Chapter 5: The Truth Written in Blood
The DNA test was only three pages.
Three pages that destroyed eleven years of my life.
I stared at the results on the table while Claire sat across from me.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Upstairs, Maya was sleeping.
Or at least trying to.
I knew because I had checked on her every ten minutes since we got home.
I didn’t trust myself to sleep.
I didn’t trust Claire.
And I hated that.
Because once, Claire was the person I trusted most.
I picked up the paper again.
“Daniel is her biological father.””
Claire nodded.
“Yes.””
I looked at her.
“You knew.””
“Yes.””
“For how long?””
Her eyes dropped.
“Since before Maya was born.””
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because my mind couldn’t process the size of the lie.
“So every time you told me she had my eyes…”
Claire whispered:
“I believed she did.””
“Every time you said she was my little girl…”
“She is.””
I slammed the paper down.
“Don’t say that like it makes this okay.””
Claire cried silently.
“I know.””
“No, you don’t.””
I stood.
“You don’t know what it feels like to realize every memory has a question mark.””
She looked up.
“Mark…”
“No.””
I walked away.
But then I heard a small voice.
“Dad?””
I turned.
Maya was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
She looked exhausted.
I immediately went to her.
“You should be resting.””
She shook her head.
“I heard.””
My heart sank.
“How much?””
“Enough.””
She looked at Claire.
“Is it true?””
Nobody answered.
Maya’s face changed.
Not anger.
Fear.
“Am I going to lose my dad?””
The question destroyed me.
I dropped to my knees.
“Maya.””
She started crying.
“If he’s not my real dad…”
I pulled her into my arms.
“You listen to me.””
She looked at me.
“I was there when you were born. I held you when you had your first fever. I taught you how to ride a bike. I stayed up all night when you were scared of thunderstorms.””
I held her tighter.
“DNA doesn’t erase that.””
She cried against my shoulder.
“I was scared you’d leave.””
“I’m not going anywhere.””
Behind her, Claire covered her mouth.
But I couldn’t focus on her.
Not anymore.
My daughter needed me.
The next morning, Daniel came to our house.
I almost didn’t let him in.
Not because I hated him.
Because I didn’t know where to place him.
He was the man who shared Maya’s blood.
But I was the man who shared her life.
When I opened the door, he looked nervous.
Older than I expected.
His eyes immediately went upstairs.
“Is she here?””
I nodded.
“She’s resting.””
He swallowed.
“Thank you for taking care of her.””
The sentence surprised me.
I expected jealousy.
Anger.
A fight.
Instead, he looked like someone who had lost ten years.
“I need answers,” I said.
Daniel nodded.
“So do I.””
We sat at the kitchen table.
Claire stayed standing.
She refused to sit.
Like she knew she didn’t deserve to be comfortable.
Daniel placed a folder on the table.
“I found these last month.””
Inside were copies of emails.
Between Claire and someone named Rebecca.
I read the first one.
Claire had written:
“Daniel cannot know where Maya is. If he finds her, everything falls apart.””
I looked up.
“Who is Rebecca?””
Claire’s face went pale.
Nobody answered.
Daniel opened another document.
“Rebecca helped Claire after Maya was born.””
“Helped with what?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then said:
“With changing the records.””
My hands tightened.
“You’re saying she changed Maya’s information?””
“Yes.””
Claire finally spoke.
“She was helping me protect my family.””
I looked at her.
“From what?””
She looked toward the stairs.
“Maya’s grandmother.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Claire’s voice dropped.
“Daniel’s mother.””
The room became silent.
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“She knew about Maya.””
“And?””
He looked at Claire.
“She threatened Claire.””
I stared at both of them.
“You’re telling me there’s another person involved?””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Before he could answer, my phone buzzed.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
One sentence.
One name.
My blood ran cold.
*“Ask Claire what happened the night Maya disappeared.””*
I looked up.
Claire was staring at my phone.
May you like
And she whispered:
“She found us.””
