Chapter 4: The Secret Hidden in His Notebook
I stared at the words until they blurred.
*The truth about Emily.*
Three simple words.
But they felt heavier than the dirt that had covered my body.
My fingers rested on the edge of Daniel’s notebook, but I couldn’t open it.
Not yet.
Because some part of me was still afraid.
Afraid of what I would find.
Afraid that after everything, there was still another betrayal waiting for me.
Chloe stood beside the hospital bed, watching my face.
“Emily…”
I looked up.
“How long have you known?””
Her expression collapsed.
“I didn’t know everything.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
She looked away.
“I knew my mother was angry.””
“Angry?””
My voice rose.
“She buried me, Chloe.””
She flinched.
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
The words came out before I could stop them.
“You stood there. You watched.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I know.””
The room became silent.
For the first time since the nightmare began, someone from Daniel’s family wasn’t trying to defend themselves.
She wasn’t arguing.
She wasn’t explaining.
She was accepting what she had done.
But that didn’t erase it.
I looked back at the notebook.
“Why does Daniel have this?””
Chloe swallowed.
“Because he was investigating something.””
“Investigating me?””
She nodded slowly.
“That’s what I thought at first.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
She sat down in the chair beside the bed.
“My mother found out something a few weeks ago.””
I waited.
“She thought you were hiding something.””
I almost laughed.
“Of course she did.””
“But it wasn’t about the baby.””
I looked at her.
“Then what?””
Chloe hesitated.
“My mother believed someone from your past was trying to contact you.””
I frowned.
“My past?””
She nodded.
“She found a message.””
“What message?””
“I don’t know exactly.””
“That’s not good enough.””
Chloe rubbed her hands together nervously.
“She deleted it before I saw it.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Convenient.””
“I know.””
“Everything your family does seems to disappear when the truth gets close.””
She looked down.
“You’re right.””
That answer surprised me.
People like Chloe usually defended their family.
They protected their own.
But she looked exhausted.
Like she had been carrying something heavy for a long time.
“Open the notebook,” she whispered.
I looked at the cover.
Then slowly opened it.
The first pages were filled with Daniel’s handwriting.
Dates.
Names.
Notes.
My heart started beating faster.
It wasn’t a diary.
It was an investigation.
The first page had my name written across the top.
*Emily Carter.*
Underneath were several sentences.
*Questions Margaret wants answered.*
I read the first line.
*Who is the man from the hospital message?*
I froze.
The hospital message.
The one Margaret had used as proof.
The one Daniel had accused me over.
But I knew the answer.
There was no man.
There was no affair.
It was a misunderstanding.
I turned the page.
The next note made my breath stop.
*Checked message history. Nothing suspicious.*
Another page.
*Talked to Emily’s coworker. Story matches.*
Another.
*Baby timeline matches mine.*
I stared.
Daniel knew.
He knew.
My hands began shaking.
“He knew,” I whispered.
Chloe looked at me.
“What?””
“He knew.””
I pointed at the notebook.
“He knew there was no other man.””
Her face changed.
“I didn’t know he wrote that.””
I kept reading.
The next pages were different.
The handwriting became messier.
Like Daniel had written them while angry.
*Mother refuses to believe the evidence.*
*She says Emily is manipulating everyone.*
*She says Emily is dangerous.*
I felt a cold feeling spread through my body.
Then I reached the final entry.
The handwriting was almost impossible to read.
But I understood every word.
*Mom found out about the paternity test.*
My breathing stopped.
Paternity test.
There was no reason for that.
I turned the page.
Nothing.
The notebook ended there.
I looked at Chloe.
“What paternity test?””
She didn’t answer.
“What paternity test, Chloe?””
Her eyes filled with fear.
“I don’t know.””
“You came here with his notebook. You know something.””
She looked toward the door.
Then lowered her voice.
“My mother made Daniel do one.””
I felt like I had been hit.
“When?””
“Before today.””
“How long ago?””
Chloe hesitated.
“Two weeks.””
Two weeks.
Daniel had known for two weeks.
He had known the baby was his.
He had known I was innocent.
And he still let them bury me.
I pressed my hand against my stomach.
The pain I felt wasn’t physical anymore.
It was something deeper.
Something I couldn’t explain.
I had spent hours believing Daniel was fooled.
That maybe he was weak.
That maybe he had been manipulated.
But this was different.
He knew.
And he still chose them.
“Did he see the results?””
Chloe nodded.
“Yes.””
The room felt smaller.
“What did they say?””
Her voice was barely audible.
“The baby is his.””
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
The person I loved had proof of my innocence.
And he still watched me suffer.
A knock came at the door.
Both of us turned.
Detective Harris entered.
His expression was serious.
“Mrs. Carter.””
I quickly closed the notebook.
“What happened?””
He looked between me and Chloe.
“Is that Daniel Carter’s notebook?””
I nodded.
“Where did you get it?””
“Chloe brought it.””
The detective looked at Chloe.
“Miss Carter, we need to speak with you too.””
Her face went pale.
“Okay.””
Detective Harris looked back at me.
“We recovered more from your phone.””
My heart jumped.
“The video?””
He nodded.
“More audio.””
I waited.
“Your husband’s voice is clear.””
My fingers tightened around the blanket.
“What did he say?””
The detective was quiet.
Then he answered.
“He admitted he knew the paternity results.””
The room went silent.
Even Chloe looked shocked.
“He said what?””
Detective Harris looked at her.
“Your brother said he knew the baby was his.””
I looked down.
The truth was finally coming out.
But instead of making me feel better…
It hurt more.
Because now I couldn’t tell myself Daniel was confused.
I couldn’t tell myself he was a victim of his mother’s lies.
He had known.
He had chosen.
“Is he arrested?”” I asked.
Detective Harris nodded.
“He and his parents are being questioned.””
I looked toward the window.
Outside, the world continued like nothing had happened.
Cars moved.
People walked.
The sun went down.
But my entire life had changed in one afternoon.
Then Detective Harris spoke again.
“There’s something else.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“We found something on Daniel’s computer.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“A file.””
“What kind of file?””
He opened a folder and removed a printed page.
“We believe it explains why his mother was so determined to accuse you.””
He placed it on the table.
I looked down.
The page contained an email.
The sender’s name was hidden.
But the message was clear.
*I know what happened before Emily met Daniel.*
My heart raced.
I read the next line.
*If she finds out the truth about the baby’s father, everything will fall apart.*
I looked up.
“The baby’s father?””
Detective Harris nodded.
“That’s why we need to ask you something.””
“What?””
He pointed to the email.
“Emily… is there anything about your pregnancy that you haven’t told us?””
I stared at the words.
The same question everyone had asked.
The same accusation that nearly killed me.
But this time, it was different.
Because the fear in Detective Harris’s eyes told me something.
He wasn’t accusing me.
He was warning me.
I looked back at Chloe.
She was crying.
And then she whispered something that made my blood turn cold.
“Emily…”
I looked at her.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“My mother wasn’t trying to prove you cheated.””
A pause.
“She was trying to hide who Daniel really was.””
My heart stopped.
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And for the first time, I wondered if the person who buried me alive…
wasn’t the person who started this nightmare.
