Chapter 7 - Vanessa's Secret Exposed
The public humiliation at the Met gala shattered the last remnants of Daniel’s sanity. With nowhere left to turn, he took a commuter train out to a rundown suburban neighborhood in northern New Jersey, searching for the modest split-level house where Vanessa’s mother lived. He was convinced that if he could just see his unborn child, if he could hold Vanessa and rebuild their relationship from the ground up, he would find the strength to survive the impending financial ruin.
It was late afternoon when he reached the front porch. The door was slightly ajar, the sound of raised voices drifting out through the screen.
""I don't care about his feelings, Mom!"" Vanessa’s voice rang out, sharp and irritated. ""The plan was simple. I get pregnant, he divorces that boring doormat Claire, he puts the Hamptons estate in my name, and I walk away with ten million in child support and alimony after two years! How was I supposed to know he was completely broke?""
Daniel froze on the porch steps, the blood draining from his face as his hand hovered over the doorbell.
""Well, what are you going to do now?"" her mother’s voice replied from inside the kitchen. ""The doctor said you’re due in eight weeks. If Daniel Whitmore doesn't have a dime, you can’t get child support out of him. The state will only award you a percentage of whatever he earns at a normal job!""
Vanessa let out a cruel, mocking laugh. ""I’m not filing for child support against Daniel Whitmore. Why would I chase a penniless bankrupt who might go to prison?""
""Then who is going to pay for this child?""
""Marcus Vance,"" Vanessa replied casually, as if discussing the weather. ""Daniel’s former head of international acquisitions. We were seeing each other for six months before I ever set foot in Daniel’s private office. Marcus knew Whitmore Global was drowning in debt. He told me Daniel was an idiot who signed whatever contracts were put in front of him. Marcus is already working for a private hedge fund in London. A simple paternity test will prove the baby is Marcus's, not Daniel's. I only let Daniel think it was his because I thought he was the bigger fish!""
Daniel slammed the screen door open with a violent crash. ""You lied to me?!""
Vanessa spun around, dropping her coffee mug onto the linoleum floor where it shattered into pieces. Her mother shrieked in terror, backing toward the kitchen counter.
""Daniel?"" Vanessa stammered, her face turning pale before quickly hardening into an icy mask of contempt. ""What are you doing here? You're stalking me now?""
""The baby isn't mine?"" Daniel choked, tears of utter betrayal streaming down his hollow cheeks. ""I threw away my marriage for you! I humiliated Claire in front of my mother! I destroyed my entire life because you told me you were giving me an heir!""
May you like
""You destroyed your life because you're an arrogant, pathetic little man who wanted a young trophy on his arm to feed his bloated ego!"" Vanessa screamed right back, pointing a manicured finger at his chest. ""Claire gave you everything! She gave you respect, wealth, and status, and you treated her like dirt! You wanted an heir? You couldn't even manage your own bank accounts without a woman holding your hand! Get out of my mother’s house before I call the police and file a restraining order against you!""
Daniel staggered backward off the porch, falling onto the damp lawn. The entire illusion of his life—his power, his desirability, his future family—had vanished. He had burned down his own palace for a mirage.
