Chapter 3: The Voice She Tried to Silence
Jocelyn backed toward the elevator, pressing the baby against her chest.
“You don’t get to appear after two years and accuse me,” she said.
“You abandoned everyone.”
Evan held up his phone.
“I left because you promised to ruin me if I stayed.”
“Another lie.”
“Then let Grant hear your own voice.”
Jocelyn’s hand shot toward the phone, but Dr.
Mercer stepped between them.
“Take the baby into the consultation room,” he said.
“This discussion should not happen in a public lobby.”
“You’ve already violated our privacy,” Jocelyn snapped.
I moved beside the elevator button.
“You’re not leaving until you explain what you did to my medical record.”
“You have no right to stop me.”
“You used my name.
That gives me every right.”
Grant unfolded the second result again.
“This test only excludes me,” he said.
“It doesn’t name the father.”
Evan looked at the child.
“I believe he’s mine.”
Grant gripped the paper until it bent.
“You slept with her?”
“Once.
She told me you and Laurel were separated.”
“We were still married,” I said.
Evan lowered his head.
“I learned that the next morning.
I tried to tell you, Laurel.”
“You vanished instead.”
“Because Jocelyn found something on the company server and put it under my login.
She said the police would find it if I spoke.”
Jocelyn laughed, but the sound broke in the middle.
“He stole from Grant and ran away.
That’s the truth.”
“Play the recording,” I said.
Evan unlocked his phone.
Jocelyn moved toward him again, and Grant caught her wrist.
“Don’t touch it.”
“Grant, he edited whatever you’re about to hear.”
“Then you have nothing to fear.”
Evan pressed the screen.
Jocelyn’s recorded voice filled the lobby.
“You will leave Franklin Crest, and you will never contact Laurel or Grant.
If you come back, the missing company funds will lead directly to your account.”
Evan’s voice followed.
“And the baby?”
A pause crackled through the speaker.
“Grant will believe the baby is his.
He already believes whatever is written on official paper.”
Grant released Jocelyn’s wrist as if it had burned him.
“You knew before he was born?”
“She trapped me,” Jocelyn said.
“Evan was obsessed with me.”
“Your voice sounds very calm for someone being trapped,” I said.
Her eyes fixed on mine.
“You always did enjoy watching other people’s lives fall apart, Laurel.”
“No.
I spent years letting you watch mine.”
Dr.
Mercer opened the first file on his tablet.
“There is more.
The correction to Laurel’s report was approved eighteen months ago, but every notice sent to her was redirected.”
“Redirected where?” I asked.
He turned the screen toward us.
“The contact address belonged to a consulting company.
Jocelyn Price was its registered manager.”
Grant’s shoulders dropped.
“You knew Laurel’s result was wrong.”
Jocelyn adjusted the baby’s blanket.
“I corrected a mistake.”
“You hid the correction,” I said.
“I protected Grant from another disappointment.”
“You protected your place beside him.”
She stepped close enough for only me to hear her.
“If you keep pushing, everyone will learn what Grant did to make those records disappear.”
I looked at him.
Grant’s face answered before his mouth did.
“What did you do?” I asked.
He stared at the floor.
Jocelyn smiled for the first time.
“Ask your former husband why the hospital found an empty file where your original results should have been.”
Grant looked up slowly.
“Laurel, I can explain.”
Dr.
Mercer’s tablet made a soft sound.
He read the new message twice, then faced Grant.
May you like
“The archive audit is complete,” he said.
“Your electronic signature authorized the deletion.”
