Chapter 8: Two Daughters, One Terrible Secret
I read the sentence again.
Then I looked at Michael.
“What does this mean?””
He lowered himself into a chair.
“Rachel had twins.””
Owen slowly shook his head.
“No. That's impossible.””
Michael opened the folder again.
“Your mother was told there was only one surviving child. But Rachel always believed she had given birth to two girls.””
I looked at the photograph.
Two tiny hospital bracelets were visible beside Rachel's hand.
One read Emily.
The other read Lily.
My heart began pounding.
“Where is the second child?””
Michael looked toward Claire.
She had stopped crying.
Her face was completely blank.
Owen turned toward her.
“Claire?””
She didn't answer.
“Claire, what does he mean?””
She crossed her arms.
“I don't know.””
Michael removed another paper.
“This is the original delivery record.””
Margaret examined it.
“There are two live births listed.””
Owen leaned over her shoulder.
“Two girls?””
“Yes.””
He looked at Claire.
“Where is the other baby?””
Claire's lips trembled.
Then she said something that made me feel as if the floor had vanished beneath me.
“She's standing right in front of you.””
Everyone turned toward me.
I stared at Claire.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“Emily, you need to understand. None of this was supposed to happen.””
I shook my head.
“Explain.””
Claire looked at Michael.
Then at Owen.
Finally, she looked at me.
“I was the second baby.””
Nobody moved.
Owen stepped backward.
“No.””
Claire began crying again.
“My biological name was Lily Rachel Whitmore. Your mother took you. I was raised by another family.””
I felt my stomach twist.
“You knew?””
She nodded.
“I found out when I was eighteen.””
“Then why didn't you tell me?””
“Because I didn't know how.””
I stared at her.
“You became my best friend.””
“I wanted to know you.””
“You slept with my husband.””
Her face crumpled.
“I know.””
“You planned to take my baby.””
“I wanted my daughter to have the family she deserved.””
I felt anger rise so quickly that I had to grip the table.
“I'm your sister.””
Claire nodded.
“And she's my niece.””
“Then why did you want to take her from me?””
Claire looked toward Damon.
He finally spoke.
“Because the trust requires a biological descendant from Rachel's line. The first child was already connected to the estate. The second child was supposed to receive the other portion.””
I looked at Margaret.
“What is he talking about?””
She examined the documents again.
“Your father's original estate was divided into two separate family trusts. One was assigned to the first surviving child of Rachel Whitmore. The other was reserved for the second.””
My head spun.
“Then why does Damon have anything to do with it?””
Margaret looked at the paperwork.
“Because Richard Carter was appointed as a financial intermediary before the adoption was discovered. The arrangement was never properly dissolved.””
Owen's expression darkened.
“My grandfather was the attorney who handled that?””
“Yes.””
Michael nodded.
“Richard Carter and the Whitmore family were working together. They arranged for one child to be adopted and the other to be placed with another family. Both inheritances were supposed to remain under their control.””
I looked at Claire.
“So you found me because of the money.””
She shook her head.
“At first, I only wanted to know my sister.””
“At first?””
She looked down.
Then she admitted it.
“Damon contacted me after he discovered your identity.””
I closed my eyes.
The affair.
The notebook.
The payments.
The pregnancy agreement.
Everything was connected.
Claire continued.
“He told me that if we worked together, we could recover both portions of the estate.””
“And you believed him?””
“I believed he loved me.””
Damon laughed bitterly.
“Don't flatter yourself.””
Claire turned toward him.
“What?””
“You were useful.””
Her face went white.
“You told me you would leave Emily.””
“I told you what you wanted to hear.””
“You promised we would raise the baby together!””
Damon adjusted his cufflinks.
“I'm not raising anyone's baby.””
Claire stared at him.
For the first time, I saw her understand what she had done.
She had betrayed her best friend for a man who had never intended to choose her.
But I couldn't feel sorry for her.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
Margaret interrupted.
“There's a problem with the inheritance documents.””
Everyone turned.
She pointed to a paragraph.
“The second trust was never legally activated because the identity of the second child was never verified.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means Claire cannot automatically claim the second inheritance. The original trustees must establish her identity through proper records.””
Owen looked at his sister.
