Chapter 4: The Daughter Who Was Never Supposed to Exist
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
The woman on the phone remained silent.
I could hear faint hospital noises in the background, a door closing, distant footsteps, and the muffled announcement of someone's name.
Then I finally managed to ask, "What did you just say?""
"My name is Dr. Evelyn Price. I delivered both children involved in this case.""
"Both children?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Emily.
She was standing beside the sofa, gripping the back of it so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
"Are you telling me Lily and Sophie are twins?""
"No, Mr. Carter. They are not twins.""
"Then what are you telling me?""
Dr. Price hesitated.
"Your daughter Lily was born three years after Sophie. However, both birth records contain information suggesting that Mara Bell had a direct role in arranging the circumstances surrounding their deliveries.""
I stared at the wall.
"That's impossible. Lily is my biological daughter.""
"Yes. The records indicate that.""
"And Sophie?""
"Her records also identify you as her biological father.""
I closed my eyes.
Two daughters.
Two different births.
One woman somehow connected to both.
"Why would Mara want Lily to disappear?""
"I can't discuss every detail over an unsecured phone line. But I need you to come to the hospital's administrative office.""
"Why?""
"Because there is a document that was removed from Sophie's original file. We recently recovered a scanned copy.""
"Who removed it?""
Dr. Price lowered her voice.
"Someone with access to the maternity records.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Officer Daniels approached.
"What happened?""
I repeated everything.
He immediately looked at Emily.
"Mrs. Carter, I need you to explain your relationship with Mara Bell.""
Emily shook her head.
"I've already told you.""
"No. You haven't.""
He placed the phone on the coffee table.
"According to that doctor, your friend may have been involved in both children's birth records.""
Emily began crying.
"She said she wanted to protect them.""
"Protect them from whom?""
Emily looked at me.
"From you.""
I stepped forward.
"Stop saying that.""
"Ryan, please.""
"Why would anyone need to protect our daughters from me?""
She covered her face.
Officer Daniels intervened.
"Mrs. Carter, we need facts. Not explanations. Did Mara ever have access to your medical records?""
Emily nodded slowly.
"She helped me during my pregnancy with Lily.""
"How?""
"She came to appointments. She knew my doctor. She had copies of some of my paperwork.""
I stared at her.
"Why would she have copies of your medical records?""
"She was my emergency contact.""
Daniels wrote something down.
"And before Lily was born?""
Emily hesitated.
"She was there.""
"At the hospital?""
"Yes.""
I remembered Lily's birth.
I remembered Emily squeezing my hand.
I remembered the doctor placing our daughter against her chest.
But I also remembered something else.
Mara had insisted on staying after the delivery.
She had told me to go home and get some rest.
I had refused.
At the time, I'd thought she was simply being considerate.
Now I wondered what she had been doing while I slept.
"Emily," I said quietly, "did Mara ever hold Lily when she was first born?""
Emily looked at me.
"Yes.""
"Was anyone else in the room?""
"No.""
"Did you see her leave?""
Emily's lips trembled.
"I don't remember.""
I turned away.
Officer Daniels was already speaking into his radio.
He requested additional officers and asked for a search of Mara's residence.
Then he looked at me.
"Mr. Carter, we're going to the hospital.""
"What about my family?""
"An officer will stay here.""
I looked at Lily.
She was sitting on the carpet, drawing four people holding hands.
A man.
A woman.
A little girl with blonde hair.
And another little girl with brown hair.
Underneath, in crooked letters, she'd written:
MY SISTERS.
I knelt beside her.
"Sweetheart, who taught you to write that?""
Lily pointed toward the drawing.
"Sophie.""
I swallowed.
"Did Sophie tell you she was your sister?""
Lily nodded.
"She said we have the same daddy.""
I kissed her forehead.
"That's right.""
Lily looked at me.
"Can Sophie come home?""
I couldn't answer.
Instead, I hugged her.
As I stood, Lily caught my sleeve.
"Daddy?""
"Yes?""
"Mara said something.""
"What did she say?""
Lily looked toward the front door.
"She said when Sophie went away, I would get a new bedroom.""
My blood ran cold.
"What new bedroom?""
"The pink one.""
We didn't have a pink bedroom.
I looked at Emily.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Ryan...""
"What?""
She began shaking her head.
"Don't.""
"Emily, what is the pink room?""
She looked at Lily.
Then at me.
"Upstairs.""
I followed her.
The room was at the end of the second-floor hallway.
It had been locked since we moved into the house.
Emily had told me it was being used for storage.
I had never questioned her.
She took a small key from her jewelry box.
The lock turned.
The door opened.
I stepped inside.
And stopped.
The room wasn't storage.
It was a nursery.
The walls were pale pink.
A white crib stood beside the window.
There was a changing table, a rocking chair, and a small wardrobe filled with children's clothes.
On the wall hung a framed photograph.
It showed Mara holding a baby.
Beside her was Emily.
Both women were smiling.
Beneath the photograph was a wooden plaque.
*WELCOME HOME, LILY.*
I turned toward my wife.
"What is this?""
Emily covered her mouth.
"I didn't know how to tell you.""
"Tell me what?""
She pointed toward the wardrobe.
I opened it.
Inside were dozens of dresses.
All in Lily's size.
But they weren't Lily's clothes.
Every label had a different name.
Some said Sophie.
Others said Lily.
One small dress had a handwritten tag attached.
For the replacement.
I turned.
"Emily?""
She began sobbing.
"Mara said she was preparing a room for the day we would need it.""
"Need it for what?""
Emily looked at the crib.
"She said one of the girls would eventually have to take the other's place.""
I felt sick.
"Why would you agree to this?""
"I didn't!""
"Then why is there a nursery?""
"Because she kept bringing things here. She said they were gifts.""
I looked at the crib again.
A small white blanket was folded neatly inside.
There was a name embroidered into its corner.
Not Lily.
Not Sophie.
A different name.
*Grace.*
Officer Daniels appeared in the doorway.
He looked around the room.
Then he noticed the plaque.
"Who is Grace?""
Emily shook her head.
"I don't know.""
I approached the crib.
A small envelope was tucked beneath the blanket.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed three women standing outside a hospital.
Emily.
Mara.
And a third woman I had never seen before.
On the back, someone had written:
The first arrangement failed. The second must succeed.
Daniels took the photograph.
His radio crackled.
An officer reported that Mara's house was empty.
But they had found something.
A locked basement room.
Inside were photographs of Sophie, Lily, and several other children.
And on the wall, written in thick black paint, was a sentence:
*EVERY FAMILY GETS THE CHILD IT DESERVES.*
I looked at Emily.
She was staring at the name on the crib.
Grace.
Then she whispered something that made Officer Daniels turn sharply.
"Grace was Mara's first daughter.""
I looked at her.
"What happened to Grace?""
Emily began shaking.
"She died.""
"How?""
Emily opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, Daniels received another call.
He listened.
Then his face changed.
"Mr. Carter?""
"What?""
"The hospital just contacted us.""
He paused.
"Someone has entered Sophie's room.""
My heart stopped.
"Who?""
Daniels looked at me.
"According to the nurse, a woman claiming to be the child's mother.""
He checked his phone.
Then showed me the security photograph.
May you like
It was Mara.
And she was carrying a hospital visitor badge with Emily's name on it.
