My Daughter Was Made into a Specimen by My Husband

Chapter 4

The moment Mrs. Hudson finished speaking, Grant's chopsticks clattered to the table.

His eyes went wide as he stared at his mother in disbelief.

"Mom! I told you to drop this! Besides, Claire and I still have Joy..."

He trailed off, glancing at me instinctively.

"Sophia grew up with you. Lucas is your godson. He's still so young, and he's barely recovered. If you became his father, he'd have someone to look after him properly."

Grant pressed his lips together. He didn't argue.

I knew. He was wavering.

His eyes gave him away.

Sophia, ever the picture of selfless grace, spoke up softly.

"Grant, it's really okay if you don't want to. I'll take care of Lucas on my own. Please don't feel pressured because of me."

Mrs. Hudson kept pushing.

Grant's gaze stayed fixed on me. After a long silence, he exhaled.

"Claire, you heard them. My hands are tied. How about this — we divorce for now. Once Lucas is grown and doesn't need me anymore, we'll remarry."

The fists I'd been clenching slowly uncurled. The last ember of hope in my chest went dark.

He would always choose someone else.

I didn't argue. I just nodded and set down my chopsticks.

"Fine. When do we go to the courthouse? Right now?"

Grant clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily.

His expression shifted through a dozen emotions in the span of a breath.

When no one spoke, I saw no reason to stay. I pushed back my chair.

As I reached the door, Grant called after me.

"I promise the moment Lucas doesn't need me anymore, we'll remarry.

I'll keep supporting you and Joy in the meantime. And I'll be a real father. I swear."

I didn't respond.

After I left the Hudson estate, I drove straight to the hospital.

I was taking my daughter home.

Even if she was a specimen now, she was still my daughter.

I pushed past every staff member who tried to stop me and headed straight for the specimen lab.

Doctors chased after me, shouting.

"Ms. Jensen, your daughter's body was donated with her father's written consent. We followed all legal procedures. We understand how you feel, but you can't just take her."

I didn't hear a word of it. I grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and swung it into the formaldehyde tank.

The glass shattered. Shards sliced into my palms.

I pulled Joy's shriveled little body from the wreckage and held her to my chest, glaring at the doctors through a haze of blood and fury.

"I am her mother. Without MY consent, you had no right to take my daughter."

The doctors were stunned into silence by the ferocity in my eyes. Unable to stop me, they called Grant and Sophia.

By the time they arrived, I was still surrounded, still clutching Joy, still fighting.

Sophia's voice rang out above the chaos.

"Claire, please stop this! I understand you're upset with us, but why are you causing a scene at the hospital? These specimens are valuable for medical research!"

On the surface, she was trying to calm me down. But every word was a calculated reminder. It was Grant who had signed the donation form. Grant who had made Joy into this.

Joy could have been saved. If not for them.

Grant met my bloodshot eyes, took in the destruction around me, and frowned.

"You said you didn't care. Now you're here tearing the place apart. Have you ever once thought about how this makes ME look?"

I held Joy tighter, tears spilling silently.

"You want to marry Sophia? Go ahead. You have my blessing."

I strode past him without looking back.

He had never seen me like this. He shouted after me.

"Claire! If you walk out that door, don't ever come back!"

My steps didn't falter. Not for a single second.

My daughter and I would do exactly as he wished.

We would never come back.