Chapter 7 - The Father of the Year
Grant’s filing described him as a devoted father.
It described me as emotionally unstable after childbirth.
It claimed Grandfather had used corporate influence to block Grant from bonding with his newborn twins.
Rachel read the filing beside my bed.
I laughed once.
It hurt my incision.
“Careful.”
She took the document away.
“He wants a judge to force access.”
“Can he?”
“He has parental rights.”
I looked toward Noah.
“But NICU access is still governed by medical safety and hospital policy.”
Rachel nodded.
“We will not interfere with legitimate parental rights.”
That mattered.
I did not want revenge disguised as protection.
If Grant could safely visit the twins, I would not stop him simply because I hated him.
But there were conditions.
No Vanessa.
No arguments.
No legal discussions beside the incubators.
No disruption.
Grant agreed.
His first visit lasted eleven minutes.
He stood beside Noah.
Then Elise.
He looked uncomfortable around the tubes.
A nurse explained their progress.
Grant nodded without asking a single question.
Before leaving, he requested a photograph.
The nurse refused until consent procedures were completed.
Grant became irritated.
“Why?”
“Because these are protected patients.”
“They’re my children.”
“And we follow policy for everyone.”
He left angry.
Three hours later, a photograph of the NICU appeared on his social media.
Not Noah or Elise directly.
Just Grant standing in the hallway.
The caption read:
Fighting for my babies against powerful people trying to keep a father away.
Comments flooded in.
People called him brave.
People called me cruel.
Vanessa liked the post.
Then she uploaded a photograph of her pregnant stomach.
Some babies are fortunate enough to be wanted by both parents.
I stared at the sentence.
Rachel reached for my phone.
“Do not respond.”
“I won’t.”
Grandfather wanted Whitmore Health’s communications team involved.
I refused.
“No.”
He looked surprised.
“I’m not using the hospital to fight a social media war.”
Grant wanted exactly that.
He wanted evidence that my family’s power was being weaponized.
So we gave him none.
Then the NICU nurse who had witnessed his original visit came to me.
Her name was Claire.
“I don’t know if this matters.”
“What?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“The day he brought the divorce papers, Mr. Grant said something before entering.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“He was talking to the woman.”
“Vanessa?”
Claire nodded.
“I heard him say, ‘Once she signs, Harbor North can’t back out.’”
Rachel and I looked at each other.
The divorce agreement and the sale were directly connected.
Then Claire added something else.
“Vanessa asked, ‘And the babies?’”
I barely breathed.
“What did he say?”
Claire looked toward the incubators.
May you like
“He said, ‘They won’t be my problem after today.’”
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