Chapter 8: The Daughter She Wanted
Vanessa stood in the doorway.
No wedding dress.
No makeup.
No perfect smile.
Just anger.
For the first time, I saw her without the mask.
“Why are you here?”” I asked.
She looked at the photographs.
Then at me.
“You really thought you could dig into my life and I wouldn’t notice?””
Rachel stepped forward.
“You were stalking him.””
Vanessa laughed quietly.
“Stalking?””
She looked at Rachel.
“That’s a strong word.””
“You followed his family before meeting him.””
“I was trying to understand them.””
I stared at her.
“Understand us?””
My voice hardened.
“You had pictures of my wife before she died.””
Vanessa looked away.
“Emma was complicated.””
“Don’t say her name like you knew her.””
Her expression changed.
“I knew her better than you think.””
That sentence made my blood boil.
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You knew about her pain. You knew she was dying. You knew Lily was vulnerable.””
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“And you think you were the only one who cared?””
“I think you used her.””
“No.””
She slammed her hand against the wall.
“I loved Emma.””
The silence after that was disturbing.
Rachel whispered:
“You loved her?””
Vanessa’s breathing became uneven.
“She was the only person who understood me.””
I stared at her.
“Then why hurt her daughter?””
Her face changed.
“I never wanted to hurt Lily.””
“Then what did you want?””
For the first time, Vanessa looked broken.
Not angry.
Broken.
“I wanted what she had.””
I froze.
“What?””
“A family.””
She looked at the photo.
“I grew up watching people leave.””
Her voice became quieter.
“My father left when I was five. My mother died when I was nineteen. My brother was the only person I had.””
“And?””
“He died.””
I waited.
“He died because nobody helped him.””
There was pain in her voice.
Real pain.
But pain did not excuse what she did.
“You blamed Emma.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
She was silent.
Then she walked toward a desk.
She picked up a file.
“I found out something about Lily.””
My body went still.
“What?””
Vanessa opened the folder.
“You never asked questions.””
“What questions?””
“About her mother.””
I stared.
“What are you talking about?””
She pulled out a document.
“I found out Emma wasn’t honest with you.””
My heart dropped.
“Emma?””
“Yes.””
“That’s impossible.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Is it?””
I took the paper.
My eyes scanned it.
It was a medical document.
But not Emma’s.
Someone else’s.
A name appeared.
*Ethan Cole.*
Vanessa’s brother.
I looked up.
“What does he have to do with Emma?””
Vanessa didn’t answer immediately.
Then she said:
“Everything.””
My head spun.
“What are you saying?””
She sat down.
“My brother didn’t die because nobody helped him.””
A pause.
“He died because Emma refused to help him.””
Rachel looked shocked.
“That’s not true.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You weren’t there.””
I looked at the document again.
“What happened?””
Vanessa’s eyes filled with tears.
“Ethan needed a transplant.””
Silence.
“Emma was a match.””
My stomach turned.
“No.””
“She refused.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Because she wanted to protect herself.””
“That doesn’t sound like Emma.””
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“You never knew everything.””
I looked at the paper.
Then at Vanessa.
“Why are you telling me this now?””
Her answer came immediately.
“Because you deserve to know why I couldn’t forgive her.””
I stepped closer.
“You didn’t forgive her, so you punished Lily?””
Her eyes flashed.
“I tried to love Lily.””
“No.””
I pointed toward the pictures.
“You tried to replace Emma.””
Vanessa didn’t deny it.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From an unknown number.
I opened it.
A photo.
This time, it wasn’t Emma.
It was Vanessa.
Years younger.
Standing beside Ethan.
And beside them…
Was Emma.
Alive.
The caption underneath said:
*Ask Vanessa why she erased this day.*
I looked up.
Vanessa was staring at my phone.
Her face had gone completely pale.
“You don’t understand.””
I held up the phone.
“Then explain.””
She whispered:
“Because that was the day Emma found out the truth.””
“What truth?””
Vanessa stepped backward.
“The truth about Lily.””
My heart stopped.
“What about Lily?””
She looked at me.
And for the first time…
May you like
Vanessa looked afraid.
“She isn’t who you think she is.””
