Chapter 5: My Brother's Other Family
Daniel lived in a beautiful four-bedroom house in the suburbs.
I had helped him buy it.
Three years earlier, he had told me that his old apartment was too small and that he needed a fresh start.
I had offered to help with the down payment.
He had hugged me in front of our mother and promised to pay me back.
Now, as I stood outside his front door, I wondered how much of that conversation had been another performance.
I knocked twice.
The door opened almost immediately.
Daniel stood there wearing a white shirt and dark jeans.
He looked tired.
His hair was messy, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Marcus.""
I walked past him.
"Where's Ethan?""
Daniel pointed toward the living room.
A little boy was sitting on the carpet, building a tower with colorful blocks.
He had dark hair and a small dimple on his left cheek.
When he noticed me, he stopped playing.
"Hi.""
I forced a smile.
"Hey, buddy.""
Daniel watched us.
"He's a good kid.""
I looked at him.
"You don't get to tell me what kind of father you are.""
He lowered his eyes.
I crouched beside Ethan.
"What are you building?""
"A big house.""
"Who's going to live in it?""
"Me and Mommy.""
He placed another block on top.
Then he looked at Daniel.
"And Daddy.""
My throat tightened.
Daniel walked toward the kitchen.
"Come on. We need to talk.""
I stood.
"Not until you explain why you've been lying to everyone.""
He glanced at Ethan.
"Not in front of him.""
"Fine.""
We entered the kitchen.
Daniel closed the door.
For a moment, we stood on opposite sides of the island.
Then he opened a drawer and removed a thick folder.
"I know you have questions.""
I laughed.
"That's an understatement.""
He pushed the folder toward me.
Inside were bank statements, invoices, and copies of business transfers.
I recognized the company account immediately.
It was the account I had created when I founded Reed Construction.
Daniel had become a financial manager after I expanded the business.
I trusted him with payroll, supplier payments, and several administrative responsibilities.
He had access to almost everything.
I turned a page.
Then another.
My stomach tightened.
There were transfers I didn't recognize.
Some were small.
Others were substantial.
I looked at him.
"How much?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"About three hundred and eighty thousand dollars.""
I stared.
"Three hundred and eighty thousand?""
He nodded.
"Over four years.""
I slammed the folder onto the counter.
"Are you out of your mind?""
"Marcus, let me explain.""
"You stole nearly four hundred thousand dollars from my company!""
"I was going to pay it back.""
"With what?""
He didn't answer.
I flipped through the documents again.
Several payments had been made to a property management company. Others went to a private medical clinic.
There were also transfers to an account under Denise's name.
"Why did you use my company?""
Daniel leaned against the counter.
"Because I knew you would never let the children suffer.""
I looked up slowly.
"Don't use those children to justify stealing from me.""
"I'm not.""
"Then explain the property payments.""
He swallowed.
"I bought a house for Nia.""
The kitchen went silent.
I stared at him.
"You bought my wife a house?""
He nodded.
"When?""
"Two years ago.""
Two years.
That was the same year Nia and I had celebrated our second wedding anniversary.
The same year she had promised to stop talking to Jordan.
I remembered taking her to a luxury restaurant that evening.
She had cried when I gave her a necklace.
She had kissed me and told me I was the best husband in the world.
Meanwhile, my brother had been buying her a house.
"Where is it?"" I asked.
"About twenty minutes from here.""
"Who lives there?""
"Nia used to stay there sometimes.""
I felt sick.
"Used to?""
Daniel looked away.
"She still has access.""
I closed the folder.
"You're telling me my wife has another house with my brother?""
"It's not what you think.""
I laughed.
"Then what exactly should I think?""
Daniel pulled out a chair.
"Marcus, I know how this looks. But you need to understand something. Nia and I didn't plan to have children together.""
"You had one child, Daniel. Then you had another. That's not an accident that happens twice without decisions being made.""
He looked down.
"We were still involved when you started dating her.""
"I know.""
"She told me she wanted to end things.""
"But she didn't.""
"No.""
"Then you continued seeing her after I married her?""
Daniel nodded.
I stepped away from the counter.
"How long?""
"Until Ethan was born.""
I stared at him.
Ethan was two.
My wedding ring suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
"Did you sleep with my wife while I was at home?""
Daniel's silence was enough.
I turned toward the window.
I wanted to punch him.
I wanted to break every glass in that kitchen.
But I knew that wouldn't bring back the years I had lost.
"Why did you stop?"" I asked.
Daniel sat down.
"Because Nia became pregnant again, and she wanted to keep the baby. I told her I couldn't keep living two lives.""
I turned around.
"You couldn't?""
He nodded.
"She wanted us to be together.""
My jaw tightened.
"She wanted to leave me?""
Daniel looked directly at me.
"Yes.""
I felt the room go quiet.
"Then why didn't she?""
"Because I refused.""
I stared at him.
He continued.
"I already had a family. I didn't want to destroy your marriage completely.""
I let out a bitter laugh.
"You destroyed it anyway.""
Daniel rubbed his eyes.
"I know.""
I looked at the documents.
"What about the money?""
He hesitated.
"Some went toward the children. Some went toward the house. And some went toward something else.""
"What?""
He opened another envelope.
Inside were photographs.
Nia standing outside a private clinic.
Nia entering a lawyer's office.
And one photograph of my wife sitting across from a man I had never seen.
The man wore a dark suit and carried a leather briefcase.
I recognized the location.
It was the building where our company accountant worked.
"Who is he?""
Daniel swallowed.
"His name is Robert Hayes.""
"What does he do?""
"He's a lawyer.""
"Why was Nia meeting him?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Because she wanted to make sure she would be financially protected if you ever discovered the truth.""
I stared at the photograph.
"She was preparing to take my money?""
"Not exactly.""
"Daniel, I'm running out of patience.""
He reached into the folder and produced a copy of a legal document.
I scanned the first page.
It appeared to be a financial agreement involving the transfer of certain business assets.
Then I saw my signature.
I stopped breathing.
The signature looked exactly like mine.
But I had never signed that document.
I looked up.
"What is this?""
Daniel said nothing.
I turned another page.
The document authorized the transfer of a portion of my company's ownership to a holding company.
The effective date was three months earlier.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"Who signed this?""
Daniel swallowed.
"You did.""
"No, I didn't.""
He looked toward the kitchen door.
"Marcus, I need you to listen carefully.""
I slammed the paper onto the counter.
"WHO SIGNED THIS?""
Daniel's voice dropped.
"Nia.""
I stared at him.
"She forged my signature?""
He nodded.
I felt dizzy.
My wife hadn't merely hidden children.
She hadn't merely betrayed me with my brother.
She had apparently been involved in taking control of the company I had spent ten years building.
I grabbed the document.
"How much ownership?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Twenty-five percent.""
I looked at the figure again.
Twenty-five percent.
A quarter of everything I had worked for.
"Where did it go?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"Into a holding company.""
"Whose holding company?""
He looked at me.
"Nia's.""
I stepped backward.
Then a small voice came from the doorway.
"Uncle Marcus?""
Ethan stood there holding a blue toy car.
I immediately forced my expression to soften.
"Hey, buddy.""
He walked closer.
"Are you angry with Daddy?""
I looked at Daniel.
My brother couldn't meet my eyes.
I crouched.
"No, buddy. I'm just having a difficult conversation.""
Ethan held out his toy car.
"Can you fix it? The wheel came off.""
I took the car.
"Let's have a look.""
For the next few minutes, I sat on the kitchen floor with a two-year-old boy who had no idea that the adults around him had built his entire life on lies.
When I finally fixed the wheel, he smiled.
"Thank you!""
I nodded.
"You're welcome.""
He ran back toward the living room.
I stood and faced Daniel.
"Does he know who I am?""
"Of course.""
"What have you told him?""
"That you're his uncle.""
I nodded.
"Good. Keep it that way.""
Daniel looked relieved.
Then I pointed at the documents.
"You're going to give me everything. Every statement. Every transfer.
Every message. And you're going to tell the police the truth if necessary.""
His face tightened.
"Marcus, please. Think about the children.""
"I am thinking about the children. That's why I'm not going to let you keep using them as an excuse.""
I collected the folder.
As I reached the door, Daniel called after me.
"Marcus!""
I stopped.
He took a long breath.
"There's something I haven't told you about Nia.""
I turned.
"What now?""
Daniel looked genuinely frightened.
"She didn't just forge your signature.""
I waited.
"She used your identity to open another bank account.""
My stomach dropped.
"How much money is in it?""
He shook his head.
"I don't know.""
"Then why are you telling me this now?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Because I found out who she's been sending the money to.""
I stared at him.
"Who?""
May you like
He looked straight into my eyes.
"Your mother.""
