I swear I didn’t know.”
“I believe you,” I said quietly. “But I’m done.”
I picked up Leo. His arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders.
“Let’s go home.”
The house went on the market within days. The annulment happened quickly. Tiffany disappeared into silence and scandal.
Weeks later, Leo and I sat on our living room floor, looking through real printed photos—something nobody could steal. “That’s me!” Leo said, pointing at his newborn picture. “That’s you,” I smiled.
My phone buzzed. A message from Mark. Can I visit this weekend?
I miss him. I miss us. I made a terrible mistake.
I stared at the message. For a long moment. Then I deleted it.
And blocked the number. “Mom,” Leo said softly, “you look happy in this picture.”
I looked at the photograph—just me and Leo at the park, eating ice cream, covered in chocolate, laughing for no reason. “Yes,” I said.
“I am happy.”
And looking around my small living room, full of warmth and light, I finally knew it was true.
I was sick of being the discarded first wife while Tiffany got the “improved” version of Mark’s life. But for Leo, I would do anything—even face a crowd of people who used to smile at me before choosing Tiffany’s side. We moved through the ocean of pastel outfits.
The surrounding conversations softened. Guests leaned in slightly, pretending not to stare while absolutely staring. “Hello, Tiffany,” I replied, calm and controlled.
Mark hurried over, sensing tension. “Sarah, good to see you. Leo, look at you!
As Leo and I walked toward the lemonade table, I kept watching Tiffany.
The very same flaw that showed up on all our old ultrasound videos. Tiffany hadn’t found a fake. She hadn’t found a stock clip.
I pulled out my phone. Mark had never updated the login information. I opened the cloud app, went straight to Leo’s folder, and pulled up the original file.
I displayed the metadata—date, location, file name: Leo_Ultrasound_32Weeks.mp4. Tiffany started shaking, sweating through her makeup. Mark stared at the screen, then at my phone, then at Tiffany.
Not gently. There was a loud tearing sound—Velcro ripping open. Her “belly” shifted.
“Sarah!” Tiffany sang out. Her voice was high-pitched and fluttery, like wind chimes blowing in a storm. “Oh my god, you really came.
“Hi, Dad,” Leo murmured, moving closer to me. “We’ll mingle,” I said, taking a step back. “Nice event, Mark.”
