CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN - The Forged Results

Claire felt tears pricking at her eyes. "Supportive? Mason, she's constantly implying that I'm not capable of being a parent to Sofia. That I'm not enough." Mason's expression softened. He sat back down next to Claire, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You are enough, Claire. More than enough. I'm sorry if I've made you feel otherwise. We're in this together, remember?" Claire leaned into him, wanting to believe his words but unable to shake the feeling that their perfect life was slipping away. The next few weeks brought more of the same. Elena's presence became a constant in their lives, always there with a suggestion or a comment that served to highlight Claire's perceived inadequacies. Mason, in his eagerness to be a good father, often failed to see how Elena's actions were affecting Claire. One evening, during a family dinner, Elena broached a subject that had been simmering beneath the surface. "Mason, Sofia," she began, her tone serious, "I've been thinking. Perhaps it