Chapter 12: The Secret About My Baby
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what Marcus meant.
Our baby.
Those words should have brought warmth.
Instead, they brought fear.
“What about our baby?””
Marcus looked at the paper again.
He didn’t answer.
“Marcus.””
His eyes met mine.
And I saw something I had never seen before.
Fear.
Not confusion.
Not anger.
Fear.
Richard watched silently from across the room.
Daniel immediately stepped forward.
“Give me that.””
Marcus pulled the paper away.
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“No more secrets.””
Everyone stopped.
Marcus looked at the document.
Then at me.
“The hospital records…”
My heart started racing.
“What hospital records?””
Vanessa looked terrified.
And that told me she knew.
Marcus noticed too.
“You knew.””
She shook her head.
“I didn’t know everything.””
“What did you know?””
She couldn’t answer.
My hands moved protectively over my stomach.
“What is happening?””
Marcus took a breath.
Then handed me the paper.
I read the first line.
And everything around me disappeared.
It was a prenatal test request.
But not mine.
Vanessa’s.
The date was from months earlier.
Before she entered our lives.
Before anyone knew she existed.
My eyes moved down the page.
Then stopped.
There was a note.
A doctor’s handwriting.
Possible paternity overlap requires additional verification.
I looked up.
“What does this mean?””
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel said quietly:
“Your baby may not be the only child connected to this family.””
My heart stopped.
“No.””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“What are you saying?””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
Vanessa started crying.
“I didn’t know.””
Marcus stepped toward her.
“Know what?””
She covered her face.
“I found out after the first appointment.””
My voice shook.
“Found out what?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“The doctor said there was a possibility…”
She couldn’t finish.
Marcus’s face hardened.
“Possibility of what?””
Vanessa whispered:
“That Marcus might not be the father of my baby.””
Silence.
The words felt unreal.
Because a few hours ago, everyone thought Vanessa had lied about a pregnancy.
Now we were discovering the truth was even more complicated.
Marcus looked at her.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
Vanessa cried.
“Because I was scared.””
“You were scared?””
His voice broke.
“You destroyed my marriage because you were scared?””
“I thought you would leave me.””
“You lied to me.””
“I know.””
“You lied about everything.””
She nodded.
“I know.””
Richard suddenly laughed.
Nobody looked at him.
“Perfect.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
Richard smiled.
“You all spent so much time blaming each other that nobody noticed the real problem.””
Daniel’s expression changed.
“What did you do?””
Richard said nothing.
Marcus looked at him.
“You knew about this?””
Richard smiled.
And that was the answer.
My blood ran cold.
“You knew?””
Richard shrugged.
“I knew enough.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Why?””
Richard looked at him.
“Because I needed chaos.””
The room went silent.
Richard continued.
“Your father was close to exposing me. So I needed him distracted.””
Daniel’s face turned pale.
“You used Vanessa.””
“Yes.””
“You used my son.””
Richard smiled.
“Yes.””
Marcus looked sick.
“You manipulated all of us.””
Richard nodded.
“People are easiest to control when they are emotional.””
Then he looked at me.
“And nothing creates emotion like family.””
I hated that he was right.
The betrayal.
The affair.
The secrets.
All of it had been carefully arranged.
Then Marcus noticed something.
A small detail.
A date.
His eyes moved to the document again.
“No.””
Everyone looked at him.
“What?””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
Then at me.
Then back at the paper.
“This date…”
His voice became a whisper.
“It’s impossible.””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“What?””
Marcus pointed.
“The test was taken two weeks before we even met Vanessa.””
Nobody understood.
Then Daniel did.
His face changed.
“Wait.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Dad.””
His voice shook.
“This means…”
Daniel stared at the papers.
“This means Vanessa didn’t come into your life by accident.””
The room went silent.
Marcus looked toward Vanessa.
And she looked terrified.
Because the truth was finally coming out.
May you like
Vanessa hadn’t found Marcus.
Someone had sent her.
