Chapter 6: The Baby in the Photograph
Nobody moved.
The man in the navy suit closed the front door behind him.
Denise stood beside him, gripping the handle of her suitcase.
My father stared at the stranger.
“You.””
The man nodded.
“Hello, Arthur.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Who are you?””
“My name is Victor Hale.””
Tasha whispered, “That's him.””
Victor glanced at her.
“I remember you.””
Dad's voice became colder.
“You were at the clinic.””
“Yes.””
“You signed medical documents.””
“No.””
“You witnessed Denise signing them.””
Victor didn't deny it.
“I advised her.””
“On what?””
Victor looked at me.
“On protecting her financial interests.””
Dad laughed bitterly.
“You mean stealing from me.””
Victor remained calm.
“That's one interpretation.””
Dad's fist tightened.
“Try another.””
Victor glanced at Denise.
“She believed you were going to leave her.””
“I wasn't.””
“She believed Maya would inherit the majority of your estate.””
“She would.””
“And she believed that once Maya became financially independent, Denise would have no leverage over you.””
Dad stared at him.
“So she tried to make my daughter dependent on her.””
Victor didn't answer.
I stepped forward.
“What does any of this have to do with my birth?””
Victor looked at me.
“Everything.””
My father immediately stepped between us.
“Don't speak to her.””
Victor raised his hands.
“I'm not here to hurt her.””
“Then explain.””
Victor looked at the photograph on the floor.
“You've carried that photograph for years, Arthur.””
Dad's face changed.
“How do you know about it?””
“Because I was there.””
My father bent down and picked it up.
His hands were shaking.
“You knew my wife.””
“I knew your wife's doctor.””
“You knew my wife was pregnant?””
“Yes.””
“Then tell me what happened.””
Victor sighed.
“Your wife delivered prematurely.””
I looked at the photograph.
My mother's face was young.
Tired.
But happy.
Victor continued.
“There were complications.””
Dad stared at him.
“She gave birth to a baby girl.””
I whispered, “Me.””
Victor shook his head.
“No.””
The word cut through me.
“No?””
Victor looked directly at me.
“Your mother gave birth to another girl.””
Dad's face went white.
“What are you saying?””
“There were two babies.””
The room went silent.
Tasha gasped.
Dad whispered, “Twins?””
Victor nodded.
“Identical.””
I stared at him.
“Where is she?””
Victor didn't answer.
Dad grabbed his jacket.
“Where is my other daughter?””
Denise started crying.
Victor looked at her.
“Tell him.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
Dad turned toward her.
“Tell me.””
“I can't.””
“You've lied to me for six years.””
“Arthur—”
“Tell me!””
Denise covered her face.
Victor finally spoke.
“The second baby died.””
My father froze.
“What?””
“She developed severe complications.””
“When?””
“Within hours.””
Dad looked at the photograph.
“I was there.””
“Yes.””
“You told me my daughter survived.””
“I told you one daughter survived.””
Dad stared at him.
“I was in shock.””
“You were.””
“You let me believe…”
Victor's voice softened.
“You believed the baby in your arms was your biological daughter.””
I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Dad turned toward me.
“Maya…”
I couldn't look at him.
“Am I your daughter?””
“Yes.””
His answer came instantly.
“You are my daughter.””
“But not hers.””
Denise looked at me.
“No.””
I stared at her.
“You're not my biological mother.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Then who is?””
Nobody answered.
Dad looked at Victor.
“Who is Maya's biological mother?””
Victor hesitated.
Then he said a name.
My father's face collapsed.
He sat down.
I didn't recognize the name.
“Who is that?””
Dad couldn't answer.
Victor did.
“She was another patient at the hospital.””
“What happened to her?””
“She died during childbirth.””
“And her baby?””
Victor looked at me.
“That's where everything went wrong.””
Denise whispered, “Stop.””
Victor continued.
“There was a mix-up in the neonatal unit.””
Dad's eyes widened.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“No.””
“You were handed the wrong baby.””
The room spun.
I gripped the back of a chair.
My father stared at me.
Tears filled his eyes.
“You're telling me…”
Victor nodded.
“Maya isn't biologically related to you.””
My knees weakened.
Dad caught me.
“No.””
He held me against him.
“No matter what anyone says, you're my daughter.””
I was crying now.
“I don't understand.””
“You don't have to.””
“But Mom…”
“Your mother loved you.””
“She wasn't my biological mother.””
“She raised you.””
“She thought I was.””
“She loved you.””
Dad held me tighter.
Victor spoke quietly.
