Chapter 7: The First Crack
1289 Words
The word FORGED stared back at Amara like a death sentence.
Her fingers tightened around the medical report.
“No…” she whispered.
“This has to be a mistake.”
Richard remained silent, allowing her to read.
Every page felt heavier than the last.
The report claimed she had been diagnosed with a hereditary neurological condition that could make pregnancy dangerous. It recommended delaying childbirth indefinitely.
Amara frowned.
“I’ve never seen this report.”
Richard nodded.
“I know.”
She looked up sharply.
“You know?”
“I checked the hospital archive myself.”
He pulled another document from the file.
“The serial number on that report belongs to a patient who died eight years ago.”
Amara’s breathing became uneven.
“It was recycled.”
“Exactly.”
“The signatures…”
“They’re fake.”
“The doctor’s stamp?”
“Copied.”
Silence settled over the room.
For years…
She had believed Damian divorced her because he no longer loved her.
Now another possibility stood before her.
What if…
Someone had made sure he believed she could never give him the family he wanted?
Richard leaned back in his chair.
“I don’t think your divorce happened naturally.”
Amara looked at him, her expression unreadable.
“I think someone planned it.”
⸻
Meanwhile…
Damian stared out the window of his recovery room.
The rain had stopped.
Lagos glittered beneath the afternoon sun, alive with endless traffic and impatient horns.
Yet all he could think about was Amara.
The way she smiled at Victoria.
The way she looked at him.
No hatred.
No affection.
Just distance.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
A man in a charcoal suit stepped inside carrying a black briefcase.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Blackwood.”
“My lawyer.”
Daniel Adeyemi nodded.
“You asked for every document related to your divorce.”
He placed the briefcase on the table.
“I brought everything.”
Damian gestured toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Daniel opened the case carefully.
Divorce papers.
Financial statements.
Witness affidavits.
Medical reports.
Phone records.
Months of legal documents stacked neatly together.
Damian stared at the pile.
“So many papers…”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“Divorces usually leave behind more paperwork than marriages.”
Damian didn’t smile.
“I want the truth.”
Daniel’s expression became serious.
“I assumed that’s why you called.”
⸻
At the same time…
Victoria walked through the hospital corridors carrying a bouquet of white lilies.
Every nurse greeted her with a smile.
“Good afternoon, Miss Victoria.”
“You’re here to see Dr. Okoye again?”
Victoria smiled warmly.
“As always.”
One of the receptionists laughed.
“She works too hard.”
“I know.”
Victoria glanced toward Amara’s office.
“That’s why someone has to remind her to eat.”
The receptionist sighed dreamily.
“You’re such a wonderful friend.”
Victoria laughed softly.
“I just worry about her.”
She thanked them and continued upstairs.
By the time she reached Amara’s office, the flowers had filled the hallway with their delicate fragrance.
She knocked gently.
“Come in.”
Amara was still sitting behind her desk.
The forged report lay open before her.
She quickly closed the file before Victoria could read it.
Victoria noticed.
But pretended she hadn’t.
“I brought these.”
She held out the lilies.
Amara’s tired face softened instantly.
“You remembered.”
“You love white lilies.”
“I mentioned that once.”
“You mentioned it three years ago.”
Victoria shrugged playfully.
“I pay attention.”
Amara smiled.
“Thank you.”
She stood and hugged Victoria.
The embrace lasted only a few seconds.
But it was enough for Victoria to close her eyes.
Just briefly.
Then she smiled again.
“Now…”
Victoria pulled back.
“Tell me why you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Amara hesitated.
“I found something strange.”
“What happened?”
She considered telling her everything.
But Richard’s warning echoed in her mind.
Don’t trust anyone until we know who’s behind this.
Instead…
She forced a small smile.
“It’s just hospital paperwork.”
Victoria studied her face.
For the first time…
She realized Amara was lying.
She didn’t press further.
“If you say so.”
⸻
Back in Recovery Room Twelve…
Damian picked up one of the medical reports.
His eyes narrowed.
“This…”
He looked at Daniel.
“I don’t remember seeing this before.”
Daniel frowned.
“Which one?”
Damian handed him the document.
Daniel adjusted his glasses.
His expression slowly changed.
“That’s impossible.”
“What?”
“This report wasn’t included in the original evidence.”
Damian sat upright despite the pain shooting through his chest.
“What do you mean?”
Daniel flipped through several folders.
“It’s missing from the court archive.”
“But you’re holding it.”
“I know.”
The lawyer’s voice dropped.
“Someone added this after the divorce.”
Damian felt cold.
“What report is it?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then quietly answered.
“A fertility assessment.”
Damian’s heartbeat quickened.
“It says…”
Daniel looked up.
“…that your wife intentionally hid a medical condition that made pregnancy nearly impossible.”
The room fell silent.
Damian slowly closed his eyes.
He remembered that day.
The envelope.
The anonymous message.
The doctor’s seal.
The rage.
He hadn’t asked Amara whether it was true.
He had simply believed it.
Because someone had made sure the evidence looked real.
His hands curled into fists.
“If this report is fake…”
Daniel finished the sentence for him.
“…then someone manipulated your divorce.”
⸻
Elsewhere in the hospital…
Dr. Felix Morgan stood in the shadows outside the records department.
He watched Richard leave with a file tucked beneath his arm.
His eyes narrowed.
“So…”
he murmured.
“You’ve started digging.”
A slow smile spread across his face.
He pulled out his phone.
Dialed a number.
The call connected after one ring.
“They’re getting closer.”
A woman’s calm voice answered.
“I expected they would.”
Felix glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.
“What do we do now?”
There was a pause.
Then the woman spoke.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“They’re looking at the past.”
Her voice remained unnervingly calm.
“By the time they understand it…”
Another pause.
“…it will already be too late.”
The line disconnected.
Felix stared at the dark screen.
His heartbeat refused to slow.
⸻
Richard returned to his office and locked the door.
He spread every document across his desk.
Bank records.
Medical reports.
Old emails.
One detail caught his attention.
Every forged document…
Had passed through the same administrative department.
He circled the department name with a red pen.
Then he reached for the employee records.
His eyes widened.
One personnel file was missing.
Not misplaced.
Removed.
Someone had erased it completely.
Richard immediately picked up his phone.
“Security.”
“This is Chief Blackstone.”
“I need surveillance footage from the records department.”
“Starting four years ago.”
The silence on the other end lasted several seconds.
Then the security officer answered nervously.
“Sir…”
“What is it?”
“The footage…”
“…was deleted years ago.”
Richard slowly lowered the phone.
Someone hadn’t just forged documents.
They had erased every trace they ever existed.
He looked toward the rain-speckled window.
For the first time in decades…
The hospital no longer felt safe.
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