Garrett picked up the document, his hands shaking slightly.

“What is this, Mother?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“It is nonsense,” Vivian said, her shoulders rigid. “She is trying to drive a wedge between us to weaken our position.”

“The expert confirmed the signature on my behalf was forged,” I said, looking at Garrett. “And the notary who stamped it was on the Bradford family payroll.”

Garrett stared at the paper, his eyes moving back and forth across the lines.

“You told me she took a settlement and ran,” Garrett said, his voice dropping an octave as he turned to Vivian.

“She did,” Vivian said, though she didn’t look him in the eye. “She wanted nothing to do with you or this family.”

“Then why did I receive this from the county hospital archives last week?” I asked.

I pulled out a medical record sheet, dated five years ago.

“It is a registered mail receipt,” I said. “Sent to the Bradford estate, addressed to Vivian Bradford, containing my positive pregnancy test results.”

Garrett’s head snapped up.

“What?” he breathed.