Chapter 2: The Secret Behind The Wedding
I didn’t leave the venue.
Not yet.
Something in that message stopped me.
Six years of raising Nia had taught me one thing: when someone tried to separate me from my daughter, there was always a reason.
And Vanessa had just given me the biggest warning sign of my life.
“Nia, go sit with Aunt Rachel for a minute,” I said.
My sister Rachel immediately walked over and wrapped an arm around her.
“Come on, sweetheart.””
Nia looked up at me.
“Are you still mad at Vanessa?””
I forced a small smile.
“I’m not mad at you.””
“I know.””
That answer broke my heart.
Because she shouldn’t have had to say it.
A child shouldn’t need reassurance that her own father isn’t angry at her for being hurt.
After Rachel took her away, I turned back to Vanessa.
“Who knew Nia was coming today?””
Vanessa blinked.
“What?””
“Answer me.””
She looked around nervously.
“Daniel, this isn’t the place.””
“You made it the place when you humiliated my daughter in front of everyone.””
Her lips pressed together.
“My assistant knew. The planner knew.””
“And?””
“And what?””
“Who else knew?””
Vanessa looked away.
That tiny movement told me everything.
Someone had warned her.
Someone had told her Nia would arrive.
Someone had given her time to prepare.
“Vanessa.””
She sighed.
“Your daughter has been struggling with this wedding.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
“It means she has been making things difficult.””
I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“My daughter?””
“Yes.””
She stepped closer.
“She told me she didn’t want you to marry me.””
I froze.
Because that was a lie.
A terrible one.
Nia had spent months making wedding ideas with Vanessa.
She had asked if she could help choose flowers.
She had even saved money from doing chores to buy Vanessa a small necklace.
“Don’t lie about my daughter.””
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m not lying.””
“Then prove it.””
She went silent.
That silence was enough.
I pulled out my phone and called Nia.
“Dad?””
Her small voice immediately softened my anger.
“Hey, sweetheart. Did you ever tell Vanessa you didn’t want us to get married?””
There was a pause.
A long one.
Then:
“No.””
Vanessa looked shocked.
I put the phone on speaker.
“Nia, are you sure?””
“Yes.””
Her voice trembled.
“I asked her if she would still love me after you got married.””
My chest tightened.
“What did she say?””
Another pause.
“She said things would be different.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“What kind of different?””
Nia sniffed.
“She said when you had a real family, I would understand.””
The words hit me like a punch.
A real family.
As if my daughter wasn’t part of mine.
As if Emily’s child was something I was supposed to leave behind.
I ended the call.
Vanessa’s face had lost all color.
“Daniel, you’re twisting my words.””
“No. I’m finally hearing them.””
She lowered her voice.
“You have no idea how hard it is to become a stepmother.””
“No,” I said.
“You have no idea how hard it is to be a child who keeps losing people.””
Her eyes flashed.
“You always choose her.””
The sentence hung in the air.
Not “you always protect her.””
Not “you always consider her.””
You always choose her.
Like my daughter was competition.
Like love was something that had to be divided.
“I’m her father,” I said.
“And I’m supposed to be your wife.””
“You were supposed to be someone who loved her.””
Vanessa looked away.
Then my phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, it was a photo.
I opened it.
My stomach dropped.
It was a screenshot of a conversation between Vanessa and someone named Mark.
The message from Vanessa said:
*“The wedding will be easier once Daniel stops putting Nia first.””*
Another message followed.
*“After we’re married, I’ll convince him to send her to boarding school.””*
I stared at the screen.
For several seconds, I couldn’t breathe.
Boarding school.
She wasn’t trying to create a family.
She was trying to remove my daughter from it.
“Where did you get that?”” Vanessa whispered.
I looked up.
Her expression told me she knew exactly what I had seen.
“Who is Mark?””
She didn’t answer.
“Vanessa.””
Still nothing.
Then someone behind me spoke.
“He’s the reason she wanted Nia gone.””
I turned around.
A woman stood near the entrance holding a folder.
I recognized her immediately.
Vanessa’s younger sister.
Claire.
She looked nervous.
But determined.
“Daniel,” Claire said, walking closer.
“You need to know the truth before you marry her.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Claire, don’t.””
Claire opened the folder.
May you like
Inside was a stack of printed documents.
And the first page had my name on it.
