Melinda flinched.
I felt the accusation in my chest, because some part of me had already feared it.
“No,” I said. “I don’t.”
He blinked.
“I’m not here to hurt a child,” I continued. “I have spent my entire adult life helping children. I know what trauma does. I know what uncertainty does. I know babies are not property, not prizes, not proof that someone won.”
My voice softened despite myself.
“But he deserves the truth. So do I.”
Kenneth nodded slightly.
Connor looked frustrated by my refusal to become the monster he needed me to be.
“You have no claim,” he said.
Kenneth answered before I could. “That remains to be determined.”
“No,” Connor said. “It doesn’t. Melinda gave birth. I’m the father. End of story.”
“Biology and legal parentage can become complicated when consent is fraudulent,” Kenneth said.
Connor’s face reddened. “You can’t prove fraud.”