“The hospital discovered the error.””
Dad looked up.
“When?””
“Twelve years ago.””
Dad's face changed.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Victor looked toward Denise.
“She paid them.””
My father slowly released me.
“What?””
Denise began sobbing.
“I was terrified.””
“You paid them?””
“I couldn't lose you.””
“You lied about my daughter.””
“I was your wife!””
“You let me raise another woman's child while knowing the truth.””
“She was still your daughter.””
Dad's voice cracked.
“You don't get to say that.””
Denise wiped her face.
“I loved her.””
“You treated her like garbage.””
“I was angry.””
“At a child?””
“At what happened.””
“You blamed Maya?””
“I blamed the hospital.””
Dad stared at her.
“Then why did you hurt her?””
Denise looked at me.
“I thought if she left, you would leave too.””
My father shook his head.
“You were willing to destroy a child to keep me.””
Denise whispered, “Yes.””
Nobody spoke.
Then I noticed Victor holding another folder.
“What is that?””
He looked at me.
“Your original birth records.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Give them to me.””
Victor handed him the folder.
Dad opened it.
The first page was a hospital record.
My name wasn't Maya Carter.
It was another name.
*Amelia Rose Bennett.*
I stared.
“Who is Amelia?””
Victor looked at me.
“You.””
My father closed his eyes.
“What happened to the Bennett family?””
Victor took a slow breath.
“The biological father survived.””
My heart stopped.
“Where is he?””
Victor looked at Denise.
Then at me.
“He's been looking for you for twelve years.””
Dad's face went pale.
“Where is he now?””
Victor pulled out another document.
An address.
A photograph.
A man's face.
I stared at it.
There was something familiar about his eyes.
Not because I'd seen him before.
Because I'd seen those eyes in the mirror.
My father looked at the photograph.
Then at me.
“He's in Atlanta.””
I whispered, “Does he know I'm alive?””
Victor nodded.
“He knows.””
“Does he know where I am?””
Victor didn't answer.
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“Victor.””
“He found out yesterday.””
A cold silence filled the room.
“Who told him?”” Dad asked.
Victor looked at Denise.
Denise began shaking.
Dad's expression became murderous.
“You told him.””
She cried.
“I had to.””
“Why?””
“Because he has a right to know.””
Dad stared at her.
“You didn't care about rights when Maya was in that hospital.””
“I was wrong.””
“Yes.””
His voice was quiet.
“You were.””
Victor placed another paper on the table.
“This is the reason I came tonight.””
Dad looked down.
It was a legal document.
A genetic testing request.
My name was printed at the top.
And beneath it was the name of the man who had apparently been searching for me for twelve years.
Dad's fingers trembled.
“What does he want?””
Victor looked at me.
“He wants to meet his daughter.””
My heart pounded.
Dad looked at me.
“You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.””
I nodded slowly.
Then I noticed something strange.
The date on the document was yesterday.
But the signature wasn't from the man in the photograph.
It was from someone else.
Someone whose name I recognized.
I looked at Denise.
“Why did you sign this?””
She froze.
Dad took the document from me.
His eyes scanned the bottom.
Then he looked at Denise.
“You authorized the DNA test.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She couldn't answer.
Dad's voice became dangerously quiet.
“Denise.””
She began crying.
Finally, she whispered—
“Because I already had the results.””
Dad stopped breathing.
“What results?””
Denise looked at me.
“The DNA test.””
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Dad stared at her.
“When?””
“Three weeks ago.””
“Three weeks?””
She nodded.
“Before Maya ever went to the hospital.””
Dad looked at the report.
His hands began shaking.
“Then why did you hide it?””
Denise whispered—
“Because the DNA proved something else.””
Dad unfolded the last page.
His eyes moved across the results.
Then he looked at me.
And his voice broke.
“Maya…”
I stepped closer.
“What?””
He couldn't speak.
I took the paper from his hand.
I read the first line.
Then the second.
And suddenly the mystery of my entire life became even more terrifying.
Because the DNA test didn't just say who my biological father was.
It revealed that the man searching for me wasn't the only person connected to my birth.
There was a second match.
A match Denise had never told anyone about.
And beside that person's name was a note:
*Biological sibling — living.*
I looked up at my father.
“Dad…”
He stared at the report.
Then the front door opened.
A woman's voice came from the hallway.
“I'm sorry.””
Everyone turned.
A stranger stood in the doorway.
She was holding an old photograph of my mother.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
May you like
And she whispered—
“I've been looking for you since the night they told me my baby died.””
