Chapter 2: The Second Father
Maya’s stomach dropped.
Daniel’s father was already standing near the front pew.
Richard Carter.
She had met him twice.
So why had Daniel just looked at the stranger in the back of the cathedral and called him Dad?
Claire noticed too.
“Who is that?””
Daniel didn’t answer.
The older man stepped into the aisle.
He was somewhere in his early sixties, silver-haired, broad-shouldered, and strangely calm considering the chaos around him.
Richard Carter moved toward Daniel.
“Don’t.””
The stranger stopped.
Richard’s voice became sharper.
“I said don’t come any closer.””
Claire looked between them.
“What is happening?””
Daniel’s mother, Evelyn, suddenly sat down.
Her hands were shaking.
“Evelyn?”” Richard said.
She stared at the floor.
The stranger continued forward.
“My name is Thomas Hale.””
Richard’s face tightened.
“Nobody asked.””
Thomas ignored him.
He looked directly at Daniel.
“I came because you called me last night.””
Maya turned toward Daniel.
“You called him?””
Daniel rubbed both hands over his face.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen.””
Claire gave a broken laugh.
“You keep saying that.””
Daniel looked at her.
“I can explain.””
“Then explain the woman you abandoned.””
Claire pointed at Maya.
“Explain the baby.””
Then she pointed at Thomas.
“And explain why you just called that man your father.””
Thomas stopped several feet away.
“That last part is my fault.””
Richard stepped toward him.
“You lost the right to say anything about this family thirty-four years ago.””
Thomas’s eyes moved to Evelyn.
“I was told Daniel deserved the truth.””
“By whom?”” Richard demanded.
Thomas looked back at Daniel.
“Daniel.””
Another wave of whispers moved through the guests.
Maya bounced the baby gently.
The little girl had started fussing again.
“Daniel,” Maya said quietly, “what does any of this have to do with our daughter?””
Daniel finally looked at her.
His expression had changed.
The anger was gone.
Now he looked afraid.
“Maya, there are things I didn’t tell you.””
She almost laughed.
“That list is getting pretty long.””
“I thought I could fix everything before today.””
“By disappearing?””
“I sent money.””
“You sent money twice!””
“I was trying to protect you.””
“From what?””
Daniel looked toward Thomas.
Maya followed his gaze.
Thomas’s eyes settled on the baby.
His expression softened.
“What’s her name?””
Maya pulled the child closer.
“Why?””
“I’d just like to know.””
“You don’t know me.””
“No.””
Thomas looked at Daniel.
“But apparently I should have.””
Richard stepped between them.
“Thomas, leave.””
“No.””
“You walk into my son’s wedding after thirty-four years and think you can—”
“Your son called me.””
“He is my son.””
Thomas’s face hardened.
“Then maybe you should ask why he needed me.””
Richard grabbed Thomas’s jacket.
Guests recoiled.
Daniel moved between them.
“Stop!””
Richard released him.
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“Both of you. Stop.””
Claire stood near the altar, one hand pressed against the red mark on her cheek.
Her wedding veil had slipped crookedly over one shoulder.
She looked nothing like the composed bride who had entered the cathedral twenty minutes earlier.
“Daniel.””
He turned.
Claire’s eyes were wet.
“Did you love her?””
Maya went still.
Daniel said nothing.
Claire repeated the question.
“Did you love Maya?””
“Yes.””
Maya closed her eyes.
Claire’s lips parted.
“And you still proposed to me?””
Daniel looked toward the floor.
“My relationship with Maya was complicated.””
“No,” Maya said.
“It wasn’t.””
Daniel looked at her.
Maya’s voice shook.
“We lived together for two years. You painted the nursery yourself. You assembled her crib at two in the morning because you were too excited to sleep.””
Claire stared at him.
Maya continued.
“You cried when we heard her heartbeat.””
“Maya, stop.””
“You held my hand during labor.””
“Stop.””
“You cut the cord.””
“Stop!””
The baby started crying again.
Daniel flinched.
