Chapter 8: The Man Who Claimed My Daughter
My grandfather stood on the porch as though he owned the house.
He wore a charcoal overcoat, polished shoes, and a silver watch that caught the afternoon light whenever he moved his hand.
He didn't look like a man who had spent eighteen years hiding from the law.
He looked like a man who had spent eighteen years making sure the law couldn't find him.
My mother stood beside the kitchen counter, trembling.
Rebecca remained on the phone with emergency services.
I moved toward the front door.
“Michael, don't,” my mother whispered.
I stopped.
The man outside smiled through the glass.
“Come on, son. We have a lot to discuss.””
I had never heard him call me son.
Not once.
I had grown up believing he died before I was born. My father had shown me a photograph of a stern-faced man and told me he had been a businessman who worked too hard and loved his family poorly.
Now that same man stood outside my mother's house, demanding to discuss my daughter.
I stepped away from the door.
“We're not letting him in.””
My mother nodded quickly.
“He'll try to convince you that everything he's done was for the family.””
“What did he do?””
She looked toward the window.
“He destroyed lives.””
The doorbell rang.
Then again.
Finally, my grandfather called through the glass.
“Evelyn, I know you've been speaking to Michael. I also know you've given him documents that don't belong to you.””
My mother closed her eyes.
I walked toward the door but kept it locked.
“Who are you?””
He smiled.
“You know who I am.””
“I know what you've claimed to be. That's not the same thing.””
His expression hardened.
“Your father has filled your head with nonsense.””
“My father told me you were dead.””
“He was trying to protect himself.””
“From you?””
My grandfather sighed as if I were an unreasonable child.
“Michael, family disputes become ugly when money is involved. Your wife understood that. She came to me because she wanted to protect your daughter's future.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“You mean Vanessa.””
“Yes.””
“She locked Lily in a pantry.””
His expression barely changed.
“Vanessa made mistakes.””
“That's what you call it?””
“People under pressure make decisions they regret.””
“My daughter was hungry.””
He looked at me through the glass.
“And now you're determined to destroy the people who have been trying to keep your family together.””
I almost laughed.
“You have no idea what family means.””
His smile vanished.
“You're an emotional man, Michael. That's why your father was never able to manage you.””
He tapped the window with one finger.
“Open the door.””
“No.””
For the first time, anger flashed across his face.
Then he straightened his coat.
“Very well. If you won't listen to me, perhaps you'll listen to the truth.””
He removed a manila envelope from inside his coat and held it up.
“Inside this envelope is the original paternity report. The one Emily hid from you.””
My mouth went dry.
“Give it to me.””
“Open the door.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She shook her head.
My grandfather noticed.
“Your attorney can read it too. I have nothing to hide.””
He placed the envelope on the porch and stepped back.
Then he walked toward his car.
Before getting inside, he turned around.
“One more thing, Michael. Ask your mother why she never told you that Emily contacted me the night before Lily was born.””
The car pulled away.
I stood motionless.
My mother sank into a chair.
“Mom,” I said quietly, “what happened the night Lily was born?””
She covered her face.
“I don't know everything.””
“Tell me what you know.””
She looked up.
“Emily called me from the hospital. She was frightened. She said someone had threatened to expose information about your grandfather's business dealings unless she transferred part of Lily's trust.””
“Who threatened her?””
“I assumed it was your grandfather.””
“Did she say his name?””
“No.””
I paced the room.
“Did she ever tell you anything about Lily's biological father?””
My mother shook her head.
“She told me you were the father. She never suggested otherwise.””
I looked toward the envelope on the porch.
“Then why does that report say zero percent?””
Rebecca approached the window carefully.
“We shouldn't accept the authenticity of a document delivered by someone who has a clear interest in manipulating you.””
I knew she was right.
But I couldn't stop thinking about Emily's face in the photograph.
The fear in her eyes.
The recording.
The secret she had been unable to explain.
I wanted the report to be fake.
I wanted everything to be fake.
But wanting something didn't make it true.
When the police arrived, my grandfather was gone.
They photographed the envelope and collected it as potential evidence. Rebecca made arrangements for the document to be examined independently.
Meanwhile, I called Daniel.
“Is Lily okay?””
“She had lunch and she's watching a movie. Why?””
“I need you to tell me something. Has Vanessa tried to contact her?””
There was a pause.
“Yes. She called the house twice.””
“What did you do?””
“I didn't answer. She sent a message saying she wanted to apologize to Lily.””
I closed my eyes.
“Don't let her near Lily.””
“I won't.””
Daniel hesitated.
“Mike, there's something else. Ethan called me.””
“What happened?””
“He said Vanessa left the house with a suitcase this morning. She told the children she was going away to fix everything.””
My stomach tightened.
“Where did she go?””
“He doesn't know.””
I looked at the black sedan disappearing down the street in my imagination.
“Find out whether she contacted my grandfather.””
After the police left, my mother made tea.
We sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by photographs and documents that had been hidden for years.
She looked at me with red eyes.
“Michael, I know you have every reason to hate me.””
“I don't hate you.””
“But you don't trust me.””
