Chapter 6: The Woman Who Stole Two Daughters
Dr. Samuel Reed agreed to meet them at his attorney's office.
He arrived carrying a leather briefcase and wearing a dark gray suit.
He looked older than the photograph, but Dad recognized him immediately.
“You delivered my daughter,” Dad said.
Dr. Reed nodded.
“Yes.””
“And you told her mother the baby died.””
The doctor lowered his eyes.
“I did.””
Rachel sat rigidly beside Dad.
“Why?””
Dr. Reed took a long breath.
“Because I was threatened.””
“By Nicole?””
He nodded.
“She came to me shortly before the delivery. She claimed she was helping your family. She said Rachel was emotionally unstable and that you were planning to abandon the baby.””
Rachel stood.
“That's a lie!””
“I know that now,” Dr. Reed replied.
Dad's voice was tight.
“What happened after Emily was born?””
The doctor opened his briefcase.
He removed an old medical photograph and several photocopied documents.
“Emily was healthy. There were no complications. But Nicole had arranged for another hospital to receive her.””
“Under what authority?”” Dad asked.
“A temporary guardianship document.””
“I never signed one.””
Dr. Reed nodded.
“The signature was forged.””
Rachel began crying.
“Why didn't you call the police?””
Dr. Reed looked ashamed.
“Nicole told me she had evidence that I had accepted illegal payments from pharmaceutical companies. Some of it was true. I had made mistakes earlier in my career. She threatened to expose me and ruin my family.””
Dad leaned forward.
“So you helped her steal a newborn because you were afraid of losing your reputation?””
The doctor didn't defend himself.
“Yes.””
The room fell silent.
Finally, he pushed another document across the table.
“This is the original transfer record.””
Dad examined it.
The receiving hospital was listed as St. Mary's Children's Center.
But the date was unusual.
The transfer had taken place three days after Emily's birth.
Dad looked up.
“Why would a healthy newborn be transferred three days later?””
Dr. Reed hesitated.
“Because Nicole changed her mind about the original arrangement.””
Rachel frowned.
“What arrangement?””
“She initially planned to have Emily adopted by a couple who had been waiting for a child. But after the transfer, she decided to keep Emily close.””
Dad's face hardened.
“Close how?””
“She arranged for the adoption to go through a family connected to her brother.””
Dad remembered the storage unit documents.
Daniel Bennett.
The man receiving money.
“Was Daniel involved?””
Dr. Reed nodded.
“He helped arrange the paperwork.””
Rachel covered her mouth.
Dad stared at the doctor.
“Why would Nicole want my daughter?””
Dr. Reed looked uncomfortable.
“I don't know the entire reason. But I remember something she said.””
“What?””
“She told me she had spent years being overlooked by everyone. She said she deserved to have a family that belonged to her.””
Dad slowly leaned back.
The words sounded familiar.
They were almost identical to something Nicole had said during their first year of marriage.
I finally have the family I've always wanted.
He had thought she meant their marriage.
Now he wondered whether she had meant something else.
The attorney interrupted.
“There's another issue. We found records connecting Nicole to a second child.””
Dad's head snapped up.
“What second child?””
The attorney placed a document on the table.
It was a hospital intake record.
The date was fourteen years earlier.
The child's name was Maya.
My name.
Dad stood.
“What does this mean?””
The attorney pointed to the bottom of the page.
Nicole had been listed as the primary caregiver during a brief hospital admission.
Dad frowned.
“I was there when Maya was born. Nicole wasn't even in our lives.””
“Exactly,” the attorney replied.
“But this document was created several months after your first wife's death.””
Rachel stared at the page.
“Is that possible?””
Dr. Reed looked at the record.
His expression changed.
“This isn't from the maternity ward.””
Dad turned.
“Then what is it?””
“It's from a pediatric clinic.””
The attorney explained that someone had used a hospital identity number belonging to Nicole to access Maya's medical records years earlier.
It appeared that Nicole had been monitoring my medical history before she and Dad began dating.
Dad felt sick.
“Why would she do that?””
Nobody answered.
Then Dr. Reed opened his briefcase again.
“There is something I haven't told you.””
He removed a small photograph.
It showed Nicole standing outside a hospital room.
Beside her was a woman holding a baby.
Dad recognized the woman immediately.
My biological mother.
His first wife, Rachel.
But the baby wasn't Emily.
It was me.
Rachel stared at the photograph.
“Where did you get this?””
Dr. Reed's hands trembled.
“It was found in Nicole's old medical file.””
Dad looked at the date.
It was taken two weeks after my birth.
