Chapter 4: The Photo I Was Never Supposed to See
I stared at the picture on my phone for almost a full minute before I had the courage to open it.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
A part of me wanted to throw the phone across the room.
A part of me wanted to pretend none of this was happening.
But curiosity won.
It always does when the truth is hiding.
I tapped the image.
And immediately wished I hadn’t.
It was a picture of my mother.
Standing outside a hospital.
Holding a small folder.
Next to her was Daniel Brooks.
But that wasn’t the part that made my stomach drop.
It was the date.
The picture had been taken three weeks earlier.
Three weeks after my mother started acting like she hated being around me.
Three weeks after she accused me of sneaking around.
Three weeks after she began disappearing for hours at a time.
My fingers tightened around my phone.
Then another message appeared.
*You need to know the truth before your father makes a decision he’ll regret.*
I stared at those words.
Whoever sent this knew exactly what they were doing.
They weren’t just revealing information.
They were pulling me into something I never asked to be part of.
I typed back.
*Who are you?*
The reply came almost immediately.
*Someone who knows Daniel better than your mother does.*
My heart started beating faster.
I looked toward my bedroom door.
Downstairs, my parents were still arguing.
I could hear my father’s voice.
“You lied to me for months!””
Then my mother.
“Please, Marcus, listen to me!””
I should have gone downstairs.
I should have shown Dad the message.
But something stopped me.
A feeling I couldn’t explain.
Maybe because everyone had been lying.
Maybe because I didn’t know who was telling the truth anymore.
I locked my phone and placed it beside me.
Then it buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, there was a name.
*Emily Carter.*
I knew that name.
Everyone in town knew that name.
Emily was Daniel’s ex-wife.
They had divorced two years ago.
I remembered because my father had mentioned it once.
He said Daniel was going through a difficult time.
He said everyone deserved a second chance.
I never imagined that second chance would destroy my family.
I walked downstairs slowly.
The kitchen looked different now.
Same counters.
Same chairs.
Same refrigerator covered with Noah’s drawings.
But it didn’t feel like home anymore.
Dad was standing by the window.
Mom sat at the table.
Her face was swollen from crying.
Noah was gone.
Probably upstairs.
Dad looked at me.
“Maya.””
I held my phone tightly.
“I got a message.””
Mom immediately looked up.
“What message?””
That reaction told me everything.
Not what I wanted to know.
But that she was afraid.
Dad noticed.
“From who?””
I hesitated.
Then I showed him the screen.
His expression changed when he saw Emily’s name.
“Who is Emily Carter?””
Mom whispered:
“Don’t.””
Dad looked at her.
“You know her?””
My mother looked away.
That was enough.
Dad took a slow breath.
“Maya, go upstairs.””
“No.””
“Maya.””
“No, Dad.””
My voice shook.
“But I need to know why everyone keeps telling me I’m too young to understand things that are destroying my life.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Mom stood.
“Emily is dangerous.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Interesting.””
She looked hurt.
“What?””
“You said that about me earlier.””
“Maya—”
“You made me sound dangerous because you were scared people would look at you.””
My mother lowered her eyes.
For once, she didn’t argue.
Dad stepped closer.
“What does Emily know?””
Mom sat back down.
“She was Daniel’s wife.””
“Was?””
“She’s his ex-wife.””
“And?””
My mother swallowed.
“And she thinks Daniel lied to her too.””
Dad looked confused.
“What does that mean?””
Mom didn’t answer.
The silence stretched.
Then my phone buzzed again.
This time, Dad saw it.
“Open it.””
I looked at Mom.
She shook her head.
“No.””
Dad’s voice hardened.
“Open it, Maya.””
I did.
A video file.
No message.
Just a timestamp.
Yesterday.
I pressed play.
At first, there was only the sound of traffic.
Then the camera moved.
A woman’s voice appeared.
Emily.
“I know you think you’re the only one he lied to.””
The video showed Daniel standing outside a coffee shop.
His face was clear.
“I’m not doing this with you again, Emily.””
Emily laughed.
“You said that last time.””
Daniel looked nervous.
“You need to leave my family alone.””
My family.
The words made my stomach twist.
Then Emily stepped closer.
“Your family?””
She held up a folder.
“Do they know about the other child?””
The video stopped.
Nobody moved.
Dad looked at Mom.
Slowly.
“What child?””
My mother’s face went completely white.
And that was when I knew.
May you like
Whatever secret she had been hiding…
The pregnancy test was only the beginning.
