Chapter 1: The Needle and the Lie

On the screen was a video of Vanessa standing inside our bedroom without the fake belly.

I had never seen my seven-year-old son, Noah, look at anyone with that much fear.

My fiancée, Vanessa, was standing in our living room with one hand resting on her eight-month "pregnant" belly.

We were supposed to get married the following weekend.

Then Noah stepped toward her holding a sewing needle.

"Noah, put that down."

Vanessa immediately backed away.

"Daniel, get him away from me!"

But before I could reach him, Noah jabbed the needle into the side of her swollen belly.

Vanessa screamed.

I grabbed my son.

"What are you doing?"

Then I heard a strange hiss.

Everyone in the room went silent.

Vanessa's belly began shrinking.

Seconds later, a partially deflated balloon slipped from underneath her dress.

My mother dropped her wineglass.

I stared at Vanessa.

"What the hell is that?"

Her face went completely white.

"Daniel, I can explain."

I looked from the balloon to the woman who had spent six months telling me I was going to be a father again.

"You're not pregnant?"

Vanessa started crying.

"I was going to tell you."

"When?"

"After the wedding."

My stomach turned.

Then Noah tugged my sleeve.

"Daddy, she told me never to tell you."

I crouched beside him.

"You knew?"

He nodded.

"I saw her take the belly off when you went to work."

Vanessa snapped, "He's lying!"

Noah flinched.

Then he pulled my old phone from his backpack.

"I recorded it."

Vanessa lunged toward him.

I stepped between them.

On the screen was a video of Vanessa standing inside our bedroom without the fake belly.

But she wasn't alone.

A man was beside her holding legal documents.

I turned up the volume.

Vanessa's voice came through clearly.

"Once Daniel marries me, I won't need the pregnancy anymore."

My hands started shaking.

Then the man asked, "And what about Noah?"

Vanessa smiled on the recording.

"That's already being handled."

I slowly looked at my son.

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