Chapter 10: The Other Daughter
For a moment, nobody moved.
Rachel stood across the street beneath the flickering streetlight.
One hand rested on the shoulder of the little girl beside her.
The girl was about five years old.
Pink sweater.
White shoes.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
Emma's eyes.
My eyes.
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel stepped in front of me.
“Stay behind me.”
Rachel laughed softly.
“You always did that.”
Daniel froze.
“You know me?”
Rachel looked at him.
“I knew you before Sarah did.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Rachel ignored me.
Her attention remained on Daniel.
“You were the easiest one to manipulate.”
Daniel's face hardened.
“What did you do?”
“I didn't do anything.”
She smiled.
“Your father did.”
I stepped forward.
“Who is that child?”
Rachel looked at me.
“My daughter.”
I shook my head.
“She looks like Emma.”
“Because she is related to Emma.”
“How?”
Rachel's smile disappeared.
“Because she's your daughter's twin.”
The words struck me like a physical blow.
“No.”
Rachel nodded.
“Yes.”
I looked at Emma.
Then at the girl beside Rachel.
The resemblance was impossible.
They had the same eyes.
The same nose.
Even the same tiny dimple in the left cheek.
Emma stared at the other girl.
The other girl stared back.
Neither spoke.
Then Emma whispered,
“That's me.”
My heart shattered.
“No, baby.”
Rachel crouched beside the girl.
“What is your name?”
The little girl looked at me.
“Emma.”
My blood ran cold.
I stepped forward.
“What's your real name?”
The girl hesitated.
Then whispered,
“Lily.”
Rachel nodded.
“Her name is Lily.”
I looked at Michael.
“What's happening?”
He looked terrified.
“I don't know.”
For the first time since I'd met him, I believed him.
Rachel took Lily's hand.
“You've spent your entire life asking why everyone lied to you.”
“Yes.”
“Now you're finally going to learn.”
“Where did Lily come from?”
Rachel looked at my mother.
“Ask Elizabeth.”
My mother started crying.
I turned toward her.
“Mom?”
She couldn't meet my eyes.
“Tell me.”
She whispered,
“She was born the same day as Emma.”
I felt dizzy.
“That's impossible.”
“No.”
“You said I had one child.”
“I thought you did.”
“What does that mean?”
My mother covered her face.
“I was told the other baby died.”
Rachel spoke quietly.
“She didn't.”
I stared at Lily.
“Then who is she?”
Rachel answered:
“Your daughter's identical twin.”
I looked at Emma.
She was staring at Lily.
Then Emma suddenly stepped forward.
“Do you like rabbits?”
Lily nodded.
Emma held out her stuffed rabbit.
Lily reached for it.
Their fingers touched.
Neither girl looked frightened.
Instead, they smiled.
I almost broke down.
How could two children who had never met behave like they knew each other?
Rachel watched them.
“That's the part Richard never understood.”
“What?”
“Some connections don't need to be taught.”
I looked at Rachel.
“Why did you take Lily?”
“I didn't.”
“Then who did?”
“Richard.”
“Where has she been all these years?”
“Moving.”
“Moving where?”
“Different families.”
My stomach twisted.
“She was adopted?”
“Not legally.”
Rachel's voice became bitter.
“She was transferred.”
“Like the other children.”
“Yes.”
I looked at Michael.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“You suspected my daughter had a twin?”
“I knew there was another child.”
“But you didn't know where?”
“No.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“I did.”
“How?”
“Because I was the one who found her.”
“Why?”
“Because I was looking for myself.”
I frowned.
“What?”
Rachel touched her own face.
“I was searching for the child who carried my mother's blood.”
I stared at her.
“Your mother?”
“Evelyn.”
I froze.
“You're Evelyn's daughter?”
Rachel nodded.
“Not your twin.”
I felt dizzy.
“Then who are you?”
Rachel looked at me.
“Your older sister.”
The world tilted.
“You're older?”
“By eleven months.”
“But my mother said she had twins.”
“She lied.”
I turned toward my mother.
She was crying.
“Why?”
“Because Rachel wasn't supposed to survive.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because she was born before me.”
I frowned.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
My mother looked at Rachel.
“She was the first child Richard wanted.”
I looked at Rachel.
“Why?”
“Because she was the legal heir.”
Rachel answered for herself.
“Richard's father left an inheritance tied to the firstborn child.”
I felt a chill.
“So they stole you.”
“Yes.”
“And Lily?”
“Lily was the second generation.”
“Why was she taken?”
