Chapter 3 - MY MOTHER CHOSE HER FAVORITE DAUGHTER
By morning, my family had already rewritten the story.
My mother told relatives that I had suffered a breakdown after seeing Sierra’s baby.
She said years of infertility had made me jealous and unstable.
Sierra posted a photograph of Kevin holding the newborn, then deleted it after Naomi sent a preservation notice.
Kevin told mutual friends that our marriage had been emotionally over for years.
Nobody mentioned the stolen company money.
Nobody mentioned the affair beginning while I was undergoing medical procedures.
By noon, my aunt called.
“Lauren, your mother says you froze Sierra’s accounts.”
“The money in those accounts came from my company.”
“She has a newborn.”
“Then Kevin can buy diapers with the salary he saved while I paid their hotel bills.”
“Your sister needs compassion.”
“So did I.”
My aunt became quiet.
“Your mother says you’ve always competed with Sierra.”
That was the family story.
Sierra was seven years younger and born after my parents believed they could not have another child. Mom called her the miracle.
I was the responsible one.
The reliable one.
The daughter who paid her own tuition, took over Dad’s struggling company after his death, and sent money whenever the family called.
Sierra received love.
I received confidence that I would manage.
“I’m not competing with her,” I said. “I’m refusing to fund her.”
I ended the call.
Naomi brought in a forensic accountant named Daniel Cho. Together, we reviewed five years of transfers authorized by Kevin.
The amount was worse than I expected.
Kevin had redirected nearly six hundred thousand dollars through false consulting contracts, inflated vendor invoices, and reimbursements to a property company Sierra secretly owned.
My mother had received ninety-two thousand.
Sierra’s rent, car, medical bills, and boutique losses had all been covered by company funds.
“There’s another payment that concerns me,” Daniel said.
He turned his laptop toward me.
Eighteen months earlier, Hayes Urban Development paid $96,000 to Northstar Reproductive Medicine.
I recognized the clinic immediately.
Kevin and I had undergone our final round of in vitro fertilization there.
“That was personal,” I said. “It should have come from our medical account.”
“Only thirty-eight thousand was charged to that account. The rest came through the company.”
I opened my patient portal.
Our final cycle had produced three viable embryos.
One transfer failed.
According to Kevin, the remaining embryos did not survive genetic testing.
I had been too devastated to call the clinic myself. He handled the paperwork and told me continuing treatment would destroy us emotionally.
Two weeks later, he began the affair with Sierra.
At least, that was what he claimed.
“Request every record,” I said.
Naomi looked at me carefully.
“Medical records may take time.”
“Then get a court order.”
That evening, Sierra called from the hospital.
I almost ignored it.
Then I answered.
“You froze the account,” she said.
“It was funded with stolen money.”
“I need it.”
“Call Kevin.”
“He says you destroyed his cards.”
“I canceled company cards issued to a terminated employee.”
Sierra lowered her voice.
“You don’t have to punish the baby.”
“I am not punishing her.”
“She’s your niece.”
The word felt strange.
“Is she?”
Sierra stopped breathing for a moment.
“What does that mean?”
I had not known until then that there was a question to ask.
Her fear created it.
“Where did you receive prenatal care?”
“Why?”
“Which clinic confirmed your pregnancy?”
“That is none of your business.”
“Did Northstar Reproductive Medicine treat you?”
Sierra disconnected.
I stared at the phone.
Less than five minutes later, my mother called.
“Leave your sister alone.”
“Why was Sierra a patient at my fertility clinic?”
Silence.
“Mom?”
“Kevin will explain.”
“I’m asking you.”
“You were never going to use those embryos.”
The room seemed to lose all sound.
“What embryos?”
My mother realized too late that she had answered the wrong question.
“Lauren—”
“What did you do?”
She hung up.
I called Naomi.
“Do not wait until morning.”
May you like
My voice shook for the first time.
“Find out whose child Sierra just delivered.”
