Chapter 6: The Child Nobody Mentioned
Daniel drove home without turning on the radio.
Ethan sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window.
Neither spoke for almost twenty minutes.
Finally, the boy broke the silence.
"Dad?""
"Yeah, buddy?""
"Does Mom have another child?""
Daniel tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"I don't know yet.""
"Grandma Margaret said the baby was alive.""
"She said there was a birth certificate. We need to understand what it means.""
Ethan looked down at his hands.
"Did Mom lie about something that big?""
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
He wanted to tell his son that everything would be fine.
But he was beginning to understand that the truth might be much worse than either of them imagined.
When they arrived home, Vanessa's car was parked in the driveway.
Daniel noticed another vehicle behind it.
Patricia's white SUV.
He turned off the engine.
"Stay close to me.""
They entered through the front door.
Voices came from the living room.
Patricia was pacing beside the fireplace while Vanessa sat on the sofa, holding a glass of wine.
Chloe stood near the window.
All three women turned when Daniel entered.
Vanessa immediately stood.
"Where have you been?""
Daniel placed the documents on the coffee table.
"Meeting my father's attorney.""
Patricia's expression tightened.
"Richard Hayes?""
Daniel looked at her.
"You know him?""
"Of course. Your father was always interfering in matters that didn't concern him.""
"Apparently, he knew more than I did.""
Vanessa put down her glass.
"What did he tell you?""
Daniel removed the photograph of the baby.
"Who is this?""
Vanessa's face changed.
Patricia took one step forward.
"Where did you get that?""
"That's not an answer.""
Vanessa stared at the photograph.
Then she looked at Daniel.
"I told you. It was a difficult time in my life.""
"You told me the baby died.""
"She did.""
Margaret had warned Daniel not to jump to conclusions, but the birth certificate in his hand was clear.
"Her name was Lily?""
Vanessa's lips trembled.
"Yes.""
"And she died?""
"Yes.""
Daniel placed the birth certificate on the table.
"Then why does this document show that she was registered as living at your mother's address for years afterward?""
Patricia suddenly snatched the paper.
"That's private family information.""
Daniel grabbed the other side.
"Give it back.""
"You're invading our privacy!""
"You're standing in my house, and you're holding a document connected to my wife's secret child. I think I have a right to ask questions.""
Vanessa began crying.
"Daniel, please.""
He looked at her.
"Tell me the truth.""
She shook her head.
"I couldn't.""
"Why?""
"Because I was young. I was scared.""
"You were twenty-four years old. You were married to me.""
Vanessa covered her face.
Patricia stepped between them.
"That's enough. Vanessa doesn't owe you an explanation about something that happened before Ethan was born.""
Daniel looked at her.
"Before Ethan was born?""
Patricia froze.
He noticed immediately.
"Wait.""
He slowly turned toward Vanessa.
"How old was Lily when she died?""
Vanessa said nothing.
Daniel repeated the question.
"How old?""
Patricia answered.
"She was barely six months old.""
Daniel stared at her.
"Then why does this document show a different address four years later?""
Patricia looked toward Vanessa.
The silence was answer enough.
Ethan stood near the doorway.
"Mom?""
Vanessa turned.
"Go upstairs, Ethan.""
"Is Lily my sister?""
Vanessa's expression crumpled.
"Sweetheart, this is complicated.""
"Is she?""
Vanessa looked away.
Ethan's eyes filled.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Daniel crouched beside his son.
"Go to your room for a little while. I'll come talk to you.""
Ethan hesitated.
Then he climbed the stairs.
Daniel stood again.
"Where is Lily?""
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
"She's with a family.""
"What family?""
"An adoptive family.""
Patricia quickly interrupted.
"Vanessa, don't.""
Daniel looked at her.
"Why shouldn't she tell me?""
Patricia grabbed her handbag.
"Because you're turning this into something ugly.""
Daniel pointed toward the door.
"Then you can leave.""
Patricia stared.
"This is my daughter's house.""
"No. It's mine.""
Her face flushed.
"Without my family, you would never have had the life you have.""
Daniel gave a short, bitter laugh.
"My mother worked double shifts so I could go to college. My father built everything we have. What exactly did your family give me?""
Patricia's mouth tightened.
"Don't forget who helped Vanessa through her difficult years.""
Daniel looked at his wife.
"What difficult years?""
Vanessa sat down.
"I had Lily before Ethan. I was going through a difficult time, and I couldn't raise two children.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I was afraid you'd leave.""
Daniel stared.
"Did you put her up for adoption?""
Vanessa nodded.
"Yes.""
"Was it legal?""
She hesitated.
"Of course.""