Rachel looked toward Emma.
“Because Richard realized the bloodline was continuing.”
I looked at Emma.
“What bloodline?”
Rachel didn't answer immediately.
Then she said,
“The Hayes bloodline.”
Michael stepped forward.
“No.”
Rachel looked at him.
“Yes.”
“You promised never to tell her.”
“I promised nothing.”
I turned toward Michael.
“What is the Hayes bloodline?”
He looked at me.
“Your family was part of a genetic research program.”
“What kind?”
“Nothing illegal at first.”
“And later?”
He looked away.
“Everything changed.”
I felt anger rising.
“What did they do?”
Rachel answered.
“They discovered a genetic trait that made certain people resistant to a rare disease.”
I stared at her.
“So that's why they tracked the children?”
“Yes.”
“That's why they switched babies?”
“Yes.”
“They wanted people with the trait?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Emma.
“And she has it.”
Rachel nodded.
“So does Lily.”
I felt sick.
“Then why did Richard need both girls?”
“Because he believed one of them had the complete genetic sequence.”
“Which one?”
Rachel looked at Emma.
“We don't know.”
I hugged Emma.
“You're not taking her.”
Rachel shook her head.
“I don't want her.”
“Then what do you want?”
“The truth.”
“About what?”
She looked toward Michael.
“About who started everything.”
Michael's face became pale.
Rachel continued.
“Richard didn't create the program.”
“Then who did?”
Rachel pointed at my mother.
“Elizabeth.”
I stared at my mother.
“No.”
She began crying.
“I was young.”
“You started this?”
“No.”
Rachel shook her head.
“She didn't start it.”
“Then what did she do?”
“She helped hide it.”
I looked at my mother.
“Why?”
“Because I was trying to save my children.”
“Which children?”
She looked at me.
“All of them.”
I couldn't speak.
Rachel suddenly grabbed Lily's hand.
“We need to go.”
“No.”
I stepped forward.
“I'm not letting you take that child.”
Rachel looked at me.
“I'm not taking her.”
She pointed behind me.
I turned.
Richard was standing beside the police cars.
He was holding something in his hand.
A remote control.
My blood froze.
Rachel whispered,
“Run.”
Richard pressed the button.
A loud explosion erupted behind us.
The burning Carter house collapsed completely.
Everyone screamed.
Smoke covered the street.
When it cleared, Richard was gone.
So was Lily.
Rachel was gone too.
I looked around wildly.
“Lily!”
No answer.
“Rachel!”
Nothing.
Then I heard Emma.
“Mommy…”
I turned.
She was standing beside Daniel.
But something was wrong.
She was holding a piece of paper.
“What's this?”
She handed it to me.
I unfolded it.
There was a single sentence.
THE GIRL YOU CALL EMMA IS NOT THE GIRL YOU GAVE BIRTH TO.
I stared at the words.
My hands began shaking.
I looked at my daughter.
“Emma?”
She looked up at me.
“Mommy?”
I knelt.
“Where were you born?”
She frowned.
“At the hospital.”
“Who was with you?”
“Daddy.”
Daniel's face changed.
I turned toward him.
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“Did you see the baby?”
He swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Did you see our daughter?”
His silence was enough.
I stood.
“Daniel.”
He looked at me.
“I need you to tell me something.”
“What?”
“Was the baby I brought home from the hospital really mine?”
He didn't answer.
“Daniel!”
Finally, he whispered:
“No.”
Everything inside me went cold.
“What?”
He closed his eyes.
“The baby you brought home wasn't the baby who was born.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Then where is my biological daughter?”
Daniel looked toward the darkness where Richard had disappeared.
“That's what I've been trying to find for five years.”
I stared at him.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your biological daughter was never taken.”
“What?”
“She was given away.”
“By whom?”
Daniel's voice broke.
“By your mother.”
My heart stopped.
I turned toward Elizabeth.
She was crying.
And then she said:
“I didn't give your daughter away.”
She looked at Emma.
“I gave Lily away.”
I stared at her.
“Then who is Emma?”
My mother slowly raised her eyes.
And whispered:
“Richard's granddaughter.”
The night went silent.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice whispered:
“Sarah, if you want your real daughter back…”
I froze.
“…come alone.”
“Who is this?”
A pause.
Then:
“Your husband.”
The call ended.
I looked at Daniel.
He was standing directly in front of me.
His phone was still in his hand.
But the screen was dark.
Someone was using his voice.
May you like
And whoever it was had one thing I needed.
The truth about which child was really mine.
