Chapter 8: The Woman Who Knew Everything
I spent the next day searching for answers.
Not emotional answers.
Not apologies.
Evidence.
I learned something important about Daniel.
People like him didn’t leave mistakes behind.
They left records.
Hidden ones.
Mia helped me search through old emails, financial files, and documents.
Then we found something.
A name.
Dr. Andrew Miller.
The doctor who handled my pregnancy.
“He wasn’t your main doctor,” Mia said.
I looked at the file.
“Then why was he involved?””
We tracked him down.
He agreed to meet us.
The moment he saw me, his expression changed.
“I wondered when you would find out.””
My stomach tightened.
“Find out what?””
He looked ashamed.
“I should have told you years ago.””
“Tell me now.””
He sighed.
“Your husband pressured me.””
“For what?””
“To change my report.””
I stared.
“What report?””
He opened an old file.
“The night you lost the baby.””
My hands shook.
“The medical report originally stated your injuries were caused by physical force.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“But the final report said…”
“An accidental fall.””
Silence.
“Why?””
Dr. Miller looked down.
“Daniel threatened my career.””
Mia leaned forward.
“What did he threaten you with?””
“He had evidence of a mistake I made years earlier.””
Another victim.
Another person controlled by Daniel.
I looked at the doctor.
“Did my baby survive the fall?””
His eyes filled with sadness.
“No.””
I closed my eyes.
The pain came back instantly.
But then he said:
“However…”
I opened my eyes.
“However what?””
He hesitated.
“Your baby wasn’t the only pregnancy-related information hidden from you.””
My heartbeat increased.
“What?””
Dr. Miller opened another document.
“There were signs of complications.””
“What kind?””
He looked at me.
“You were pregnant with twins.””
The room went silent.
I stopped breathing.
“What?””
“You delivered one child.””
My hands started shaking.
“One child?””
Dr. Miller nodded.
“The other baby…”
He stopped.
My voice became a whisper.
“What happened?””
He looked away.
“That information was removed from your records.””
My entire body went cold.
“Removed?””
“Yes.””
“By who?””
Nobody answered.
But I already knew.
Daniel.
The man who controlled everything.
The man who decided what truths I was allowed to know.
I stood up.
“I need to see the original records.””
Dr. Miller handed me a copy.
At the bottom was a note.
*Transfer approved by Daniel Carter.*
I stared at those words.
Then another detail caught my attention.
A location.
A private adoption agency.
My knees almost gave out.
“No.””
Mia grabbed my hand.
“Emma?””
I looked at her.
“He didn’t just take my money.””
My voice broke.
“He took my child.””
That night, I searched every document connected to Daniel.
Then I found the name.
A child.
A birth record.
A confidential adoption file.
And the adoptive parents’ names.
I whispered the names aloud.
Then I froze.
Because I knew them.
They were people I had met.
People Daniel invited to our house.
People who had looked me in the eyes while hiding the truth.
I called Rachel.
She answered immediately.
“Emma?””
“Did you know?””
Silence.
“Rachel.””
Her voice cracked.
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
“You knew.””
“I found out recently.””
“When?””
“Six months ago.””
I felt betrayed all over again.
“Six months?””
“I was trying to find a way to tell you.””
“No.””
My voice became cold.
“You were trying to protect yourself.””
She cried.
“I was scared.””
“I was scared too.””
Silence.
Then Rachel whispered:
“There’s something else.””
I almost laughed.
“There’s always something else.””
“Emma…”
“What now?””
She took a breath.
“The child you’re looking for…”
I waited.
“He isn’t gone.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“He’s alive.””
The phone slipped from my hand.
Because for years, I believed I had lost everything.
May you like
But maybe…
I had only been robbed of the chance to know what was mine.
