Chapter 6: The Recording She Never Wanted Found
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Not Ethan.
Not me.
Not even Zoe, who had walked out of the living room after hearing the last sentence.
“The night Lily was born?””
Her voice was quiet.
Ethan looked at her.
“I didn’t know she still had it.””
I stepped back.
“You’re telling me there is a recording connected to my daughter’s birth?””
Ethan looked broken.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
He looked at the floor.
“Because Vanessa was there.””
My stomach twisted.
I remembered that night.
The hospital lights.
The exhaustion.
The fear.
The happiness.
Ethan holding my hand while I cried when we heard Lily’s first scream.
Or at least, I thought he was holding my hand.
Now I wondered what else I didn’t know.
“What happened?””
Ethan sat down.
“I need to tell you the whole story.””
“Finally.””
He nodded.
“When Lily was born, Vanessa came to the hospital.””
“I remember.””
“She was acting strange.””
“How?””
“She kept asking questions.””
“About what?””
“About you.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
Ethan swallowed.
“Because she didn’t believe Lily was mine.””
The words hit me like a slap.
“What?””
Zoe looked horrified.
“She thought I cheated?””
“No.””
Ethan shook his head.
“She thought Chloe cheated.””
My mouth opened.
“No.””
“I knew it wasn’t true.””
“Then why?””
“Because Vanessa was angry.””
“At me?””
“At everyone.””
He looked away.
“She had just lost control of my business. She was angry that I married you. She said I changed after meeting you.””
I crossed my arms.
“And you let her accuse me?””
“I defended you.””
“When?””
“When you weren’t there.””
I laughed.
“That doesn’t help.””
He nodded.
“I know.””
The silence afterward was painful.
“Where does the recording come in?””
Ethan took a breath.
“The night Lily was born, Vanessa and I argued outside your hospital room.””
“About what?””
“About the contract.””
I stared at him.
“She threatened to destroy everything.””
“And?””
“And I told her I was done.””
For the first time, I saw a different version of Ethan.
Not the weak man from Thanksgiving.
A younger man trapped in fear.
“But then what happened?””
Ethan’s voice lowered.
“She said something that scared me.””
“What?””
“She said if I left her side, she would tell you about the accident.””
I froze.
“What accident?””
He looked at me.
“The one she caused.””
The room went completely silent.
Zoe whispered:
“What accident?””
Ethan looked toward the hallway.
Then back at me.
“Seven years ago, Vanessa drove home drunk.””
My heart started pounding.
“What does that have to do with us?””
“She hit someone.””
I covered my mouth.
“Who?””
Ethan looked like he was carrying the weight of the world.
“The person she hit was my business partner.””
I stared at him.
“And you covered it up?””
His eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.””
The honesty hurt.
But it was the first time he had given me the truth.
“What did you do?””
“I helped her leave before the police arrived.””
“Why?””
“Because I was scared.””
“Scared of what?””
“Of losing everything.””
I shook my head.
“You lost me anyway.””
He looked down.
“I know.””
A notification suddenly appeared on Zoe’s phone.
She looked at it.
Then her face changed.
“What?””
She didn’t answer.
“Zoe.””
Slowly, she turned the phone around.
It was an email.
From an unknown sender.
The subject line read:
*THE TRUTH ABOUT LILY CARTER*
My hands went cold.
Zoe opened it.
There was only one sentence.
*“You’re looking in the wrong direction. Ethan wasn’t the only person who lied about that night.””*
Then an attachment appeared.
A video file.
Recorded on the day Lily was born.
And underneath the file name was the person who uploaded it.
Vanessa Carter.
I looked at Ethan.
“What did your sister do?””
He didn’t answer.
Because he was staring at the screen with the same fear I felt.
May you like
And then he whispered:
“She recorded everything.””
