Chapter 9: The Woman Who Was Supposed To Be Dead
The first thing I noticed was Daniel's face.
Not the words.
Not the document.
Not the impossible name on the screen.
His face.
Because Daniel had always been good at lying.
He lied with confidence.
He lied with anger.
He lied with carefully chosen details that made other people question themselves.
But now?
Now he looked like someone who had just watched a locked door open.
And he had no idea what was standing behind it.
"Lydia is alive.""
I said it slowly.
Not because I didn't understand.
Because I needed him to hear it.
"Your first wife is alive.""
Daniel swallowed.
"Anna.""
"No.""
I stepped back.
"Don't do that.""
"Do what?""
"Say my name like you're trying to calm me down.""
His expression changed.
Because he knew.
He knew that trick didn't work anymore.
"You have spent eleven years making me believe I was the only woman in your life.""
"That's not true.""
I looked at the document.
"Isn't it?""
He had no answer.
Claire stood beside me, frozen.
"I thought she died.""
Everyone looked at her.
"What?""
She shook her head.
"Daniel told me.""
Her voice was barely audible.
"He said his first wife passed away before he met you.""
I looked at Daniel.
"Did you tell everyone that?""
Silence.
That was enough.
Marcus stared at him.
"Why would you tell people she died?""
Daniel looked away.
"Because she was supposed to be gone.""
The sentence made the air disappear.
Not metaphorically.
I actually felt like I couldn't breathe.
"Supposed to be?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"I didn't mean it like that.""
"Then explain it.""
He couldn't.
Not immediately.
Because every explanation required another confession.
And Daniel had spent his entire life avoiding those.
Marcus stepped forward.
"The file isn't complete.""
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?""
"It means we need to verify the source.""
"Why?""
"Because the document says Lydia Carter was a recipient.""
"Of my embryo.""
Marcus nodded.
"But the transfer record doesn't show a direct match.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
"It means someone created a chain of transfers.""
My stomach tightened.
"A chain?""
"Yes.""
Claire looked horrified.
"How many people were involved?""
Marcus didn't answer.
Daniel did.
"Too many.""
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked exhausted.
Not innocent.
Never innocent.
Just exhausted.
"I never wanted it to go this far.""
I laughed quietly.
"That sentence should be printed on your grave.""
His eyes closed.
"I made mistakes.""
"Mistakes are forgetting an anniversary.""
I pointed toward the screen.
"This is a system.""
He didn't argue.
Because he couldn't.
I picked up the flash drive.
"Start from the beginning.""
Daniel looked at me.
"Anna.""
"Start.""
A long silence.
Then he sat down.
For the first time in eleven years, Daniel Carter looked small.
"My first marriage wasn't what people thought.""
I crossed my arms.
"I don't care.""
"You need to understand.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"I need facts.""
He nodded.
"Lydia and I couldn't have children.""
The words made my stomach twist.
Not because they mattered.
Because they sounded familiar.
Too familiar.
"Like us.""
He looked at me.
"Yes.""
Claire whispered:
"Oh my God.""
Daniel continued.
"She blamed herself.""
My jaw tightened.
"Like I did.""
He looked down.
"Yes.""
The room became painfully quiet.
"Then what happened?""
"Lydia found out about the research.""
"What research?""
"The work Vale was doing.""
Marcus looked angry.
"Don't put this on me.""
Daniel ignored him.
"Vale had been studying fertility outcomes. Genetic compatibility. Embryo development.""
I stared.
"And you joined him.""
"I invested.""
"Why?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Because I wanted a child.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"You wanted a perfect outcome.""
His silence confirmed it.
"I thought if I could remove uncertainty...""
"You thought you could engineer life.""
He looked away.
"Yes.""
"And Lydia?""
"She left.""
"Why?""
"Because she found out I was using her medical records.""
I felt sick.
"Her records?""
"She had undergone treatment before.""
"With Vale?""
Daniel nodded.
"The same clinic.""
Marcus closed his eyes.
"Daniel.""
But Daniel kept going.
"She discovered what we were doing.""
"What you were doing.""
"Yes.""
"What happened after she left?""
He stared at the floor.
"She disappeared.""
"Because you made her.""
"No.""
His answer was immediate.
Too immediate.
I noticed.
"Then where did she go?""
"I don't know.""
"Don't lie.""
"I'm not.""
