Chapter 5: The House of Secrets
Rebecca didn’t come back that night.
And somehow, that scared me more.
Because a person who was angry would show up.
A person who was hurt would demand answers.
But Rebecca disappeared.
She went silent.
And silence from someone like her felt calculated.
The next morning, I woke up before sunrise.
Emily was sleeping on the couch beside me.
She had insisted on staying near me after the nightmare she had during the night.
She said she dreamed that she was “lost in a place where nobody knew her name.””
I sat there watching her sleep.
Thinking about how close I had come to leaving her with someone who saw her as an obstacle.
My phone buzzed.
Claire.
Meet me at 10. Come alone.
I stared at the message.
Then I looked at Emily.
I hated leaving her.
But I needed answers.
I called my mother.
“Mom?””
“Daniel?””
Her voice was tired.
Everyone’s lives had changed in less than twenty-four hours.
“I need you to watch Emily for an hour.””
A pause.
“Are you okay?””
“No.””
I didn’t pretend.
Not anymore.
When I arrived at my mother’s house, Emily hugged me tightly.
“You’ll come back?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Soon.””
She looked at me.
Then whispered:
“Don’t let Rebecca take me.””
My throat tightened.
“I won’t.””
I drove to the coffee shop Claire had chosen.
I arrived early.
I checked every entrance.
Every window.
I hated that I was thinking this way.
But Rebecca had changed the way I saw the world.
Ten minutes later, a woman walked in.
Late thirties.
Dark hair.
Tired eyes.
She looked like someone who hadn’t slept in days.
She spotted me immediately.
“Daniel?””
I stood.
“Claire?””
She nodded.
Then she placed a folder on the table.
“This is everything.””
I didn’t touch it.
“Before I look at anything, tell me why you helped her.””
Claire looked down.
“Because I needed money.””
The answer was honest.
“I was struggling after my divorce. Rebecca offered me work.””
“You knew her before?””
“No.””
“Then why trust her?””
“I didn’t.””
She looked at me.
“But I trusted the version of herself she showed me.””
That sentence hit harder than I expected.
Because I had done the same thing.
“What changed?””
Claire opened the folder.
“The house.””
She pulled out a document.
“Your house.””
I looked down.
It was a property record.
My name.
My address.
But something was different.
A second name appeared.
Rebecca.
My heart sank.
“When did this happen?””
“Six weeks ago.””
“That’s impossible.””
Claire shook her head.
“No. It isn’t.””
“She couldn’t add herself to my property.””
“Not legally.””
The way she said it made me look up.
“What does that mean?””
“She tried another way.””
Claire slid another document across the table.
A transfer agreement.
I stared at it.
“What is this?””
“A draft.””
“From where?””
“From a company Rebecca created.””
My eyes moved across the page.
The company name meant nothing.
“Why would she create a company?””
Claire leaned closer.
“Because she wanted to buy your house.””
I frowned.
“She already lived there.””
“Yes.””
“Why buy something she already had access to?””
Claire looked at me.
“Because then she would control it.””
A cold feeling spread through my body.
“She planned this before the wedding.””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
Claire hesitated.
“Almost a year.””
A year.
I thought back.
A year ago, Rebecca had started talking about marriage.
A year ago, she had started telling me how much she loved Emily.
A year ago, I thought my life was finally coming together.
“She was never planning a family,” I whispered.
Claire didn’t answer.
Because she didn’t have to.
I opened the folder.
Inside were emails.
Messages.
Financial records.
Then I saw something that made me stop.
A conversation between Rebecca and someone named Thomas.
I read the first line.
Once he marries me, the child becomes the only complication.
My hands tightened around the paper.
“Who is Thomas?””
Claire looked away.
“I was hoping you already knew.””
“I don’t.””
“He’s Rebecca’s ex-husband.””
My head lifted.
“Ex-husband?””
“Yes.””
“She told me she was never married.””
Claire’s face went pale.
“She lied.””
I read more.
The messages were months old.
Rebecca complained about Emily.
About me.
About how difficult it was to “remove the emotional attachment.””
Then one sentence made me stop breathing.
After the wedding, Daniel will finally understand that children are replaceable.
I pushed the papers away.
“No.””
Claire watched me carefully.
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I stood.
“She didn’t say that.””
“She did.””
“She couldn’t.””
Claire’s expression softened.
“Daniel.””
I looked at her.
“People don’t become cruel overnight.””
The words hit me.
Because maybe that was the worst part.
Rebecca hadn’t changed.
She had just stopped pretending.
My phone rang.
My mother.
I answered immediately.
“Mom?””
Her voice was shaking.
“Daniel, come home.””
“What happened?””
“It’s Emily.””
My heart stopped.
“What about her?””
“She’s gone.””
The world tilted.
“What?””
“I only looked away for a minute.””
I was already running toward the door.
“Mom, listen to me. Lock the doors.””
“Daniel—”
“Do not let anyone inside.””
I ended the call.
Claire stood.
“What happened?””
I looked at her.
“Rebecca took my daughter.””
Claire grabbed her bag.
“Daniel.””
I stopped.
“She didn’t take her.””
“What?””
Claire’s face had gone pale.
“She took the bait.””
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?””
Claire pulled out her phone.
A new message.
From Rebecca.
She showed it to me.
May you like
Only one sentence.
If Daniel wants his daughter back, he needs to come alone.
