"Olivia, shut your mouth."

Alexander moved between them before Victoria could reach her.

My father stared at his wife in horror.

Olivia was crying openly now.

"Mom gave me the envelope. She told me it came from the hospital and that you needed to understand there was no point pretending. She told me to show everyone because you'd refuse to face reality if people kept protecting you."

I could barely hear her over the sound of my own heartbeat.

"Where did she get it?"

Olivia shook her head.

"I don't know. I swear."

Victoria pointed at her daughter.

"You ungrateful little liar."

My father finally moved.

"Victoria. Stop."

She looked at him.

"You believe her?"

He stared at the two versions of page four.

Then at me.