“That one of my embryos had survived.”
Five years earlier, after Lily was born, Emily and her ex-husband, Jake, had considered having another child.
Emily had undergone fertility treatment before both pregnancies.
There had been embryos left over.
She and Jake signed papers ordering the clinic to destroy them after their divorce.
Emily had cried for a week, then she told me it was done.
“They lied.”
Detective Cole’s eyes narrowed.
“Bellweather kept an embryo?”
“More than one.”
Emily looked at the sleeping baby.
The room seemed to tilt.
“Without your permission?” Cole asked.
“Without hers too.”
The woman who carried Grace was named Tessa.
Twenty-six years old.
She had gone to Bellweather for treatment after repeated miscarriages.
Voss told her he was implanting an embryo created from her egg and donor sperm.
At 28 weeks, Tessa overheard two nurses arguing.
One accused the other of changing identification labels.
Tessa began asking questions. Two days later, the clinic told her she had developed a dangerous psychiatric condition.
Took her phone.
Restricted visitors.
“They said she was unstable,” Emily explained. “They told her family she didn’t want contact.”
“How did she reach you?” Cole asked.
“One of the nurses helped her.”
“Caroline.”
