The Champagne Glass
Chapter 01 - The Champagne Glass
At thirty-four weeks pregnant, Claire Bennett had promised herself she would not be afraid. Still, the private maternity suite at St. Catherine’s felt too quiet. One floor below, her husband, Adrian, was hosting the hospital’s annual charity gala in a black tuxedo while doctors monitored the contractions that had started during dinner. The baby was stable, they said. Claire only needed rest.
Then Vanessa Reed walked in wearing a burgundy gown and red heels, carrying a glass of champagne as if she owned the room.
Vanessa had once been Adrian’s fiancée. Now she ran public relations for the Bennett Foundation and smiled for cameras beside him at every major event. Claire had never trusted her, but Adrian always called their history “finished business.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Claire said, one hand over her belly.
Vanessa placed the champagne on the marble counter. “Neither should you. This family was mine before you arrived.”
She pulled a folded document from her purse. It appeared to be a separation agreement signed by Adrian. According to Vanessa, he planned to leave Claire after the baby was born. She claimed the marriage had only protected the Bennett name during a corporate investigation, and that Adrian had spent months preparing to return to her.
Claire read two lines and knew something was wrong. Adrian’s signature looked perfect, but the date listed a night he had never left her side.
“This is fake,” Claire whispered.
Vanessa’s expression changed. The polished smile disappeared. “You were supposed to panic. You were supposed to run.”
Claire moved toward the call button, but Vanessa blocked her. The champagne glass tipped from the counter and shattered across the floor. Before Claire could step back, Vanessa grabbed her wrist and shoved hard.
Pain tore through Claire’s abdomen as she hit the marble. Her breath vanished. She heard Vanessa scream for help, then watched in disbelief as the woman dropped to her knees and began crying.
Adrian rushed through the doors with Dr. Samuel Ortiz and a nurse behind him. Vanessa pointed at Claire with trembling fingers.
“She attacked me,” she sobbed. “She saw the papers, went crazy, and slipped on the glass.”
May you like
Claire tried to speak, but another contraction crushed the words in her throat. Adrian looked from Vanessa’s tears to Claire on the floor, his face frozen between fear and confusion.
Then the fetal monitor released one long, piercing alarm.
