Chapter 3 - The Ultrasound Revelation
The examination room was dimly lit, designed to create a soothing, intimate environment. A massive high-definition monitor hung on the wall, ready to broadcast the first images of the newest Parker.
Mia climbed onto the examination table, her forced smile looking more like a grimace. Lauren instantly pulled out her phone, hitting record for her thousands of followers.
"We want every detail, Dr. Aris," Martha announced from the corner, crossing her legs. "My son is having a boy, you see. We need to make sure he has the strong Parker jawline."
Dr. Aris, a seasoned professional with silver hair and kind but observant eyes, offered a polite smile. "Well, let's take a look at the baby first before we start analyzing jawlines, shall we?"
She dimmed the overhead lights, squirted the warm blue gel onto Mia’s stomach, and placed the transducer against her skin.
Instantly, the dark screen flickered to life. Swaths of black and gray swirled until a clear, distinct shape appeared on the monitor. The rhythmic, rapid whoosh-whoosh-whoosh of a strong heartbeat filled the quiet room.
"There he is," Ethan whispered, his eyes welling with arrogant pride. He squeezed Mia’s hand. "Look at him, babe. Our little man."
Dr. Aris stared at the screen. Her brow furrowed. She moved the wand slightly to the left, then to the right, clicking a few buttons on her keyboard to take measurements of the skull and femur length. The silence in the room began to stretch. The polite, professional smile on the doctor’s face slowly faded into an expression of clinical confusion.
"Doctor?" Ethan asked, his smile faltering slightly. "Is everything okay? The heartbeat sounds strong."
"The heartbeat is very strong," Dr. Aris agreed, her eyes never leaving the monitor. "The baby is perfectly healthy. But... I do have some unexpected news for you, Mr. Parker."
Lauren stopped recording. Martha leaned forward.
"What is it?" Ethan demanded, his voice tightening. "Is there a complication?"
"No medical complications," Dr. Aris said carefully. She grabbed a handful of paper towels and wiped the gel from Mia’s stomach. She turned in her stool to face the family. "First of all, I'm not sure who told you this was a boy, but you are very clearly having a girl."
Ethan blinked. "A girl? But... Mia said her psychic, and the early blood tests—"
"Early tests can sometimes be misread, but an ultrasound at this stage is definitive," Dr. Aris interrupted gently. "Which brings me to my second point. And... forgive me, this is a bit delicate."
Mia suddenly sat up, grabbing her purse. "I think I need to use the restroom. I feel nauseous."
"Sit down, Mia," Dr. Aris said, her voice carrying a sudden, sharp authority that froze the younger woman in place. The doctor looked directly at Ethan. "Mr. Parker, when did you and Ms. Davis conceive this child?"
Ethan looked completely baffled. "Twelve weeks ago. We celebrated her getting off birth control during my birthday weekend in Aspen."
Dr. Aris sighed, adjusting her glasses. She pointed to the measurements on the screen. "Mr. Parker, I have been an obstetrician for twenty-five years. The fetus on this screen is not twelve weeks old. The bone density, the cranial measurements, and the organ development are completely indisputable."
The room grew so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"What are you saying?" Martha whispered, her face draining of color.
"I am saying," Dr. Aris stated clearly, "that this baby is exactly twenty-four weeks along. Six full months."
Ethan froze. The numbers echoed in his mind. Twenty-four weeks ago, he wasn’t in Aspen. He wasn't even in the country. Twenty-four weeks ago, Ethan had been on a mandatory, two-month corporate retreat in Tokyo. He hadn't seen Mia for ninety days.
"That’s impossible," Ethan breathed, backing away from the examination table as if it had caught fire. He stared at Mia. "Mia... what is she talking about?"
Mia was trembling, tears instantly spilling down her cheeks. "Ethan, baby, please! The doctor is wrong! These machines make mistakes all the time! I swear to you!"
"Machines don't manufacture twelve weeks of fetal growth, Ms. Davis," Dr. Aris said coldly. "And frankly, considering I delivered your first child with your husband, Marcus, three years ago, I find this entire charade highly inappropriate."
The absolute silence that followed was violently shattered by Lauren.
"Her husband?!" Lauren shrieked, dropping her phone on the floor.
Ethan felt the breath get knocked out of his lungs. He stared at the woman he had just destroyed his twelve-year marriage for. "You're... you're married? You have a kid?"
Mia broke down into hysterical, ugly sobs, curling in on herself. "Marcus is broke! He lost his job! We were going to lose our house! You were so easy to manipulate, Ethan! You just wanted a pretty girl to tell you how smart and handsome you were! I needed the money!"
Ethan stumbled backward, his back hitting the wall. The perfect future he had bragged about, the son he had gloated over, the entire foundation of his newly claimed life—all of it was a grotesque, humiliating lie.
"Get her out of my sight," Martha hissed, clutching her chest, looking as though she might faint. "You filthy, lying little tramp! You ruined my son's life!"
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"No, Martha," Mia spat back, her sadness instantly turning to vicious anger. "Your son ruined his own life. He’s a narcissist who couldn't keep his pants zipped. And now? Now he has absolutely nothing."
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