Chapter 9: The Secret Behind My Birth
I stared at the messages until the screen blurred.
Tasha leaned toward me.
“What do they say?””
I handed her the phone.
She read them.
Her expression changed.
“Who is this?””
“I don't know.””
Evelyn took the phone.
She read the messages.
For the first time since we'd met her, she looked frightened.
“Turn the phone off.””
“Why?””
“Now.””
I obeyed.
Tasha looked at her.
“You know something.””
Evelyn didn't answer.
“Who was Rebecca's father?””
Evelyn sat down slowly.
“I need you both to understand that some secrets were kept to protect lives, not money.””
“That doesn't answer the question,” Tasha said.
“No.””
Evelyn looked at me.
“But it explains why your mother was afraid.””
I felt my pulse racing.
“Tell us.””
She took a deep breath.
“Rebecca's father was a man named Harold Miller.””
“Okay.””
“He owned several businesses.””
“What kind?””
“Construction. Real estate. Manufacturing.””
Tasha frowned.
“That sounds familiar.””
Evelyn nodded.
“He was extremely wealthy.””
I stared at her.
“How wealthy?””
“When he died, his estate was worth more than twenty million dollars.””
My mouth fell open.
“What?””
“Rebecca was his only child.””
I looked at the photograph.
“So she inherited everything?””
“No.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“That's where the problem began.””
She opened another file.
“Harold had a business partner.””
Tasha looked at the name.
“Marcus?””
“No.””
Evelyn turned the document toward us.
The name at the top made my heart stop.
*Raymond Johnson.*
I looked at her.
“Uncle Ray?””
She nodded.
Tasha whispered, “What?””
“Ray was Harold's business partner.””
I thought about the blue house.
The old photographs.
Mom's trust in him.
“He knew Rebecca.””
“He knew your mother.””
“And he knew Marcus.””
“Yes.””
Tasha stood.
“So everybody knew each other.””
Evelyn nodded.
“Your mother, Rebecca, Ray, and Marcus were connected long before you were born.””
I looked at the photograph again.
“Why was Mom afraid?””
“Because Harold's estate was disputed.””
“By whom?””
Evelyn hesitated.
“Marcus.””
Tasha's face hardened.
“What?””
“He claimed Rebecca had been manipulated into signing away part of the inheritance.””
I shook my head.
“Did he win?””
“No.””
“Then what happened?””
“Rebecca placed part of her inheritance into an account for her unborn child.””
My breath caught.
“The $180,000.””
“Yes.””
“And Marcus knew?””
“He suspected.””
I stood.
“So he wasn't just stealing from Tasha.””
“No.””
“He was trying to take my inheritance too.””
“Yes.””
Tasha looked at Evelyn.
“But why would Mom marry him?””
Evelyn's eyes softened.
“Your mother loved him.””
I almost laughed.
“She knew what he was.””
“She believed she could change him.””
Tasha shook her head.
“She couldn't.””
“No.””
Evelyn opened another letter.
“This was written by your mother after Rebecca died.””
I read it.
*I know Marcus is not Maya's biological father. He believes he is. I cannot tell him the truth because I fear what he will do if he learns Maya has access to Rebecca's inheritance.*
I stopped.
“Wait.””
I looked at Evelyn.
“This was written before the DNA test.””
“Yes.””
“So Mom believed Marcus wasn't my father.””
“Yes.””
“But the DNA test says he is.””
Evelyn nodded.
“And that is the contradiction.””
Tasha frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Evelyn took another document from the folder.
“This is the original DNA test.””
She placed it beside the one we'd already seen.
I compared them.
The names were the same.
Marcus Johnson.
Maya Johnson.
But there was one difference.
The testing laboratory.
I looked at Evelyn.
“This isn't the same lab.””
“No.””
“Which one is real?””
“The second one.””
She pointed to the first report.
“This one was fabricated.””
My stomach dropped.
“By Marcus?””
“Yes.””
Tasha whispered, “He forged a DNA test?””
“He needed Maya to believe she was his biological daughter.””
“Why?””
Evelyn looked at me.
“Because it gave him a legal argument to control your inheritance.””
I felt dizzy.
“He lied about being my father.””
“Biologically, he isn't.””
I stared at the photograph.
“Then who is?””
Evelyn hesitated.
“We don't know for certain.””
A voice came from behind us.
“I do.””
We all turned.
Ray stood in the doorway.
I hadn't heard him enter.
Tasha rushed toward him.
“Uncle Ray?””
He looked exhausted.
“I should have told you years ago.””
Evelyn stood.
“Ray.””
He shook his head.
“No more secrets.””
He looked at me.
“Your mother never knew the entire truth.””
My heart pounded.
“Then tell me.””
Ray sat down.
“Rebecca had an affair.””
Tasha stared.
“With who?””
Ray looked at me.
“With my brother.””
I froze.
“Marcus?””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“Another man.””
“Who?””
Ray looked at Evelyn.
She nodded.
Then he said:
“Harold Miller.””
Tasha gasped.
I couldn't move.
“Rebecca's father?””
Ray nodded.
“The DNA test your father forged was meant to hide something far more dangerous.””
My voice came out barely above a whisper.
“What?””
Ray looked at me.
“Your biological father may not be Marcus.””
He paused.
“And if the records are correct, Maya…”
He looked toward the sealed blue folder.
“…you may be the heir to Harold Miller's entire estate.””
Tasha stared at me.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
And then Ray said the words that made everything else seem small:
“Because Harold Miller's estate was never settled.””
A phone began ringing.
Not mine.
Not Tasha's.
Evelyn's.
She answered.
Her face changed immediately.
“What?””
She listened.
Then she looked at me.
“They found the original will.””
“Where?””
She swallowed.
“In Marcus's office.””
Tasha stood.
“What's in it?””
Evelyn's voice dropped.
“Your mother wasn't the person who inherited Harold Miller's fortune.””
May you like
She looked at me.
“You were.”” :::
