The Timeline Contradiction
Three years ago, June... My mind raced back. Mark had been swamped then—a major project, endless networking. Late nights were routine. Once... he’d mentioned staying at a downtown hotel for an early client meeting. Which day? Which hotel? I couldn’t recall. My heart sank further. Professional functions? Galas? Mark had vaguely referenced work events but never specifics. Susan’s details were too exact. Could fabrication feel so real? Yet that report... it lay tangible in my hands. Conflict tore at me.
Ann's Call
Just as the stalemate choked the air, my phone buzzed violently in my pocket. The jarring sound startled us all. Mechanically, I pulled it out. The screen flashed "Ann Williams." Ann, my dearest friend, a senior lab technician at City Hospital. My heart leaped—a lifeline. I answered instantly, murmuring to the tense pair, "I need to take this," and hurried to the kitchen corner, back turned.
Reaching Out
"Hey, Jennifer!" Ann’s cheerful voice chimed. "Free this weekend? We could—" "Ann!" I cut her off, voice trembling, low and urgent. "Listen, I need your help! Now! It’s critical!" I summarized frantically: a woman at my door claiming Mark fathered her child; Mark brandishing an old infertility report; her certainty, the specific details. "Ann, that report... I’m... unsure. Can you examine it? I know it’s irregular, but..." Silence stretched briefly—I pictured her wide-eyed shock.
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