"You lied about her being dead.""
His face tightened.
"Because if people believed she was alive, they would ask questions.""
"Exactly.""
I stepped closer.
"What questions?""
Daniel looked at me.
"The questions you're asking now.""
A cold silence followed.
I looked at Marcus.
"Tell me about the transfer.""
Marcus sighed.
"The records show multiple attempts.""
"Multiple?""
"Yes.""
"Using what?""
He hesitated.
"Stored embryos.""
"Mine?""
"Some.""
My stomach dropped.
"Some?""
Marcus nodded.
"Your treatment created multiple viable embryos.""
"But I was told they were gone.""
"Yes.""
"How many survived?""
Marcus looked at the floor.
"Six.""
The room stopped.
Six.
I repeated it silently.
Six children.
Six possibilities.
Six lives Daniel hid from me.
"Where are they?""
Nobody answered.
I looked at Daniel.
"Where are they?""
His voice was barely audible.
"I don't know.""
I almost screamed.
But I didn't.
Because I finally understood something.
Daniel didn't know everything.
He had built something so complicated that even he had lost control.
"You don't know.""
"No.""
"But you started it.""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
He looked at me.
And for the first time, I saw something that looked like shame.
"Because I thought you would leave me.""
I stared.
"What?""
"If you knew we couldn't have children, if you knew I couldn't give you the life you wanted—"
I laughed.
"You still don't understand.""
"What?""
"I never needed children to stay.""
His eyes filled.
"I know that now.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"You don't.""
I pointed at the files.
"If you knew that, you would have trusted me.""
He looked away.
And that was the closest thing to an apology I would ever get.
My phone rang.
Rebecca.
I answered.
"Tell me you found something.""
Her voice was urgent.
"I found Lydia.""
My heart stopped.
"What?""
"I located a current address.""
Everyone looked at me.
"She's alive?""
"Yes.""
"Where?""
Rebecca paused.
Then:
"Anna, there's something else.""
"What?""
"She isn't alone.""
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"Who is with her?""
Silence.
"Rebecca.""
"Her son.""
My heart started pounding.
"What son?""
"Anna.""
Her voice became softer.
"She has a nine-year-old boy.""
The room went silent.
Nine years old.
Eight years ago, Daniel said she died.
But the timeline didn't fit.
I looked at the files.
The dates.
The transfers.
The hidden records.
"Rebecca.""
"Yes?""
"What's his name?""
Another pause.
Then she answered.
"Michael Carter.""
The name meant nothing.
Until Daniel heard it.
His face changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
I turned slowly.
"You know him.""
Daniel didn't speak.
"Daniel.""
He looked at me.
And whispered:
"Yes.""
The room went cold.
"Who is Michael?""
Daniel closed his eyes.
"He was supposed to be ours.""
Claire gasped.
Marcus went still.
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel looked at the floor.
"Before Lydia left...""
He stopped.
"Before what?""
His voice cracked.
"Before she disappeared, she was pregnant.""
I couldn't move.
"Pregnant with whose child?""
Daniel looked at me.
And the answer came quietly.
"Mine.""
I stared.
"But you said—"
"I lied.""
Another lie.
Another impossible truth.
"But how?""
Daniel looked at the files.
"The same way Claire's happened.""
My blood ran cold.
"No.""
"Anna—"
"No.""
I stepped back.
"Don't tell me.""
But he did.
Because the truth had become a machine.
Once it started moving, nobody could stop it.
"The embryo wasn't created naturally.""
I stared at him.
"You used fertility treatment.""
"Yes.""
"And?""
His voice dropped.
"The embryo came from our first treatment cycle.""
My heart stopped.
"Your first wife.""
He nodded.
"And my treatment.""
"No.""
He shook his head.
"Not yours.""
The room went silent.
"Then whose?""
Daniel looked at me.
And the answer destroyed the last piece of certainty I had.
"The donor material.""
I frowned.
"What donor material?""
He didn't answer.
Marcus did.
"The same donor.""
I looked between them.
"What donor?""
Marcus whispered:
"The one connected to all of this.""
My skin went cold.
"The one who created the genetic link.""
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel said:
"The donor wasn't anonymous.""
My heartbeat slowed.
Because I already knew something terrible was coming.
"Who was it?""
Daniel looked at me.
May you like
And whispered:
"Your father.""
