Chapter 6: The Truth Daniel Buried
The celebration ended without anyone saying goodbye.
The flowers stayed on the tables.
The untouched food remained under the warm lights.
The decorations that were supposed to welcome a new baby now looked like evidence from a crime scene.
Everyone left slowly.
But Daniel stayed.
He stood alone near the window, staring outside at the dark parking lot.
I had never seen him look so lost.
“Daniel.””
He didn’t turn around.
“What happened three years ago?””
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
“I knew this day would come.””
Those words made my stomach tighten.
“What do you mean?””
He finally looked at me.
“Claire wasn’t lying about everything.””
I frowned.
“What?””
He looked exhausted.
“There was a reason our marriage started falling apart.””
I waited.
Daniel sat down.
“Three years ago, before I met Claire, I made a mistake.””
I stayed quiet.
He looked at the floor.
“A big one.””
The room felt colder.
“What kind of mistake?””
Daniel rubbed his hands together.
“I found out I had a daughter.””
I froze.
“A daughter?””
He nodded slowly.
“From a relationship before Claire.””
I didn’t know what to say.
“I didn’t know about her when she was born. Her mother never told me. When I found out, I wanted to be involved.””
Daniel’s eyes filled with regret.
“But Claire hated the idea.””
“Why?””
“Because she said a child from my past would ruin our future.””
I thought about everything Claire had done.
Everything she had lied about.
And suddenly, the pieces started connecting.
“She knew?””
Daniel nodded.
“She knew I had been searching for my daughter.””
His voice became quieter.
“She was afraid that once I found her, I wouldn’t need her anymore.””
I shook my head.
“So she created a fake baby?””
“Yes.””
The answer was painful.
“She thought if I believed I was becoming a father with her, I would stop looking.””
I looked away.
The manipulation was deeper than I realized.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He looked down.
A message appeared.
Unknown Number.
*You finally know the truth. But there is something else Daniel never told you.*
Daniel’s face changed.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“What is it?””
He opened the message.
There was a photo attached.
A little girl standing outside a school.
She looked about five years old.
Underneath the picture was a sentence.
*Meet your daughter.*
Daniel stopped breathing.
My heart raced.
“Is that her?””
He nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
Then another message appeared.
*But Claire wasn’t the only person who kept her from you.*
Daniel looked at the screen.
His face turned pale.
Because beneath the message was another name.
May you like
A name neither of us expected.
Mine.
