Chapter 7: The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Gone
For five years, I had lived with one painful truth.
Emma’s mother was gone.
I had stood beside a hospital bed.
I had held her hand.
I had listened to doctors explain that there was nothing more they could do.
I had buried the woman I once planned to grow old with.
Or at least, that was what I believed.
But now her voice was coming through the phone.
"Derek?""
I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
The entire ballroom disappeared.
There was only that voice.
The voice I had heard in old recordings when I missed her.
The voice that used to sing to Emma before bedtime.
The voice I never thought I would hear again.
"Who is this?"" I finally whispered.
A shaky breath came through the phone.
"It's me.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"No.""
A few guests looked confused.
Vanessa looked terrified.
Not surprised.
Terrified.
That was when I knew.
She knew.
"Who is it?"" Marcus asked.
I didn't answer.
I looked at Vanessa.
"You knew.""
Her face went completely pale.
"Derek...""
"You knew she was alive.""
The room erupted.
People started whispering.
Richard looked at his daughter.
"What is he talking about?""
Vanessa stepped backward.
"I didn't...""
"Don't.""
My voice cut through the room.
"Don't lie again.""
The woman on the phone spoke softly.
"Derek, I'm sorry.""
My eyes closed.
That apology hurt more than anger would have.
"Where are you?""
"I can't explain everything over the phone.""
"Then explain something.""
A long silence.
Then she said:
"Vanessa wasn't supposed to marry you.""
I looked at my bride.
"Why?""
"Because she knew I was alive.""
The words hit harder than anything else that night.
Marcus stared at Vanessa.
"How?""
Vanessa finally broke.
"I can explain.""
Nobody moved.
She looked around the room like she was searching for someone to save her.
Nobody did.
"Five years ago, after the accident, I found out about her.""
I stared.
"Found out about who?""
"Emma's mother.""
The room went silent.
Vanessa swallowed.
"She survived.""
My hands shook.
"She survived, and you knew?""
"I didn't know at first.""
"When did you know?""
She didn't answer.
That was the answer.
I stepped closer.
"When?""
Vanessa looked down.
"Six months after we started dating.""
My chest tightened.
Six months.
She had spent six months building a relationship with me while hiding the biggest truth of my life.
"Why?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because she didn't want Emma taken away.""
I froze.
"What does that mean?""
Vanessa looked toward the phone.
"I helped her disappear.""
The ballroom went completely still.
Even the music had stopped.
"You helped my daughter's mother hide from me?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"You don't understand.""
"No.""
I looked at Emma.
Then back at her.
"I understand enough.""
The voice on the phone became louder.
"Derek, please listen.""
I held the phone closer.
"Where are you?""
"I was afraid.""
"Of what?""
"Of losing Emma.""
My expression changed.
"You thought I would take my own daughter away from her mother?""
"No.""
Her voice broke.
"I thought Vanessa would.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She looked away.
The woman on the phone continued.
"After the accident, I was recovering. I couldn't walk properly. I couldn't work. I couldn't take care of Emma the way I wanted.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Vanessa convinced me you hated me.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"She told me you blamed me for the accident.""
My stomach turned.
"I never said that.""
"I know that now.""
I looked at Vanessa.
Every lie was connecting.
Every missing piece.
Every strange moment.
She had built an entire world around us.
A world where she was the only person I could trust.
Andrew stepped closer.
"Derek.""
I looked at him.
"There's more.""
Vanessa immediately turned.
"No.""
Andrew ignored her.
"Your father discovered evidence before he died.""
"What evidence?""
Andrew opened the folder again.
"Payments.""
My eyes narrowed.
"Payments to who?""
He looked at Vanessa.
"Private investigators.""
The room gasped.
Vanessa's voice became desperate.
"That's not what it looks like.""
Andrew continued.
"There were also payments to a relocation service.""
I stared.
"Relocation?""
He nodded.
"Someone was moving Emma's mother to another state.""
I looked at the phone.
"Did Vanessa arrange that?""
Silence.
Then the voice answered.
"Yes.""
Vanessa closed her eyes.
And for the first time that night, she looked like someone who knew she had lost.
But then Emma tugged on my jacket.
"Daddy.""
I looked down.
She was crying.
Not because of Vanessa.
Because she was confused.
"Is Mommy really alive?""
The question broke me.
I knelt down.
"Sweetheart...""
She looked at the phone.
"Can I talk to her?""
My throat tightened.
I handed her the phone.
Emma pressed it carefully against her ear.
"Mommy?""
A sob came through the speaker.
"Hi, baby.""
Emma covered her mouth.
Five years of questions.
Five years of wondering.
And now she finally heard her mother's voice.
But before I could process the moment, Andrew looked at me.
"Derek.""
I turned.
His face was serious.
"The person who helped Vanessa hide your daughter's mother wasn't Vanessa alone.""
My stomach dropped.
"What do you mean?""
He held up another document.
"The payments came from an account connected to someone in this room.""
I looked around.
"Who?""
Andrew didn't answer.
He just looked toward the back of the ballroom.
Toward someone standing silently near the exit.
Someone who had been there the entire night.
May you like
Someone who knew exactly what Vanessa had done.
And someone who suddenly turned around and tried to leave.
