Chapter 9: The Woman Who Knew My Father
The words echoed in my head.
Take custody.
My child.
My baby.
Suddenly, the entire world became a threat.
Every person around me felt like someone who could take her away.
I wrapped both arms around my stomach.
“No one is taking my daughter.””
Daniel looked at me.
“They won’t.””
But I noticed something.
He sounded less confident than before.
The officer continued.
“We need everyone involved to come down and answer questions.””
Mark immediately shook his head.
“This is absurd.””
The officer looked at him.
“Sir, you are being investigated for assault.””
Mark’s face darkened.
Then he looked at me.
“Emily, you’re making a mistake.””
I stared at him.
“No.””
My voice was steady.
“I made a mistake three years ago.””
He looked hurt.
Good.
Because I had spent years carrying pain that belonged to him.
The officers escorted Mark toward the police vehicle.
Before getting inside, he stopped.
He looked at me.
“You really think your brother saved you?””
I said nothing.
He smiled.
“Ask him why he never told you about your father’s last night.””
The door closed.
But the damage was done.
Again.
Another question.
Another wound.
Daniel watched the police car leave.
Then he exhaled.
“You deserve the truth.””
I looked at him.
“Finally.””
He nodded.
“I should have told you years ago.””
We moved away from the crowd.
The clinic entrance was quieter now.
The same place where I arrived earlier feeling ashamed.
Now I stood there realizing my entire life had been built on secrets.
“What happened the night our parents died?””
Daniel looked down.
“Our father discovered Mark’s father had been stealing from the company.””
I frowned.
“Mark’s father?””
“Yes.””
I remembered the photograph.
Young Mark beside my father.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because Mark’s family threatened us.””
My heart tightened.
“Us?””
Daniel nodded.
“After our parents died, I found documents proving the accident wasn’t random.””
Claire stepped closer.
“Your father was going to expose them.””
I looked at her.
“And you knew?””
She nodded sadly.
“I was your father’s assistant.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Then why disappear?””
Her face filled with guilt.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of Mark?””
She nodded.
“He destroyed everyone who got in his way.””
Daniel looked at me.
“I sent you away because I thought distance would protect you.””
I stared at him.
“You sent me away?””
His face fell.
“I arranged for you to move.””
The realization hit me.
“You knew where I was?””
“Yes.””
“Then why didn’t you contact me?””
His silence answered before his words did.
“Because Mark threatened to hurt you.””
My chest tightened.
“And you believed him?””
Daniel looked broken.
“He showed me proof.””
“What proof?””
He reached into his wallet.
From inside, he pulled out a folded piece of paper.
I recognized the handwriting immediately.
My mother’s.
My hands shook as I took it.
A letter.
To me.
But the date was from before she died.
I unfolded it.
Only one sentence was visible.
*Emily, if you are reading this, it means the person we trusted has already betrayed us.*
I stopped.
My eyes filled with tears.
Below that sentence was a name.
A name that made Daniel go pale.
Because it wasn’t Mark.
It wasn’t Mark’s father.
It was someone else.
Someone who had been standing near me all along.
I looked up.
“Who is this?””
Daniel’s face turned serious.
“Emily…”
“Tell me.””
He swallowed.
“That’s your mother’s signature.””
I looked down.
“But that isn’t her handwriting.””
Daniel went silent.
Then Claire whispered:
“Because someone copied it.””
I stared at the letter.
A fake message.
A hidden warning.
And suddenly I understood.
Someone had been controlling my life long before Mark ever met me.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new message appeared.
May you like
One sentence.
*Stop looking for the truth, or your daughter will disappear before she is born.*