I stared at the tea.
“I don't know what to trust anymore.””
She nodded.
“That's fair.””
She reached into a drawer and removed a small velvet pouch.
Inside was a gold necklace with a tiny heart-shaped pendant.
I recognized it immediately.
Emily had worn it during our wedding.
My mother placed it in my palm.
“She gave this to me the night before she died. She said if you ever came looking for the truth, I should give it to you.””
I opened the pendant.
Inside was a tiny folded strip of paper.
The handwriting was Emily's.
Michael, if you ever doubt that Lily is yours, remember what happened in Room 12.
I stared at the words.
“Room 12?””
My mother nodded.
“That's the room where Lily was born.””
I felt my pulse quicken.
“Was there something unusual about her birth?””
My mother hesitated.
“Emily had complications. She was taken into surgery shortly after Lily was delivered. I wasn't allowed into the room.””
“Did Vanessa have access?””
My mother shook her head.
“Not that I knew of.””
I unfolded the paper further.
On the reverse side was another sentence.
Ask Dr. Collins why he changed the report.
Rebecca leaned over my shoulder.
“That's important.””
She photographed the pendant and the note.
“We'll contact the hospital and determine whether those records still exist.””
My phone rang.
It was Daniel.
“Mike, I found something.””
“What?””
“Ethan said Vanessa kept an old photograph in her bedroom. He saw it when she was packing.””
“What photograph?””
“He described a woman holding a newborn baby. There was a man standing beside her, and Ethan said the man looked like you.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Did he see the back?””
“Yes. There was a name written on it.””
“What name?””
Daniel hesitated.
“Henry Collins.””
I looked at Rebecca.
Dr. Henry Collins.
The doctor named on the paternity report.
Before I could respond, Daniel added, “Ethan also said Vanessa told Chloe that she was going to meet someone who could make sure Lily never had to worry about money again.””
“Where?””
“He heard her mention a private clinic outside Portland.””
I ended the call and turned toward Rebecca.
“We need to find Dr. Collins.””
She was already searching the documents.
“According to the report, he was associated with a medical practice that closed several years ago. I'll see whether we can locate him through the licensing records.””
My mother stood.
“Michael, you need to understand something. If your grandfather is involved, he won't stop because you've asked him to.””
“Then we'll make sure he can't hurt Lily again.””
She looked at me sadly.
“You sound just like your father.””
I almost smiled.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from Vanessa.
*I know you've found the paternity report. Before you believe anything your grandfather tells you, ask him what happened to the original birth certificate.*
Another message arrived.
*And ask your mother why she was in Room 12 when Emily gave birth.*
I stared at the screen.
My mother had said she wasn't allowed into the room.
Now Vanessa was claiming otherwise.
I turned slowly.
“Mom, were you in Room 12?””
Her face went white.
“No.””
“Vanessa says you were.””
“She's lying.””
“Then why would she say it?””
My mother began to cry.
“I don't know.””
I wanted to believe her.
But there was a tremor in her voice that I had never heard before.
Rebecca stepped between us.
“Let's not draw conclusions from a text message. We'll establish what happened through the records.””
I nodded.
Then my phone rang again.
An unfamiliar man introduced himself as Dr. Collins.
“I understand you're looking for answers about a paternity test performed eighteen years ago,” he said.
I gripped the phone.
“Yes.””
“Then you should know the report in your possession is not the original.””
“How can you be sure?””
“Because I never signed it.””
I closed my eyes.
“Did you perform a paternity test on Lily?””
“Yes.””
“And what did it show?””
He was silent for several seconds.
Then he said, “The original result confirmed that you were her biological father.””
My knees weakened.
“Then who changed the report?””
“I don't know. But someone accessed the hospital's archived records shortly after Emily died.””
“Who?””
“I can't tell you over the phone.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She was listening intently.
Dr. Collins continued.
“Meet me tomorrow morning at my office. Bring your attorney. I have copies of the original documentation.””
I exhaled slowly.
“Thank you.””
“One more thing, Mr. Carter.””
“Yes?””
“If Vanessa has contacted you, do not meet her alone.””
“Why?””
His voice dropped.
“Because she wasn't the person who changed the report.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Then another message arrived.
This time, it came from my grandfather.
*The doctor is lying. Ask him what he received in exchange for changing Lily's medical records.*
I looked at the two messages side by side.
One man claimed the report was false.
Another claimed the doctor was corrupt.
Both wanted me to distrust the other.
And somewhere between them was the truth about my daughter.
I called Daniel and asked him to keep Lily away from anyone who wasn't on our approved list.
Then I turned to Rebecca.
“Tomorrow, we're getting the original report.””
She nodded.
“And after that?””
I looked at Emily's photograph.
“After that, we're finding out why everyone in my family has spent eighteen years lying about a little girl who deserved nothing but love.””
My phone vibrated one final time.
A photograph appeared.
It showed Vanessa standing outside a medical building.
Beside her was a man I had never seen before.
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The caption read:
*You have twenty-four hours to stop investigating. Otherwise, Lily will learn the truth from someone who doesn't care whether it destroys her.*
