Chapter 1 - THE MOTHER'S BETRAYAL
The smartphone hit the linoleum floor with a sharp crack, but Clara didn’t flinch.
Her eyes were locked on Eleanor. The wealthy, impeccably dressed matriarch of the Wright family stood frozen, the color draining from her botoxed face. Clara had always known Liam’s mother hated her. Clara was a public school teacher; Liam was the heir to a massive real estate empire. But she never imagined Eleanor was capable of this level of cruelty.
"You did this," Clara gasped, a fresh wave of contractions ripping through her abdomen. "You sent that text."
Eleanor quickly composed herself, her face hardening into a mask of pure ice. "He was driving to the jeweler to pick up your wedding ring when a drunk driver ran a red light. I found his phone in the wreckage. I did what needed to be done, Clara. My son is broken. He requires the best care in the world, not a penniless girl dragging him down."
"He is the father of my child!" Clara screamed, the monitor next to Liam’s bed spiking as if he could hear her voice.
"He is my son!" Eleanor shot back, stepping between Clara and the bed. "And as his next of kin, I am transferring him to a private facility in Switzerland tonight. Security will escort you out."
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Before Clara could take another step, a searing pain tore through her lower back. Her knees buckled. A pool of clear fluid splashed onto the hospital floor. Her water had completely broken.
The heart monitor alarms blared. The door flew open, and a team of nurses rushed in. "We have an active labor!" someone yelled. As Clara was hoisted onto a gurney and wheeled out of the room, she looked back to see Eleanor coldly picking up the shattered phone, sealing Liam’s fate.