“Then why did Damon pay her?””
Margaret turned another page.
“Because someone submitted a false identity verification four months ago.””
She showed us the document.
The signature belonged to a medical administrator.
And beneath it was a handwritten note.
*Second beneficiary confirmed. Transfer authorized upon delivery of first grandchild.*
I felt cold.
“Delivery?””
Margaret nodded.
“The money was scheduled to move when your daughter was born.””
I looked at Claire.
“You knew about this?””
She didn't answer.
Damon stepped toward the table.
“Enough.””
One of the officers immediately blocked him.
“Stay where you are, sir.””
Damon's expression hardened.
“You don't understand the situation.””
Margaret gathered the papers.
“I understand it very well.””
She held up the forged medical report.
“You created a false psychiatric diagnosis, submitted forged custody documents, and attempted to transfer assets using fraudulent identity records.””
Damon laughed.
“You have no idea what you're dealing with.””
“Perhaps you should explain it to the officers.””
He looked at me.
His expression softened suddenly.
“Emily, we can still fix this.””
I stared at him.
“You told me you never planned to love me.””
“That was before.””
“Before what?””
He hesitated.
“Before you became pregnant.””
I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“You're saying you started loving me because I was carrying a baby?””
“No. I'm saying things changed.””
Claire let out a bitter laugh.
“You told me the same thing.””
Damon turned toward her.
“Shut up.””
She stepped forward.
“You said Emily was only a financial arrangement. You said you were waiting for the child to be born so we could leave together.””
Damon's face darkened.
“Claire.””
But she wasn't finished.
“You promised me two million dollars and a house. You promised we would finally have a family.””
She wiped her cheeks.
“Then you told me I would never see the baby.””
I looked at Damon.
“What did you plan to do?””
He didn't answer.
Claire did.
“He was going to send the baby away.””
My hands moved instinctively to my stomach.
“Where?””
Claire looked at me.
“An overseas family placement agency.””
Owen stepped forward.
“That's enough. You're going to tell us everything.””
Claire shook her head.
“I don't know everything.””
“Then tell us what you do know.””
She reached into her handbag and pulled out a small envelope.
“I kept copies.””
Damon lunged toward her.
The officer grabbed his arm.
Claire threw the envelope onto the table.
Inside were photographs, transfer receipts, and a handwritten schedule.
One page contained a date.
September 9.
My due date.
Beside it was a note:
*Mother to be separated from infant within 48 hours.*
I couldn't breathe.
Another line appeared underneath.
*Biological identity to remain undisclosed until trust transfer is complete.*
Margaret looked at the paper.
Then she turned it over.
There was a signature.
Not Damon's.
Not Claire's.
A name none of us expected.
*Dr. Rebecca Miles.*
The doctor who had supposedly diagnosed me.
The doctor who had authorized the psychiatric assessment.
The doctor who had access to my medical records.
Owen stared at the signature.
Then he whispered:
“She's not just Damon's doctor.””
“What do you mean?”” I asked.
He looked at me.
“She's Richard Carter's daughter.””
That night, after the officers took Damon and Claire for questioning, Margaret insisted I remain somewhere secure.
But I couldn't stop thinking about the final page.
Dr. Rebecca Miles.
Richard Carter's daughter.
Damon's half-sister.
The woman who had been overseeing my pregnancy.
At 11:46 p.m., my phone rang.
It was the hospital.
I answered.
“Mrs. Carter, this is the maternity department.””
“What happened?””
The nurse sounded frightened.
“Dr. Miles has accessed your medical file again.””
My heart began pounding.
“Why?””
“She requested an emergency transfer of your delivery records.””
“To where?””
The nurse paused.
Then she whispered:
“St. Mary's Women's Hospital.””
I looked at Natalie.
The same hospital where Claire had wanted me to deliver.
“Cancel it.””
“We tried. But the request has already been approved.””
“By whom?””
The nurse hesitated.
Then she said:
“By your husband.””
I stared at the phone.
Damon was in police custody.
He couldn't have signed anything.
Unless someone else was using his authority.
A message arrived while I was still on the call.
May you like
It came from an unknown number.
*Emily, you have been looking at the wrong Carter. Damon is only the son. The woman controlling everything is his mother.*
