Chapter 11 - THE FALSE PREGNANCY
Valerie admitted the truth during deposition.
She had been late.
She told Alex.
Then took a test.
Negative.
She never told him the result.
“Why?”
Dana asked.
Valerie looked toward the table.
“Because after I told him I might be pregnant, he became attentive.”
“More attentive?”
“Yes.”
“Did you intend to manipulate him?”
“I was scared of losing him.”
“So you withheld a negative pregnancy test.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Four days before the elevator.”
I sat beside Dana.
Silent.
Valerie continued.
“Alex said if I was pregnant, he would take responsibility.”
“Did he say he would leave Lucy?”
Valerie hesitated.
“Yes.”
My daughter moved inside me at that exact moment.
A strong kick.
Almost defiant.
I placed a hand over my belly.
Valerie looked at the movement.
Her face collapsed.
“I’m sorry.”
I did not answer.
Dana asked.
“Did Lieutenant Davis know Lucy was experiencing pregnancy complications inside the elevator?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I told him.”
“By text?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I thought he should know.”
“Yet you also asked him to come to you first.”
Valerie began crying.
“Yes.”
That was the whole tragedy.
Everyone had reasons.
Valerie was afraid.
Alex was emotionally entangled.
Mercer wanted to protect a colleague.
None of those reasons changed the outcome.
I had almost lost my daughter while trained adults turned personal loyalty into emergency policy.
After deposition, Valerie approached me in the hallway.
“I know you hate me.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t.”
She looked confused.
“I don’t want enough from you to hate you.”
That hurt her.
Maybe more than anger.
“I loved him.”
She said.
“Then you learned what his love does when someone else needs him.”
May you like
She had no answer.
Neither did I.
