And then I pressed play.
Claire’s voice filled the room. “Are you sure your wife is okay with all this?”
Then Ethan. “She doesn’t want the baby, Claire. She only agreed because I begged her to try surrogacy.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the recorder.
“But she comes with you sometimes,” Claire said. She sounded uncertain.
“Only for appearances,” Ethan’s voice continued. “Once the baby’s born, she’s signing her rights over.”
Claire hesitated. “That’s why you’re keeping all the medical records?”
“Exactly,” Ethan said. “If she changes her mind, I’ll show the court she never bonded with the pregnancy.”
There was a crackle on the recording.
Then Claire spoke again, “I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“That’s why you’re keeping all the medical records?”
I spoke before anyone else could find their voice.
“I want to make something clear.” I looked at Claire directly. “I love this baby. I prayed for it. I ached for it for years. I have no intention of signing away my rights. Ethan lied to you.” I turned to face my husband then. “And now I’d like to know why.”
Ethan looked around the room. His parents, my parents, and all our friends were staring at him, waiting.
“You’re all misunderstanding,” he started.
“Am I?” I asked quietly. “Why don’t you explain it then?”
“And now I’d like to know why.”
Something moved across his face, and I watched the performance fall away.
“You really want to know?” he said finally. “Fine. Our marriage died years ago. The treatments, the disappointments… All of it. It broke us. I still wanted my child. I just didn’t want to raise it in a broken marriage.”
“So you decided to steal it instead,” I said.
