Chapter 9: The Child They Wanted
The house seemed to shrink around us.
I stared at my mother.
“Rachel is alive?””
Margaret nodded.
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
“You've known this for years.””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me?””
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Apparently everyone was trying to keep me alive while lying to me.””
Sarah stepped closer.
“Mom, what happened to Rachel?””
Margaret looked at her.
“David took her when she was four.””
I froze.
“Four?””
“She was placed in a private medical facility.””
“Why?””
“They said she had a rare genetic condition.””
Claire whispered:
“They were studying her.””
Margaret nodded.
“Years later, Rachel escaped.””
“Where did she go?””
“She came back to me.””
I stared.
“When?””
“Five years ago.””
My heart stopped.
“That was before Emma was born.””
“Yes.””
“What did she want?””
“She wanted to meet you.””
I felt something crack inside me.
“Why didn't you let her?””
“Because David found her.””
“What happened?””
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
“She disappeared again.””
Sarah looked at me.
“That was when David began looking for another child with Rachel's genetic profile.””
My mind returned to the IVF records.
The unusual marker.
The $250,000 payment.
The altered custody documents.
“You're telling me Emma…”
“Shares Rachel's genetic marker,” Sarah said.
I looked at my daughter sleeping on the couch.
“But she's my child.””
“She is.””
“Then why would Rachel matter?””
“Because David discovered that your family carries something rare.””
I shook my head.
“What?””
“A mutation.””
Claire stepped forward.
“It's not a disease.””
“What is it?””
“Researchers believe it could help repair damaged cells.””
I stared.
“And David wanted it.””
“Yes.””
“From Emma.””
“Yes.””
I looked at Sarah.
“And Rachel carried her.””
Sarah nodded.
“Because Rachel was the only surrogate they believed could carry the embryo safely.””
I felt sick.
“They planned all of this before Emma was born.””
“Yes.””
“Then Sarah…”
Sarah's eyes filled.
“I found out too late.””
I looked at her.
“You tried to stop them.””
“Yes.””
“They took you.””
“Yes.””
“And Vanessa?””
“The real Vanessa tried to help.””
“What happened to her?””
Sarah lowered her eyes.
“David killed her.””
I closed my eyes.
Then a sound came from upstairs.
A floorboard.
Everyone froze.
Claire whispered:
“Someone's here.””
I grabbed a flashlight.
Sarah stood beside me.
“Daniel.””
“Stay with Emma.””
We moved upstairs.
The hallway was empty.
The bedroom door was open.
I hadn't left it open.
I stepped inside.
The red box was gone.
I turned.
“Where's the box?””
Claire looked around.
“It was here.””
The window was open.
Rain blew across the floor.
Then I saw something on the carpet.
A silver bracelet.
The same one from the photograph.
Beside it was a note.
I picked it up.
Four words.
*You have my daughter.*
I stared.
“Rachel.””
Sarah's face changed.
“She found us.””
Claire looked out the window.
“Maybe that's good.””
“No,” Sarah whispered.
“Why?””
“Because Rachel believes Emma belongs to her.””
I looked at my daughter.
“She carried her.””
“She did.””
“She was her surrogate.””
“Yes.””
“Then why would she say my daughter?””
Sarah didn't answer.
I looked at the note again.
Another line appeared underneath.
*Come alone.*
Then an address.
The old train station.
The same place where Sarah had been supposed to meet Claire three years ago.
I looked at Sarah.
“This is a trap.””
“Yes.””
“I still have to go.””
“No.””
“You know I do.””
Sarah grabbed my arm.
“Daniel, that's what David wanted.””
“David is in custody.””
“You think that means this is over?””
She shook her head.
“He had people everywhere.””
Claire took the note.
“There's something else.””
“What?””
She pointed to the bottom.
A small symbol had been drawn there.
Three interlocking circles.
Claire's face went white.
“What is it?””
“The research foundation.””
I stared.
“David's?””
“Yes.””
“Then Rachel is working for him?””
Claire shook her head.
“No.””
“Then what?””
“She created it.””
Silence.
I looked at Sarah.
She whispered:
“Rachel didn't escape David.””
“What?””
“She took over the program.””
I felt a cold wave run through me.
“You're saying my sister became part of it?””
“Not willingly,” Sarah said.
“But she learned how it worked.””
Claire nodded.
“She knows everything.””
“And she wants Emma.””
“Yes.””
I looked at my daughter.
She was still sleeping.
Then I heard a tiny voice.
“Daddy?””
I turned.
Emma was awake.
She looked at me.
“Mommy?””
Sarah immediately knelt beside her.
“I'm here.””
Emma reached for her.
Sarah pulled her close.
“I'm here, baby.””
Emma whispered something into her ear.
Sarah's expression changed.
“What did she say?””
Sarah looked at me.
“She says Rachel came to her room.””
My heart stopped.
“When?””
“Last night.””
“Before I came home?””
Emma nodded.
I crouched beside her.
“What did she look like?””
Emma thought.
“Like Mommy.””
Sarah's face went pale.
“Did she say anything?””
Emma nodded.
“She said she was sorry.””
“For what?””
Emma looked toward the hallway.
“She said she couldn't take me yet.””
I felt a chill.
“Why not?””
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
“She said Daddy hadn't opened the box.””
I stared at the red box.
Someone had known about it before I did.
Someone had been waiting.
Then Emma reached into the pocket of her pajamas.
She pulled out a tiny folded photograph.
“Rachel gave me this.””
I opened it.
It showed two little girls standing together.
One was Rachel.
The other was—
I couldn't breathe.
It was Vanessa.
But they weren't children in a random family photograph.
They were standing inside a hospital.
Behind them was a sign:
*MERCER GENETICS — PEDIATRIC UNIT.*
On the back, someone had written:
*Sisters by blood.*
I looked at Margaret.
“You said Rachel was my sister.””
She nodded.
I pointed to Vanessa.
“Then who is she?””
Margaret began to sob.
Sarah looked at the photograph.
Her lips parted.
“Daniel…”
“What?””
“That isn't Vanessa.””
I felt the room go silent.
Sarah turned the photograph over again.
She pointed to the little girl.
“She is Rachel's twin.””
My blood ran cold.
“And the woman who has been living in our house?””
Sarah whispered:
“She is her.””
A sound came from downstairs.
The front door slammed.
Then Mara's voice echoed through the house.
“Daniel?””
I grabbed Emma.
Sarah stood.
Claire reached for her phone.
Mara laughed softly from below.
“You finally figured it out.””
Then the lights went out.
May you like
And from the darkness came her final words:
“Now bring me my daughter.””
