Chapter 4: The Daughter She Tried to Erase
Theron stared at the photograph until the woman standing beside Corisande began to look like a stranger from a nightmare.
The picture had been taken outside a hospital. Corisande looked younger, perhaps twenty-four, with her platinum-blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail. She wore a gray coat and held the hand of a little girl who appeared to be about four years old.
The child had dark curls, round cheeks, and a pink backpack decorated with yellow butterflies.
On the back, Eleanor had written a date from nearly six years earlier.
Ask your wife what happened to the little girl she used to call her daughter.
Theron turned the photograph over again.
His wife had a daughter.
He had been married to Corisande for almost two years. They had discussed their childhoods, their hopes, their plans for a family. She had told him about her difficult relationship with her mother, her years working in fashion, and the painful end of a previous engagement.
She had never mentioned a child.
Not once.
He called Eleanor.
"Mother, where did you get this photograph?""
"A woman sent it to me several months ago. She said she had worked with Corisande years ago and recognized her in a magazine announcing your engagement.""
"Why didn't you tell me then?""
"I tried to find out more before making an accusation I couldn't support. The woman stopped responding to my messages. When I confronted Corisande, she said the child belonged to a distant relative.""
"And you believed her?""
"No. But I couldn't prove anything.""
Theron rubbed his forehead.
"What's the child's name?""
"Amelie, I believe.""
"Where is she now?""
"I don't know.""
He ended the call and immediately contacted Julian.
Within an hour, his attorney sat across from him in the study, examining the photograph through a pair of reading glasses.
"This is concerning," Julian said.
"But a photograph alone doesn't establish what happened. We need to verify the child's identity and determine whether Corisande has concealed anything relevant to Eirlys's safety.""
"Find out everything you legally can.""
"I'll contact an investigator who specializes in family matters. In the meantime, don't confront her until we've considered the consequences.""
Theron looked at the photograph.
"She lied about having a daughter.""
"If she did, that is a serious omission. But we need facts before deciding what it means.""
A knock interrupted them.
Mrs. Bellamy appeared in the doorway.
"Mr. Viremont, Mrs. Viremont is asking to see Miss Eirlys.""
Theron immediately stood.
"Where is Eirlys?""
"In the garden with the nanny.""
"Tell Corisande she cannot approach her without my permission.""
Mrs. Bellamy nodded and disappeared.
Julian closed the folder.
"You should also consider whether Eirlys needs additional support. A child therapist can help you understand what she's experiencing without making her feel responsible for the adults' conflict.""
"I've already arranged an appointment.""
"Good. Keep the focus on her.""
Theron walked to the garden.
Eirlys was sitting at a small table beneath a flowering magnolia tree, arranging wooden animals into a line. Her new nanny, Miss Harper, sat nearby, reading a picture book.
When Eirlys saw her father, she lifted a wooden horse.
"Daddy, this one's going to Grandma's house.""
"Is he?""
"Yes. He doesn't like the dark room.""
Theron knelt beside her.
"Then he doesn't have to go there anymore.""
Eirlys smiled and placed the horse beside a wooden rabbit.
Behind them, a door opened.
Corisande stepped onto the patio.
She wore a pale-blue dress and oversized sunglasses. Her expression was carefully composed, but her fingers kept tightening around the handle of her handbag.
"Theron, we need to talk.""
He stood between her and Eirlys.
"Not here.""
"I want to speak to my family.""
"You can speak to me.""
Corisande removed her sunglasses.
"Are you really going to keep me away from her indefinitely?""
"Until we understand what happened, yes.""
She glanced at Eirlys.
"Sweetheart, why don't you come inside? I have something for you.""
Eirlys immediately moved closer to Miss Harper.
Corisande noticed.
Her face hardened.
"Don't be ridiculous. I bought you a present.""
Eirlys shook her head.
Theron watched Corisande's expression change from forced sweetness to irritation in a matter of seconds.
"She has toys," he said.
"You don't need to buy her anything.""
"It's not about the toy. It's about the fact that you're making me a stranger in my own home.""
"Your relationship with Eirlys is your responsibility. You cannot repair it with a present.""
Corisande stared at him.
Then she lowered her voice.
"Have you spoken to Eleanor?""
Theron said nothing.
Her eyes narrowed.
