PART 2

Marcus recovered quickly, but not completely. His smile returned with cracks in it. “Daniel,” he said too loudly. “What a surprise.” The garden went quiet in waves. People remembered Daniel in fragments: Marcus’s older brother, the original heir, the brilliant one, the reckless one, the son who supposedly stole from the company, signed away his shares, and disappeared overseas before the police could arrest him. That was the story Marcus had sold to the world. Daniel walked beside me with a cane and a calm face. His left hand trembled slightly, but his voice was steady. “Happy birthday to the boy,” he said. Serena’s eyes narrowed. “Why is he here?” Marcus gripped his glass too tightly. “Claire enjoys collecting damaged things.” A few people laughed. I did not. Daniel looked at Marcus. “Still charming.” Marcus turned toward the guests and raised his voice. “Well, since my ex-wife has decided to bring ghosts to a children’s party, let’s not let it ruin the mood.” Serena lifted her chin. “Exactly. Today is about family. Real family.” Then she looked at me. “Claire, would you like to say something to Ethan? Perhaps a blessing? You know, from someone who understands longing.” There it was. The first cut. I saw Marcus’s mother watching from beneath her hat, smiling like a spider. I stepped forward. “Of course.” Marcus’s grin sharpened. Serena handed me the microphone, expecting my humiliation to echo across the lawn. I looked at Ethan. He was a sweet-looking child with Marcus’s eyes and Serena’s nervous fingers. None of this was his fault. “Ethan,” I said gently, “may you grow up kinder than the people who taught you pride.” The laughter died. Serena snatched the microphone back. “How bitter.” Marcus chuckled. “Can you blame her? Some wounds never heal. Especially the ones nature gives.” He turned to the crowd. “You all know Claire and I tried for children. For years. Doctors, treatments, prayers. Nothing worked. And now look.” He placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Life gave me proof that I was never the problem.” The guests shifted. Some looked embarrassed. Others leaned in, hungry for more. Serena smiled with all her teeth. “Marcus deserved a legacy.” Something inside me went very still. Daniel whispered, “You don’t have to.” “Yes,” I said softly. “I do.” Marcus mistook my calm for weakness. He stepped closer. “Tell me, Claire, does it hurt? Seeing what you could never give me?” I looked at him. “No.” His expression twitched. I turned to Serena. “Does it hurt you?” She blinked. “Excuse me?” “Knowing you built your whole victory on a lie.” Serena laughed too fast. “Poor thing. Still delusional.” Marcus took the microphone from her and lifted his glass. “To my wife,” he announced. “The woman who gave me my son. And to my ex-wife, who taught me that some doors close because they are empty rooms.” Scattered applause moved across the lawn. I waited until it faded. Then I opened my clutch and removed a slim black flash drive. Marcus’s eyes locked on it. Tiny movement. Huge confession. Daniel noticed. So did I. “Before cake,” I said, “I have a gift.” Marcus lowered his glass. “Claire.” His voice changed. Not mocking now. Warning. I smiled. “There you are.” I turned to the videographer. “You’re already connected to the screen, aren’t you?” The young man hesitated. Daniel handed him an envelope. “For your trouble. And your lawyer.” The screen behind the cake flickered. Serena grabbed Marcus’s sleeve. “What is this?” I looked at them both. “The wrong woman,” I said. “That’s who you targeted.”