Page 14 of The Doctor's Twins

The printer sprang to life and soon I held an image of my baby in my hands. It was a surreal moment. What should have been one of the happiest days of my life was marred by pain and sadness. A baby deserved two parents who loved and wanted it.

Mateo wanted me to abort our child. I’d fought him every step of the way. There was no way in hell I’d kill my child because he was a selfish asshole.

“Dr. Garcia…”

“Sorry…what?”

“Are you alright? I don’t mean to pry, but you seem upset.”

“It hasn’t been the best of weeks. I’ll be okay. Thank you for asking.”

“Pregnancy is a wild ride. I see you are wearing a wedding ring. Was your husband unable to come today? Seeing one’s child for the first time is such a wonderful bonding opportunity for new parents.”

“I’m afraid Mateo couldn’t make it.”

“Mateo?”

“Yes. Mateo Garcia. That’s my husband’s name. Why? Do you know him?”

I certainly wasn’t an expert in reading people, but there was definitely a shift in Dr. Mendes’ attitude when I mentioned Mateo’s name.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Is your husband an investment banker?”

“Yes. Why?”

Okay, I was starting to freak out just a little.

“This is none of my business, Dr. Garcia but I feel I should mention something to you. Seeing as you’re not a local and probably haven’t heard the rumors.”

“Rumors? What rumors?”

“Did your husband tell you that he was married before?”

“Married?”

What was she talking about? Surely, he would have mentioned it. I wondered if she wasn’t thinking about someone else by the same name. Mateo was a common name after all.

“Yes. Twice, in fact.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I remembered the name because I heard it on the news.”

“What do you mean?”

“Both of your husband’s wives vanished into thin air.”

I felt a chill settling in my bones. I began to tremble.

“The thing is, Peyton. May I call you Peyton?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

“The thing is, both of them were foreigners, and pregnant at the time of their disappearance. I know that for a fact because they were patients of mine.”

The room started to spin, and it felt like someone was squeezing my head in a vice. I must have looked a terrible sight because the doctor rushed up to me and put my head between my legs. Was I hyperventilating?

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