Chapter 5: The Daughter They Never Knew About
The words didn't make sense at first.
Not because I didn't understand them.
Because I refused to.
*Now we want her daughter.*
My brain repeated the sentence again and again until it became the only sound in the room.
Lily.
They wanted Lily.
Not me.
Not the money.
Not Laurent Global.
My daughter.
I turned toward the stairs so quickly my shoulder hit the wall.
"Where is she?""
Nobody answered.
My voice rose.
"Where is my daughter?""
"I'll get her," Richard said.
"No.""
The word came out before I could stop it.
Everyone looked at me.
Especially Richard.
Because he heard what I was really saying.
I didn't trust him.
Not anymore.
I ran upstairs.
The bedroom door was slightly open.
My heart nearly stopped.
"Lily?""
Silence.
Then:
"Mommy?""
I pushed the door open.
She was sitting on the floor beside her stuffed rabbit, carefully putting her birthday crown back together with tape.
The sight almost broke me.
She looked so small.
So innocent.
She had no idea that the world around her had suddenly changed.
I rushed to her.
I grabbed her and held her tightly.
"You're okay.""
She wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Mommy, why are you crying?""
I hadn't even realized I was.
I wiped my face.
"I'm okay.""
She touched my cheek.
"You have your scared face.""
My throat tightened.
"Do I?""
She nodded.
"The face you make when you think something bad is coming.""
I closed my eyes.
Children saw everything.
Even the things we tried hardest to hide.
"I promise you," I whispered, "I will never let anyone hurt you.""
Behind me, footsteps approached.
I turned.
Richard stood in the doorway.
For a moment, I saw the man I used to know.
The man who held Lily the night she was born.
The man who cried when he first heard her heartbeat.
Then I remembered the backyard.
The cake.
The laughter.
The betrayal.
He looked at Lily.
His expression changed.
Guilt.
Real guilt.
"Maya...""
I stood between him and my daughter.
"Don't.""
He stopped.
"I just want to make sure she's safe.""
"You had years to make sure we were safe.""
His face fell.
I hated that part of me still noticed.
Still cared.
But caring wasn't the same as trusting.
Daniel appeared behind him.
"We need to leave.""
I looked at him.
"Where?""
"Somewhere secure.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Secure?""
I looked around the room.
The room where I had painted the walls pink.
The room where Lily learned to read.
The room where I thought we were building a family.
"How many places are actually secure?""
Daniel didn't answer.
Because he knew.
None.
Not anymore.
A few minutes later, we were downstairs.
The birthday decorations were still everywhere.
The pink balloons.
The paper flowers.
The broken cake box sitting on the kitchen counter.
A scene from a normal family celebration.
Except nothing about this family was normal.
Daniel placed a set of keys on the table.
"My team has a vehicle ready.""
Richard immediately stepped forward.
"She's coming with me.""
Everyone looked at him.
I stared.
"What?""
He swallowed.
"I know you don't believe me.""
"No, Richard.""
I shook my head.
"I believe you.""
That surprised him.
"You believe me?""
"I believe you married me before you knew everything.""
His face softened.
"But I also believe you chose to stay after you knew.""
He looked down.
"And I believe you lied every day after that.""
He had no defense.
Because there wasn't one.
"I never told anyone," he said quietly.
"Vanessa knew.""
His eyes shifted.
I caught it.
The hesitation.
"What?""
Richard looked away.
I stepped closer.
"Richard.""
He sighed.
"She found out.""
"When?""
"A few months ago.""
My stomach turned.
The affair.
The phone calls.
The late nights.
All of it.
"When you started seeing her?""
He didn't answer.
That was enough.
"You told her.""
"No.""
"Then how did she know?""
Richard rubbed his face.
"I don't know.""
I laughed.
"You expect me to believe that?""
"I swear.""
His voice cracked.
"I was trying to figure out what to do.""
I stared at him.
"About what?""
"About us.""
A painful silence followed.
"You mean about the money.""
He looked ashamed.
And that was the answer.
Olivia suddenly spoke.
"Richard.""
Everyone turned.
She looked nervous.
