Chapter 7 - The Dead BabyI couldn't speak.
Daniel's voice shook.
“Lily was born that night.”
“To Melissa?”
“Yes.”
My mind raced.
“Melissa had a baby the night Ethan was born?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't I know?”
“Because she wasn't supposed to be pregnant.”
“Daniel, that makes no sense.”
“She hid it.”
“From who?”
“Everyone.”
I stared at the photograph.
Melissa looked exhausted.
She was holding the infant.
A nurse stood behind her.
The timestamp was 12:18 a.m.
Ethan had been born at 12:07.
Twelve minutes apart.
“What happened to Lily?”
Daniel hesitated.
“She stopped breathing.”
My chest tightened.
“And Melissa blamed me?”
“No.”
“She blamed herself?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Mark.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Mark was Lily's father.”
The room spun.
There were suddenly too many children.
Too many secrets.
Too many names.
I sat down.
“Why was Ethan involved?”
Daniel stared at the floor.
“Because the hospital made a mistake.”
“What kind?”
“They mixed two patient records.”
I felt cold.
“They mixed Lily's records with Ethan's?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“On paper, for a few hours, Ethan was listed as Lily's sibling.”
My heart hammered.
“Why would that matter?”
“Because Lily wasn't supposed to exist.”
“Daniel.”
He finally looked at me.
“Melissa's pregnancy was being kept secret because she was involved in an investigation.”
“What investigation?”
“Financial fraud.”
The room went silent.
“So she used a fake identity?”
“Yes.”
“Who helped her?”
Daniel didn't answer.
I already knew.
“You.”
He looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“You helped her hide.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she threatened me.”
“Again?”
“She had evidence that could have destroyed my career.”
“You've been blackmailed for eight years.”
“Yes.”
I looked toward Ethan.
“Does this have anything to do with the company?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Melissa used the identity of a woman who had died.”
I frowned.
“Who?”
“Rachel Carter.”
My blood turned to ice.
“What?”
He nodded.
“The woman whose identity she stole.”
“That is my name.”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because she needed a clean identity.”
“Why would a dead woman have my name?”
“She didn't.”
I stood.
“Then whose identity did she steal?”
Daniel looked at me.
“Your biological mother's.”
The room disappeared beneath me.
I sat down again.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Melissa knew your mother had connections to a financial network.”
“What network?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Then find out.”
“I tried.”
“Try harder.”
My phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, no photograph.
Only a sentence.
Ask your mother why she abandoned you.
I stared at the screen.
My mother had died when I was twenty-one.
Or so I had always been told.
I looked at Daniel.
“Who sent this?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“You've known everything.”
He stood.
“Rachel, listen to me.”
“No.”
I backed away.
“You don't get to tell me to listen anymore.”
I grabbed my keys.
“Where are you going?”
“To see my mother's records.”
“You don't understand what you're walking into.”
I opened the door.
“Neither do you.”
I stepped outside.
Then I stopped.
On the driveway was a black SUV.
A man sat inside.
He was watching our house.
And when he saw me looking at him, he raised his phone.
He had photographed me.
Then he drove away.
I memorized the license plate.
Because now I knew something.
This wasn't just a broken family.
May you like
Someone had been watching us for years.
And they were getting nervous.