Rachel's voice broke.
“Why was Nicole there?””
The doctor swallowed.
“She visited your room several times, Rachel. She said she was a family friend.””
Rachel shook her head.
“I never knew her.””
Dad looked at the photograph again.
Then he noticed something in the background.
A second hospital bed.
A newborn bassinet.
And a small identification card attached to it.
The name was barely visible.
*Emily Bennett.*
Dad stood so abruptly that his chair fell backward.
“That's impossible.””
Dr. Reed looked down.
“Nicole had both children in the same hospital that week.””
Rachel stared at him.
“Both?””
The doctor nodded.
“Your daughter Emily was still in the building when Maya was born.””
Dad felt the blood drain from his face.
He looked at the two babies in the photograph.
One was his daughter.
The other was his stepdaughter, who had spent years hiding food beneath her bed.
“Why were they together?”” he demanded.
Dr. Reed closed his eyes.
“Because Nicole had arranged for Emily to be brought back to the hospital after the adoption.””
Dad gripped the table.
“Why?””
The doctor finally revealed the part he'd been hiding.
“Nicole wanted to make sure Emily would eventually grow up in a family where she could control her future. She believed that if she became part of your household, she could keep both girls under her influence.””
Rachel's face twisted with disbelief.
“But Maya was already our daughter!””
Dr. Reed nodded.
“Nicole knew that.””
Dad stared at the photograph.
“Are you saying she married me because of my children?””
The doctor didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Dad left the office with the photograph in his hand.
His attorney followed him outside.
“Marcus, I need you to be careful. We still need independent verification before making any public accusations.””
Dad nodded.
“I understand.””
But his mind was already at home.
He needed to see me.
He needed to look at his daughter and understand how long Nicole had been watching our family.
When he arrived, Grandma Linda was sitting with Jordan in the living room.
I ran toward Dad.
“Daddy!””
He caught me in his arms.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
“What's wrong?”” I asked.
He held me tighter.
“Nothing you need to worry about right now.””
Grandma stood.
“Did you find out what happened?””
Dad placed the photograph on the table.
She studied it.
Then her eyes widened.
“That's Maya.””
He nodded.
“And Emily.””
Jordan climbed onto the couch.
“Who's Emily?””
Dad sat beside me.
“She's your sister.””
Jordan's eyes widened.
“Really?””
Dad smiled faintly.
“Yes.””
I looked at the photograph.
“Is she coming here?””
“Maybe. She needs time.””
I traced the edge of the picture.
“Does she know about me?””
Dad nodded.
“She does.””
I looked up.
“Does she know I was hungry?””
Dad's face tightened.
“Yes, sweetheart. She knows.””
I was quiet for a moment.
Then I asked, “Will she be mad at me?””
Dad shook his head.
“Why would she be mad at you?””
“Because Nicole wanted her to be in our family. Maybe she thinks I took her place.””
Dad pulled me closer.
“You didn't take anyone's place. None of this was your fault.””
Grandma gently touched my shoulder.
“You both deserved to be loved. Nicole had no right to decide otherwise.””
Dad's phone buzzed.
A message from his attorney appeared.
*We found Daniel Bennett. He's willing to cooperate. But he says Nicole has been preparing to leave the country for several weeks.*
Dad immediately called him.
Daniel answered in a nervous voice.
“Marcus, I don't want trouble.””
“Then tell me where Nicole is.””
“I don't know.””
“Your name is on the bank transfers. You helped her move the money. You helped arrange the storage units.””
Daniel sighed.
“She told me it was temporary.””
“Where is she going?””
“I think she has a flight booked.””
“When?””
“Tomorrow morning.””
Dad stood.
“Where?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then he gave him the airport and destination.
But before ending the call, Daniel added one more thing.
“Marcus, there's something else. Nicole didn't just take money from your mother.””
Dad froze.
“What else did she take?””
“Documents.””
“What documents?””
“Birth certificates. Adoption records. And a photograph of a little girl.””
Dad's voice became cold.
“Which girl?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Emily.””
Dad looked at me.
Then he heard Daniel whisper:
“Nicole told me she was going to make sure nobody ever found out who Emily really belonged to.””
The call ended.
Dad immediately contacted his attorney and the authorities.
But as he looked at the clock, he realized something terrifying.
Nicole wasn't simply running away.
She was preparing to destroy the last evidence connecting Emily to her real parents.
And she knew exactly where the original records were hidden.
In my bedroom.
May you like
Under the floorboard beneath my old stuffed rabbit.
*The one place she had never expected anyone to look.*