"She's been filling your head with stories, hasn't she?""
"Why are you worried about what my mother has told me?""
"I'm not worried.""
"Then you won't mind answering a question.""
He reached into his pocket and removed the photograph.
The color drained from Corisande's face.
For the first time since he had known her, she seemed genuinely unable to control her expression.
"Where did you get that?""
"Who is the little girl?""
Corisande snatched the photograph from his hand.
"That's none of your business.""
"Who is she?""
She looked at the picture, then crushed it between her fingers.
"She's my daughter.""
Theron felt as though someone had struck him.
"Your daughter?""
"Yes.""
"What's her name?""
"Amelie.""
"How old is she?""
Corisande's jaw tightened.
"She would be ten now.""
"Would be?""
For a moment, she looked as if she might answer.
Then she lifted her chin.
"She lives with other people. That's all you need to know.""
"Other people? What does that mean?""
"It means I had a life before you, Theron. A life that has nothing to do with you.""
"You hid a child from me.""
"I didn't hide her. I chose not to discuss her.""
"That's the same thing when you've spent two years telling me you wanted a family.""
Corisande laughed bitterly.
"I wanted a family with you. Not a courtroom interrogation about every mistake I've ever made.""
Theron glanced toward Eirlys.
The little girl was watching them, her wooden horse held tightly against her chest.
He lowered his voice.
"Not another word about this in front of her.""
Corisande followed his gaze.
Something cold passed across her face.
"Perhaps if you stopped treating Eirlys like a fragile little princess, she'd learn to handle the real world.""
Theron stepped closer.
"Get away from my daughter.""
Corisande recoiled, more offended than frightened.
"You can't erase me from this family.""
"I'm not trying to erase you. I'm trying to understand why you seem to resent every child who needs you.""
Her eyes flashed.
"You know nothing about what happened to Amelie.""
"Then tell me.""
"No.""
She turned and walked toward the house.
Theron watched her disappear through the glass doors.
A moment later, Miss Harper approached him.
"Sir?""
He looked down at her.
"Yes?""
"Miss Eirlys has been asking me something all morning.""
"What?""
Miss Harper glanced toward the house.
"She wants to know whether her stepmother can send her away.""
Theron's stomach tightened.
"Why would she think that?""
Miss Harper hesitated.
"Yesterday, while we were playing, she told me that Mrs. Viremont said little girls who make trouble sometimes have to go live somewhere else.""
Theron looked toward the glass doors.
Corisande had not merely struck his daughter. She had frightened her into believing that love could be withdrawn, that her home could disappear, and that she might be abandoned for making a grown woman angry.
He returned to Eirlys and crouched beside her.
"Sweetheart, nobody is sending you away.""
She searched his face.
"Promise?""
"I promise that I will always work to keep you safe.""
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Over her shoulder, Theron saw Corisande watching from an upstairs window.
She wasn't looking at him.
She was looking at Eirlys.
And the expression on her face made him understand something he hadn't wanted to consider.
His daughter wasn't simply an inconvenience to his wife.
She was standing in the way of something Corisande wanted badly enough to hide an entire child from him.
That afternoon, Julian called with the first results of his investigation.
"The photograph is authentic," he said.
"And I've located someone who knew Corisande before your marriage.""
"Who?""
"Her former mother-in-law.""
Theron frowned.
"Former mother-in-law?""
"Corisande was married before. Amelie's father died when the child was very young. After that, Corisande signed a legal agreement placing Amelie in her maternal grandmother's care.""
"Why?""
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
Theron stared at the photograph on his desk.
"Can we contact the grandmother?""
"We already have. She agreed to meet us.""
"When?""
"Tomorrow morning.""
Julian paused.
"Theron, there's something else. The grandmother says Corisande has contacted her repeatedly over the past month.""
"About what?""
"Amelie.""
Theron looked toward the garden, where Eirlys was playing beneath the magnolia tree.
For the first time, the pieces began to connect.
Corisande had become increasingly impatient with Eirlys. She had tried to control her, frighten her, and make her feel unwanted.
Meanwhile, she had been reaching back into a past she had deliberately concealed.
"Julian," Theron said quietly, "find out why she suddenly wants her daughter back.""
May you like
His attorney's reply was immediate.
"I think that's exactly what we're about to discover.""
