Chapter 2 - The Devastating Truth
Dr. Vance pulled back the ultrasound probe and wiped away the clear gel from Penelope’s stomach. The silence in the clinic room was so thick it felt suffused with static.
"Doctor?" Marcus demanded, his voice cracking slightly under the sudden pressure. "Why aren't you saying anything? Is it a boy or not? Speak up!"
Roxanne folded her arms, stepping closer to the examination bed. "Honestly, Doctor Vance, we paid for a premium private service. We expect immediate results. My brother needs to confirm his heir."
Dr. Vance took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a weary sigh. He looked at Penelope, who had suddenly turned pale, her lower lip trembling as she pulled down her shirt.
"Mr. Henderson," Dr. Vance said calmly, picking up a medical folder from his desk. "There is no baby. Miss Penelope is not pregnant. What we are seeing on the scan is a ovarian cyst, along with clear signs of hormonal treatment meant to mimic early pregnancy symptoms."
Marcus blinked, staring at the doctor as if he were speaking a foreign language. "What? No... that’s impossible. She did three home tests! She had morning sickness!"
"Home pregnancy tests can easily be faked or triggered by specific hormone injections," Dr. Vance explained ruthlessly. "Furthermore, Mr. Henderson... even if she were pregnant, I have your medical file right here from your comprehensive executive checkup six months ago. Due to severe testicular trauma in your youth and advanced oligospermia, the likelihood of you conceiving naturally is virtually zero. Your children with your former wife, Mrs. Julianne, were conceived through specialized medical assistance, were they not?"
Marcus stood frozen, his blood running cold.
He slowly turned his head toward Penelope. "What is he talking about, Penelope?"
Penelope scrambled off the exam table, tears streaming down her face—this time not of pride, but of sheer terror. "Marcus, baby, listen to me! The doctor is wrong! He's lying! Julianne must have paid him off!"
"Paid him off?" Dr. Vance scoffed. "Miss Penelope, this is Saint Jude’s Central Hospital. My reputation is spotless. Furthermore, blood tests taken thirty minutes ago confirm zero hCG levels in your system."
Roxanne’s jaw dropped. She lunged forward, grabbing Penelope by her silk blouse. "You treacherous viper! You lied to us? You tricked my brother into divorcing Julianne?!"
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"Let go of me!" Penelope shrieked, clawing at Roxanne’s arms.
Marcus fell back into a chair, his mind spinning into complete chaos. He had just traded his wife of eight years, his two children, and his family integrity for a lie.
