The IVF Secret That Shook a Dynasty novel Chapter 399

Hillary paused for a moment, catching her breath. Her body was frail. She didn’t mention how her mother-in-law had repeatedly suggested they just give the girl away. She was too much trouble, crying all night and keeping the whole family from sleeping.

At the time, Hillary had dismissed it as angry talk. That was why, for a long time after it happened, she was consumed with guilt, believing the tragedy could have been avoided.

If only she had stayed home to care for the children herself, or carried her daughter on her back while she worked—then this would never have happened.

“Perhaps heaven took pity on us. After a few months of struggle, our business finally started to turn a profit, and my husband and I became busier than ever. Sometimes we had to travel to other towns to deliver goods. My husband couldn’t manage alone, so I had to go with him. A round trip would take two or three days.”

“One time, we were heading out for another delivery. Before we left, we asked my in-laws to take good care of the children, and they agreed readily. But who could have known that when we returned the next day, they would tell us our daughter was lost and couldn’t be found.”

“It was only later that I found out the truth. My father-in-law had taken my daughter out, telling everyone he was taking her to the hospital because she was sick. In reality, he took her to the countryside and gave her away.”

Joseph said nothing, listening in silence. But his face grew darker, his brow tightening, betraying the storm of emotions raging within him.

He couldn’t imagine it. Such a small infant, first spending a month alone in a hospital after birth.

Then, after returning to her parents, she was denied their full love and passed off to grandparents who favored boys. And after that, she was secretly taken to the countryside and given away.

If that baby girl was Vivica, he couldn’t fathom the journey from Sydville to Riverdale, how many traffickers she might have been passed through, how much she must have suffered, or what abuse she might have endured.

The thought alone made his heart tremble.

“When we came back and learned she was missing, our world collapsed. We didn’t believe my in-laws’ story that she’d been stolen. We were certain they had gotten rid of her on purpose. We demanded to know where they had left her, but they refused to say a word. I wanted to call the police, but the whole family stopped me. My mother-in-law even threatened to kill herself.”

“At that time, I still had my infant son to care for. Even though my in-laws adored their grandson, after what happened, I couldn’t trust them anymore. I wouldn't let them near him. I carried him myself, day in and day out.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify