Chapter 6 - The LieMargaret finally confessed.
Not everything.
But enough.
Lily had discovered that Margaret was secretly keeping money that belonged to Rebecca's family.
Lily threatened to tell.
Margaret panicked.
She locked her in the basement overnight.
But the next morning, Lily was gone.
Margaret claimed someone had taken her.
Rebecca never believed it.
Neither did the police.
But they couldn't prove anything.
I asked the question that mattered.
“Where is Lily now?”
Margaret looked at me.
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You knew my daughter before she was born.”
Margaret began crying.
“I saw her.”
“When?”
“At the hospital.”
My stomach dropped.
“You were there?”
“I came after the delivery.”
“You weren't supposed to.”
“I know.”
“What did you do?”
Margaret looked at Evan.
“I took a blood sample.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
“To confirm something.”
“What?”
She whispered:
“That Maisie was Lily's daughter.”
The room went silent.
I laughed once because the alternative was screaming.
“That's impossible.”
Margaret shook her head.
“Lily survived.”
Rebecca covered her mouth.
“Where?”
Margaret looked toward the floor.
“I don't know.”
“You've been lying for twenty years.”
“Yes.”
“And now you're saying my daughter is Lily's child?”
“Yes.”
I couldn't think.
Then Evan spoke.
“Claire.”
I turned.
“There is something you need to know.”
His voice was barely audible.
“I knew about the DNA test.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“My mother told me.”
“You knew?”
“I didn't know what to believe.”
“So you stayed silent?”
“I was afraid.”
“Of your mother?”
“Yes.”
I shook my head.
“You should have been afraid of losing your wife.”
He looked devastated.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
A recording played.
A woman's voice.
Old.
Weak.
But unmistakably alive.
“Evan.”
He froze.
The voice continued.
“If you're hearing this, Margaret finally failed.”
His hand began shaking.
I leaned closer.
The woman whispered:
“Your sister is alive.”
Evan dropped the phone.
Rebecca began sobbing.
I stared at Margaret.
She was staring at the phone as though she had seen a ghost.
Then the recording continued.
“And Claire…”
My blood turned cold.
May you like
The voice said my name.
“I know what they did to your daughter.”
