Chapter 7: The Family That Protected The Lie
I drove to Zoe’s house without remembering most of the trip.
The streets passed by like a blur.
Red lights.
Buildings.
People walking through the cold.
None of it felt real.
My entire life had become a collection of questions I never thought to ask.
Why did Mark panic whenever Megan criticized Lily?
Why did his family always act like they had a right to make decisions about my daughter?
Why did everyone look uncomfortable whenever the subject of Lily’s birth came up?
I thought they were just strange.
Difficult.
Overprotective.
Now I understood.
They weren’t protecting Lily.
They were protecting a secret.
When I pulled into Zoe’s driveway, she was already standing outside.
The moment I stepped out of the car, she grabbed my hand.
“Are you okay?””
I almost laughed.
Was I okay?
I had no idea what that even meant anymore.
“I don’t know.””
Zoe looked toward my car.
“Is Mark with you?””
“No.””
“Good.””
I followed her inside.
Emma was sitting at the kitchen table.
The moment she saw me, she stood.
“I’m sorry.””
I stared at her.
“I don’t want apologies.””
She nodded.
“I know.””
“Why didn’t you tell me years ago?””
Emma looked down.
“Because I was afraid.””
I felt anger rise immediately.
“Everyone was afraid.””
My voice sharpened.
“Everyone except me.””
Emma closed her eyes.
“I deserved that.””
“Yes, you did.””
The silence was heavy.
Zoe placed a laptop on the table.
“This is the recording.””
I looked at it.
“Who recorded it?””
“Emma.””
My eyes moved to her.
“Why?””
Emma swallowed.
“Because after what happened today, I knew they weren’t going to stop.””
“Stop what?””
She looked at me.
“Controlling the story.””
Zoe pressed play.
The audio began with background noise.
A restaurant.
Glasses clinking.
People talking.
Then Megan’s voice.
“She’s asking questions.””
My entire body went still.
Daniel answered.
“Who?””
“Lily.””
A chill went through me.
The recording continued.
Megan sounded irritated.
“She found the envelope.””
Daniel cursed quietly.
“What envelope?””
“The hospital paperwork.””
My hand covered my mouth.
The hospital paperwork.
The document Lily had found.
The one that started all of this.
Daniel’s voice became tense.
“How much does she know?””
“Enough.””
“That’s a problem.””
Megan sighed.
“You’re acting like Chloe knows everything.””
“She can’t find out.””
“Why?””
“Because if she does, Mark loses everything.””
My heart pounded.
Then Megan said something that made me freeze.
“Mark already lost everything the day he chose that woman.””
I looked at Emma.
Her face was pale.
“What woman?”” Daniel asked.
Megan didn’t answer.
The recording became quiet.
Then Daniel spoke.
“Is she still contacting you?””
My breath stopped.
Megan whispered:
“Yes.””
“Who?””
A pause.
Then:
“The real father.””
The room went silent.
I stopped the recording.
Nobody spoke.
“The real father?”” I repeated.
Emma looked like she was about to cry.
Zoe whispered:
“Keep listening.””
I pressed play.
Daniel’s voice returned.
“Does Mark know?””
Megan answered:
“He knows enough.””
“And Chloe?””
“She knows nothing.””
I gripped the table.
Then Daniel said:
“What about the girl?””
Megan laughed.
“What about her?””
“You said she was a problem.””
“She is.””
My blood ran cold.
Megan continued:
“She’s too much like him.””
The audio stopped.
I stared at the laptop.
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
I looked at Emma.
“Who is the real father?””
Emma looked at Zoe.
Then back at me.
“I don’t know.””
I stood up.
“What do you mean you don’t know?””
“I know who they’re afraid of.””
“Who?””
Emma’s voice dropped.
“Your first husband.””
The room went completely silent.
I blinked.
“My what?””
Zoe looked at me.
“Chloe…”
“I’ve never had another husband.””
Emma shook her head.
“No.””
She looked terrified.
“But Mark thinks you did.””
I felt like the ground disappeared.
“What are you talking about?””
Emma reached into her purse.
She pulled out another envelope.
“I found this in Mark’s office.””
I took it.
Inside was a copy of a legal document.
My name.
My signature.
My information.
Except one thing was wrong.
The marriage section.
It listed a previous marriage.
A marriage I had never had.
A marriage to a man named:
*Ethan Carter.*
I stared at the page.
“This is fake.””
Emma nodded.
“Yes.””
“Then why does Mark have it?””
Nobody answered.
Because suddenly the question wasn’t why they hid Lily’s father.
The question was:
Why had someone created a fake past for me?
My phone rang.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice spoke.
“Chloe.””
My blood turned cold.
I knew that voice.
Not because I had heard it recently.
Because I had heard it in old memories.
A voice from a life that supposedly never existed.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then:
“The man your husband erased.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“Ethan?””
Zoe looked at me in shock.
May you like
The man on the phone whispered:
“Finally.””
