Chapter 4: The Name I Buried
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Marcus stood in front of me, holding the letter with both hands. His face had lost every trace of color.
"Tell me she's lying.""
I opened my mouth.
"Marcus—"
"Tell me!""
His voice echoed through the garden.
Eleanor flinched.
Ethan stepped closer to his mother, placing a protective hand on her shoulder.
I looked at Marcus and forced myself to breathe.
"She's confused. You heard what the nurse said. Her memory isn't always reliable.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"Don't do that again.""
"Do what?""
"Don't pretend to care about my health while you're trying to make everyone believe I'm crazy.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
Marcus looked down at the letter.
"Who is Victoria Lane?""
I swallowed.
"It's an old name.""
"Your old name?""
I didn't answer.
He stepped closer.
"Vanessa, I'm asking you a question.""
"Yes.""
"Why did you change it?""
I looked toward the garden entrance.
There were two nurses near the reception desk. A security guard stood beside the main doors.
I was surrounded.
"Because I wanted a fresh start.""
Marcus stared at me.
"A fresh start?""
"My previous life was complicated.""
"Complicated enough to help fake my wife's death?""
"I didn't kill anyone!""
Nobody had accused me of that.
The words escaped too quickly.
Ethan noticed.
"So you admit you were involved?""
I turned toward him.
"Shut up.""
Marcus's expression hardened.
"Don't speak to my son like that.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Your son? Suddenly he's your son again?""
Marcus looked as if I had slapped him.
Ethan stepped forward.
"You're unbelievable.""
I pointed at him.
"You've spent eighteen months trying to destroy my marriage.""
"No. I've spent eighteen months trying to figure out why every woman who gets close to my father ends up believing she's the only person who matters.""
Marcus raised his hand.
"Enough.""
Eleanor reached for her husband's wrist.
"Marcus, please. Let her talk.""
He looked at her.
"What else do you know?""
Eleanor took a shaky breath.
"Victoria came to see me shortly after the accident. She said she worked for Robert Hale. She brought papers for me to sign.""
"What papers?""
"Documents saying I had no living relatives who could make medical decisions for me.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Why would you sign them?""
"Because she told me you had abandoned me.""
Eleanor's voice cracked.
"She showed me photographs of you with another woman. She said you were starting a new family.""
Marcus shook his head.
"I never stopped looking for you.""
"I know that now.""
Eleanor glanced at me.
"She also told me Ethan had been sent away.""
Ethan's face tightened.
"I was thirteen.""
His voice was barely audible.
"Nobody told me Mom was alive. I thought I had lost both parents.""
Marcus reached for his son.
Ethan stepped back.
That small movement hurt Marcus more than anything else.
I saw it.
And for one brief second, I almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
"Marcus," I said softly, "there's something you need to understand.""
He turned toward me.
"Go ahead.""
"Robert Hale was handling everything after Eleanor's accident. I was young. I had just lost my job. He offered me work.""
"Doing what?""
"Administrative work. I delivered documents. I didn't know what they meant.""
Eleanor shook her head.
"You told me you were Marcus's new secretary.""
I froze.
Marcus slowly turned toward her.
"What?""
Eleanor continued.
"You said you were helping organize his life while I recovered. You told me he didn't want me anymore.""
Marcus's hands curled into fists.
"How long did you know who she was?""
Eleanor looked at me.
"From the beginning.""
I tried to laugh.
"This is ridiculous.""
But my voice sounded weak even to me.
Marcus took out his phone.
"I'm calling Daniel.""
"Don't.""
He ignored me.
"Daniel, I need you to arrange an immediate review of every document involving my marriage, my estate, and Eleanor's medical care.""
He listened.
Then added, "And contact the authorities. I want an investigation into Robert Hale.""
I stepped forward.
"Marcus, please.""
He covered the phone.
"Don't.""
It was the same word he had used in the study.
But this time, there was no affection behind it.
I looked at Eleanor.
She was watching me with tired eyes.
"You could have left me alone," she whispered.
I felt something snap inside me.
"You think you were the only one suffering?""
Eleanor frowned.
"What?""
I laughed, but there were tears in my eyes now.
"You had Marcus. You had Ethan. You had a beautiful house and a husband who adored you. I had nothing.""
Marcus stared at me.
"So you took my family?""
"I didn't take anything!""
"You helped erase my wife!""
I looked away.
Then Eleanor spoke again.
"There's one more thing.""
Marcus turned.
"What is it?""
She pointed toward Ethan's jacket.
"Show him the photograph.""
Ethan pulled out a small envelope and handed it to his father.
Inside was a photograph of a hospital room.
A younger Eleanor lay unconscious in a bed.
Beside her stood Robert Hale.
And behind him was a woman holding a baby.
I recognized the woman immediately.
It was me.
But the baby wasn't mine.
Marcus stared at the photograph.
"Who is that child?""
Eleanor's voice trembled.
"Your daughter.""
The world seemed to tilt.
Marcus looked at her.
"We don't have a daughter.""
Eleanor closed her eyes.
"We did.""
He shook his head.
"What are you talking about?""
"Our little girl. She was born three days before the accident.""
Marcus looked at the photograph again.
I watched his fingers begin to tremble.
May you like
Then Eleanor whispered:
"Vanessa didn't just help Robert hide me. She helped him hide our daughter, too.""