Not angry.
Nervous.
"You need to stop talking.""
I studied her.
Because that was the second time tonight she had tried to silence him.
"Why?""
She looked at me.
And for the first time in four years, she looked at me like an equal.
"Maya...""
She stopped.
The name sounded strange from her.
Almost respectful.
"I didn't know everything.""
I crossed my arms.
"But you knew something.""
She looked away.
"Yes.""
"What?""
Her lips pressed together.
"I knew your family was looking for you.""
The room went silent.
Richard looked at her.
"Mom.""
She ignored him.
"I knew when Richard showed me the picture.""
My eyes narrowed.
"You saw the picture?""
She nodded.
"And you said nothing?""
"I didn't know what to do.""
I almost laughed.
"What to do?""
My voice shook.
"You watched your son build a marriage around a lie, and you didn't know what to do?""
Olivia's face hardened.
A familiar expression.
The woman who always believed she was right.
"Do you think your life was the only one affected?""
I stared at her.
"What does that mean?""
She hesitated.
Then Daniel spoke.
"Olivia.""
His voice was sharp.
"Not here.""
But it was too late.
Because now I needed answers.
"What happened?""
Nobody spoke.
I looked at Richard.
"Tell me.""
He shook his head.
"I can't.""
"Can't?""
I stepped closer.
"You can humiliate me in front of forty-seven people.""
His face tightened.
"You can cheat on me.""
"You can investigate my past.""
"But you can't tell me the truth?""
My voice broke.
"What happened to my family?""
The silence that followed was different.
This wasn't people hiding information from me.
This was people afraid of the information.
Finally, Olivia whispered:
"Your father wasn't the only one who disappeared.""
I froze.
"What?""
She looked at me.
"Your mother...""
I stopped breathing.
"My mother died.""
The words came out automatically.
Everyone knew that.
Everyone.
Olivia shook her head.
"That is what they wanted you to believe.""
My hands went numb.
Daniel looked at her sharply.
"Olivia, be careful.""
"No.""
Her voice trembled.
"She deserves to know.""
I looked between them.
"Know what?""
Olivia sat down.
For the first time, she looked old.
Tired.
Like she had been carrying a secret too heavy for too long.
"Your mother survived that night.""
The room disappeared.
I couldn't hear anything.
No voices.
No sounds.
Nothing.
Because my entire life was built on one truth.
My mother was gone.
I remembered the funeral.
The black dress.
The flowers.
The empty feeling of losing the only person who understood me.
"You lied.""
My voice was barely a whisper.
Olivia shook her head.
"I was told she was dead.""
"By who?""
She looked toward Richard.
Then away.
My heart dropped.
"No.""
Richard immediately shook his head.
"Maya, listen.""
"No.""
I backed away.
"Everyone keeps saying that.""
Listen.
Wait.
Understand.
I was tired of understanding everyone else.
"Who told you?""
Olivia closed her eyes.
Then said:
"Your father.""
I stared.
That made no sense.
"My father?""
She nodded.
"Because he believed your mother was in danger.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Olivia, enough.""
But she continued.
"And he was right.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Where is she?""
Nobody answered.
I looked at Daniel.
"Where is my mother?""
He looked devastated.
"Maya...""
"Where is she?""
A long silence.
Then my phone rang.
Everyone turned.
The number was unknown.
I answered.
"Hello?""
For several seconds, there was only breathing.
Then a woman's voice.
A voice I had not heard since I was sixteen.
A voice I had spent half my life trying to forget.
"Maya?""
My knees almost gave out.
Because I knew that voice.
I knew it before my mind could accept it.
"Mom?""
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The woman on the phone began crying.
"My baby...""
I covered my mouth.
Tears filled my eyes.
"I thought I would never hear your voice again.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Where are you?""
A pause.
Then her answer came.
And it changed everything.
"I'm somewhere your father told me never to leave.""
My heart raced.
"Where?""
Another pause.
Then she whispered:
"With the person who destroyed our family.""
The line went silent.
May you like
And before the call ended, I heard one final sentence:
"Maya... Richard Vance is not the man you think he is.""
