Chapter 3: The Girl Behind My Name
For a moment, I couldn't understand what Madison had said.
The refrigerator hummed behind me.
A car passed outside.
Somewhere upstairs, a faucet dripped steadily.
Then I looked at her.
"Your surgery?""
Madison nodded, tears running down her cheeks.
I turned toward Karen.
"You used my identity to request surgery for Madison?""
Karen put both hands on the counter.
"Lower your voice.""
"You're worried about my voice?""
"Hannah, please. You don't understand the situation.""
"Then explain it!""
Madison covered her face.
"Mom said it was only supposed to be a temporary authorization.""
I looked at her.
"What does that mean?""
Karen shot her a warning look.
Madison ignored it.
"She said the clinic needed someone with a clean medical record. Someone whose insurance information wouldn't raise questions.""
My mouth went dry.
"But I'm not even eighteen.""
"That's why the request was never finalized," Madison whispered.
I felt something inside me break.
"So you both knew?""
Madison shook her head.
"Not at first.""
"How long?""
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"Madison, how long have you known?""
"Three weeks.""
Three weeks.
For three weeks, she'd sat across from me at dinner, borrowed my clothes, complained about homework, and watched me search for my missing savings.
And she'd said nothing.
I pointed toward the new laptop on the table.
"Did you know about the money too?""
Her face crumpled.
"Mom said she was going to replace it.""
"With what?""
"I don't know.""
"That's not an answer!""
Karen stepped forward.
"Stop attacking your sister.""
I laughed, but there was no humor in it.
"She knew you stole my college savings. She knew someone was using my name for cosmetic surgery. And I'm the one attacking her?""
Karen grabbed her purse.
"This conversation is over.""
"No," I said.
"It's just starting.""
She turned toward me.
"You have no idea what I've done to keep this family together.""
"Then tell me.""
Her eyes flickered.
"Your father doesn't know everything.""
I froze.
"What does Dad not know?""
Karen looked away.
Before she could answer, the front door opened.
Dad walked in carrying a folder.
He took one look at the three of us.
"What happened?""
I pointed at Madison.
"She admitted the surgery request was for her.""
Dad stopped moving.
"What?""
Madison started sobbing.
"Mom said it would be okay.""
Dad placed the folder on the counter.
"Karen, is this true?""
Karen crossed her arms.
"Daniel, this has become completely out of control.""
"Answer me.""
"Madison has been struggling.""
"With what?""
Karen looked toward her daughter.
Madison stared at the floor.
Dad's voice softened slightly.
"Madison, tell me what's going on.""
She wiped her face with her sleeve.
"I hate how I look.""
I blinked.
"What?""
Madison shook her head.
"Everyone at school makes comments. They say I look ordinary. They say Hannah is prettier. They say I have nothing special.""
I stared at her.
"Who says that?""
"People.""
"Which people?""
"Just people at school!""
Dad pulled out a chair.
"Madison, cosmetic surgery is not something you arrange using another person's identity.""
"I know!""
"Then why did you let your mother do it?""
Madison looked at Karen.
"Because she said it would make everything better.""
Karen immediately interrupted.
"I was trying to help my daughter.""
Dad's face hardened.
"By committing identity fraud?""
"I didn't think it would get this far!""
"Six thousand dollars is pretty far, Karen.""
She slammed her palm against the counter.
"You don't understand what it's like raising a teenage girl who cries every night because she hates herself!""
Dad stood still.
"Then we get her help. We don't steal her stepsister's identity.""
Madison started crying harder.
I should have felt sorry for her.
Part of me did.
But I couldn't stop thinking about the empty envelope in my bedroom.
About the months I'd spent working.
About the fact that someone had taken my name and attached it to a medical procedure without asking.
I looked at Karen.
"Why my name?""
She swallowed.
"I thought it would be easier.""
"Easier than what?""
She didn't respond.
Dad opened the folder he'd brought home.
"I went to the bank," he said.
"They gave me the fraud investigation reference number. I also contacted the insurance provider.""
Karen's face changed.
"What did they say?""
"They confirmed that the request was submitted through an online account created using Hannah's information.""
"Daniel—"
"And there's something else.""
He pulled out a printed page.
"The clinic requested additional documentation. A copy of Hannah's identification, proof of insurance, and a signed medical consent form.""
I felt sick.
"Who signed it?""
Dad looked at Karen.
"That's what we're trying to establish.""
Karen shook her head.
"I didn't sign anything.""
Madison suddenly whispered, "Mom...""
Karen turned sharply.
"Don't.""
Madison looked at Dad.
"She did.""
Silence.
Dad slowly lowered the paper.
"What did you just say?""
Madison's voice trembled.
"Mom signed Hannah's name on the form.""
Karen's expression turned furious.
"Madison, you need to stop talking.""
But Madison was crying too hard to stop.
"She practiced it first. She said Hannah's signature was easy to copy because she always writes her H the same way.""
My stomach lurched.
I looked at Karen.
"You forged my signature?""
She didn't deny it.
Instead, she said, "I was going to fix everything before anyone noticed.""
Dad stared at her.
"How?""
Karen's eyes filled with tears.
"Once the clinic approved the request, we would have figured something out.""
"With whose money?""
She looked down.
Nobody answered.
Then Dad's phone rang.
He checked the screen.
It was an unfamiliar number from Georgia.
He answered and put it on speaker.
"Hello?""
A professional female voice came through.
"Good morning. Is this Daniel Brooks? My name is Rebecca. I'm calling from the patient administration department at the Atlanta clinic.""
Dad glanced at me.
"Yes. How can I help you?""
"We received your inquiry regarding the medical request submitted under Hannah Brooks's name.""
"That's correct. The request was unauthorized.""
There was a pause.
"Mr. Brooks, I understand. However, before we proceed, there's something you should know.""
Karen gripped the edge of the counter.
Dad's voice became cautious.
"What?""
"The request wasn't submitted as a standard cosmetic procedure. It was attached to an existing patient file.""
Dad frowned.
"What existing patient file?""
Rebecca continued.
"The file was originally opened under a different name. When our system flagged the identity information, the applicant requested that the records be transferred to Hannah Brooks.""
My heart started pounding.
Dad asked, "Who was the original patient?""
Rebecca hesitated.
"I'm sorry, sir. I can only disclose that information through our formal verification process.""
"Then tell me this. Was the original patient Madison Brooks?""
Another pause.
"No, sir.""
I looked at Madison.
Her crying had stopped.
She was staring at her mother with an expression I had never seen before.
Dad leaned closer to the phone.
"Then who was it?""
Rebecca lowered her voice.
"Mr. Brooks, the original patient file lists the emergency contact as Karen Brooks.""
Karen went completely white.
Dad slowly turned toward her.
"What does that mean?""
Rebecca continued.
"It means this request may involve a medical record that predates your marriage.""
Dad's face lost all color.
He ended the call without saying goodbye.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then I remembered the anonymous message.
Ask Karen what happened in Atlanta before you were born.
I looked at my stepmother.
"Karen, what happened in Atlanta?""
She shook her head.
"Please don't.""
Dad stepped toward her.
"Six years ago, when we got married, you told me you had never been married before. You said you had no children besides Madison.""
Karen's lips trembled.
"Daniel...""
He looked at the medical paperwork again.
"Then whose patient file was this?""
Karen began to cry.
May you like
And Madison, who had spent the entire morning begging us to stop asking questions, suddenly whispered something that made my father take a step backward.
"Mom said Hannah wasn't supposed to find out she had a brother.""