Maya kissed the child’s forehead.
“You don’t get to erase us because the truth embarrasses you.””
Claire removed her engagement ring.
Then her wedding band.
She stared at them in her palm.
“My family spent almost half a million dollars on today.””
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Claire—”
She threw both rings at him.
One bounced across the marble floor.
“I don’t care about the money.””
Her voice cracked.
“I care that I was standing at an altar about to marry a stranger.””
Claire’s father came beside her.
“We’re leaving.””
“No,” Claire said.
Her father frowned.
“Claire.””
“I want answers.””
She turned toward Maya.
“You said Daniel abandoned you.””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Five months ago.””
Claire’s face changed.
Five months.
Maya saw the realization immediately.
“What?””
Claire looked at Daniel.
“He was living with me five months ago.””
Maya frowned.
“No, he wasn’t.””
“Yes, he was.””
“He slept at our apartment almost every night until April.””
Claire shook her head.
“That’s impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because Daniel and I bought our house in February.””
Maya stared at her.
Daniel had told Maya he was traveling constantly for work.
Chicago.
San Francisco.
New York.
Sometimes he disappeared for three or four nights.
Then he returned with gifts, apologies, and excuses.
Claire looked equally horrified.
“He told me he was traveling for work.””
Maya’s eyes narrowed.
“He told me the same thing.””
Both women turned toward Daniel.
Daniel backed away.
“I made mistakes.””
“Mistakes?”” Maya said.
“I was under pressure.””
Claire laughed bitterly.
“From whom?””
Daniel looked toward Richard.
Richard’s face darkened.
“Don’t you dare.””
Thomas stepped forward.
“Tell them, Daniel.””
“Stay out of this.””
“You brought me here.””
“I said stay out of it!””
Thomas didn’t move.
“You called me because you discovered something about the baby.””
Maya stopped breathing.
Daniel’s eyes widened.
“Thomas.””
“What did he discover?”” Maya demanded.
Daniel shook his head.
“Nothing.””
Thomas looked at her.
“Maya, how old is your daughter?””
“Eight months.””
“And her name?””
Maya hesitated.
“Lily.””
Thomas closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, there were tears in them.
“Lily.””
Daniel grabbed Thomas by the arm.
“Don’t.””
Thomas pulled free.
Maya stepped backward.
“Why does he care about my daughter?””
Nobody answered.
Then Evelyn Carter rose from the front pew.
Her face was pale.
“Because this began long before Daniel met you.””
Richard turned toward his wife.
“Evelyn.””
She ignored him.
Maya felt the baby’s tiny fingers curl around her necklace.
Claire whispered, “What began?””
Evelyn looked at Thomas.
Then at Daniel.
Finally, she looked at Lily.
“Daniel found an old medical file three weeks ago.””
Daniel’s face drained of color.
“Mom.””
“He confronted me.””
“Mom, don’t.””
“And then he secretly ordered a DNA test.””
Maya’s heart slammed against her ribs.
“A DNA test on whom?””
Daniel rushed toward Evelyn.
But Thomas answered first.
“On Lily.””
Maya stared at Daniel.
“You tested my daughter without telling me?””
Daniel couldn’t look at her.
“Why?””
Silence.
Maya’s voice rose.
“Why did you test my baby?””
Thomas reached inside his jacket.
He removed a folded envelope.
Daniel lunged toward him.
“No!””
Thomas stepped back.
Maya held Lily tighter.
“What does that say?””
Daniel froze.
Thomas stared at him.
“Tell her yourself.””
Daniel’s lips trembled.
“I can’t.””
Maya felt suddenly cold.
Thomas unfolded the paper.
Then he looked directly at her.
“The test says Daniel isn’t Lily’s biological father.””
Maya’s entire body went numb.
“That’s impossible.””
Thomas swallowed.
“I know.””
Maya stared at him.
“Why?””
Thomas’s eyes dropped to the baby.
“Because according to the second test Daniel ordered…”
May you like
He paused.
“…I am.””