"Then why did you lie about her dying?""
Vanessa looked at Patricia.
Her mother answered instead.
"We didn't want people asking questions.""
Daniel felt a chill.
"People?""
Patricia avoided his eyes.
"Family. Friends. Everyone.""
He looked back at Vanessa.
"Did you ever visit her?""
"No.""
"Did you ever contact her?""
Vanessa began crying harder.
"No.""
Daniel picked up the photograph.
"Then why did my father investigate her?""
Vanessa suddenly looked frightened.
"What?""
"My father knew about Lily. He hired someone to investigate. Why?""
Patricia took a step backward.
Daniel noticed.
"What's going on?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"Your father had no right to interfere.""
"That's not an answer.""
She stood abruptly.
"Maybe because he knew something you don't!""
Daniel went still.
"What?""
Vanessa looked toward her mother.
Patricia shook her head.
But Vanessa was already speaking.
"Your father knew Lily wasn't just some baby I gave away. He knew the adoption wasn't completed the way everyone was told.""
Daniel's pulse quickened.
"What does that mean?""
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Patricia grabbed her arm.
"Stop talking.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Let go of her.""
Patricia released her daughter.
Vanessa looked at Daniel with tears streaming down her face.
"Lily wasn't adopted by strangers.""
Daniel stared.
"Then who raised her?""
Vanessa whispered a name.
"Andrew.""
The same name from Margaret's photograph.
Daniel felt his stomach drop.
"Andrew Miller?""
Vanessa nodded.
"He's Lily's biological father.""
For a moment, the room seemed to stop.
Daniel looked at the photograph of Vanessa and Andrew outside the hospital.
Then he remembered something.
The baby had been born fourteen months after his wedding.
He had spent those months working overseas, managing a major construction project in Chicago.
Vanessa had told him she was visiting her sick aunt.
He had believed her.
"How long were you involved with him?"" Daniel asked.
Vanessa didn't answer.
"Before we married?""
Silence.
"During our marriage?""
Her eyes dropped.
Patricia stepped forward.
"Daniel, what matters now is that Lily is safe.""
He turned toward her.
"Why was my father investigating this?""
Patricia swallowed.
"Because Andrew contacted him.""
Daniel froze.
"When?""
"About a year before your father died.""
"What did he want?""
Patricia's voice became quieter.
"He wanted money.""
Daniel stared.
"From my father?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Patricia looked at Vanessa.
Then she spoke.
"Because Andrew knew about the trust. He knew Lily was connected to your family, and he threatened to reveal everything unless your father paid him.""
Daniel felt the room spin.
His father's investigation had never been about a random financial scheme.
It had been about a secret child, an affair, and someone blackmailing his family.
"Did my father pay him?""
Patricia nodded.
"Once.""
Daniel looked down.
"How much?""
"Fifty thousand dollars.""
Vanessa began sobbing.
Daniel looked at her.
"And the other payments?""
She said nothing.
"What other payments, Vanessa?""
Patricia closed her eyes.
Daniel stepped closer.
"How much money did Andrew receive?""
Vanessa finally whispered.
"More than three hundred thousand.""
Daniel stared at her.
Three hundred thousand dollars.
His mother's savings were disappearing.
His father's trust was being targeted.
And now another fortune had apparently vanished into the hands of a man connected to his wife's secret past.
Before Daniel could ask another question, his phone rang.
It was Margaret Collins.
He answered immediately.
"Margaret?""
Her voice was urgent.
"Daniel, I found something in your father's original investigation file. I need you to listen carefully.""
"What is it?""
"Andrew Miller wasn't just blackmailing your father.""
Daniel looked toward Vanessa.
"What else was he doing?""
Margaret paused.
Then she delivered the words that made Daniel's blood run cold.
"He was working with your wife to obtain the trust money. And we just discovered that the adoption papers for Lily were signed by someone other than Vanessa.""
Daniel slowly turned toward his wife.
"Who signed them?""
Margaret answered.
"Your mother.""
Daniel's phone nearly slipped from his hand.
He looked at Evelyn's photograph on the hallway table.
His mother.
The woman who had been eating leftovers upstairs.
The woman who had been afraid to ask for dinner.
The woman who had apparently signed legal papers involving a child she had never mentioned.
Daniel whispered, "That's impossible.""
Margaret's voice softened.
"There's something else. Your father left a sealed statement explaining why Evelyn signed those papers.""
Daniel looked toward the staircase.
And suddenly, he realized that the person who might hold the key to the entire mystery was the one person he had spent the last two days trying to protect.
His mother.
May you like
*He turned toward the stairs and called her name.*
"Mom? We need to talk about Lily.""
