A Mother's Heart, A Cruel Lie
sixth birthday. For six years, I'd been the loving wife of tech
informed me that according to the official bi
liana Dudley-my hu
ind his door. My entire marriage was a sham. I was chosen because I re
than a free nanny and a "comfortable pl
my heartbroken state and the
daughter sneered, bef
cracking against the post. As I lay
me on the floor, and then promised to take
real mom," my daughter
lly understood. The six years of love I had p
ir wish w
pte
h in my heart. Today was the day. For their sixth birthday, I was setting up a trust fund fo
anager, a man with a kind smile named Mr. Henderso
Alex." For six years, I' d been Mrs. Dunlap, wife to the
ile fading slightly. "Just a rout
looked from his screen to me, then back aga
for a single transfer?" I asked, m
e hesitant. "The system is rejecting y
hy? Is there a mistak
According to our records, the legal mother of K
punch. "What? That's impossible. I'm
screen slightly towards me. "The system lis
na D
' s first love. The woman he' d talked about with a sad, dis
re must be a mistake. A
y. "The birth certificates are d
last six years: sleepless nights, first steps, scraped knees
harshly against the floor. "
city's noise a dull roar in my ears. My mind was a blank sl
xplain this. It was a clerical
ering wheel. The building, a gleaming tower of glass and st
ised to see me. "Mrs. Dunlap!
or to his corner office was slightly ajar. I heard voices from inside. Gavyn's voi
ia
d frozen just inc
does she?" Iliana's voice
thinks they're hers. She's a good mother,
ad spread
six years. Honestly, Gavyn, it was a brilliant plan. Finding a woman who look
n my throat. Sham
dren. They have your eyes, Iliana. Your talent. Alex's genes wo
. The IVF. The doctors telling me they were using my eggs and his sperm.
his voice was the worst part. "She's always been a bit simple. Thinks
rld spun. I clutched the
own wedding, a cheap dress torn at the hem, escaping a man my family had sold
had a crush on for years, a figure from a different world. He looked at m
. "A placeholder. Someone to give me children. You look
en. A woman with my shade of h
escape, I had agreed. I thought I could make him
entive, and generous. He praised my parenting. He held me at night. I had allowed myself t
or the children wasn't because they were a product of our love, bu
the cold, sterile hallway, the t
at mirrored the storm inside me. The rain soaked me to the bone, but I co
my face, tears mixing with the water streaming dow
st called. The rain is getting heavy,
inct, of love, sparked in the darkness. "Yes,
ion in mind. Eventually, my body took me home.
ine floor. Kennith and Kaelynn were at t
Kaelynn c
and pathetic state. Her smile vanished, rep
hat," Kennith added, his arms c
ttered, broke into sm
he carpet," Kaelynn said, her vo
balance, emotionally and physically exhausted. I tumbled backward, my head h
ere, stunned, looking up at them. They
lau
Kennith sneer
Iliana. He saw me on the floor, a trickle of blood ru
s?" he asked, h
"Can we go with Iliana now? She p
indifferent, before he smiled at the c
ver once looking my way again. The chi
ynn said to her brother, just loud enough f
ennith whispered ba
eaving me in the silent, empty house, lyi
ed up from my chest. It wa
Iliana was t
ir wish w
e lies, done with the pa