Chapter 4: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Ethan Whitmore.
The name stared back at me from Daniel's laptop.
I had heard it before, but never in connection with my family. Daniel had mentioned an Ethan once during a business dinner, describing him as someone who had disappeared years ago.
I had assumed he was an old business associate.
Now I understood why Daniel had looked so frightened when he said the name.
I turned toward Arthur.
"Tell me who Ethan is.""
Arthur stood beside the desk, his face almost colorless.
"He's Daniel's twin brother.""
"His brother is dead.""
"That's what we were told.""
"Then why is he outside my house?""
Arthur looked toward the curtains.
"Because he knows you have the evidence.""
I stared at him.
"You knew he was alive?""
"No.""
"But you knew about him.""
Arthur lowered his eyes.
"Daniel showed me the photograph two weeks ago. I recognized him immediately.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Daniel asked me not to.""
I laughed bitterly.
"That's becoming everyone's excuse.""
Arthur didn't defend himself.
I looked back at the laptop.
The young man in the photograph had Daniel's dark hair, the same sharp jawline, and the same small crease between his eyebrows.
It was like looking at my husband.
Except he wasn't my husband.
And according to the documents, he was Lily's biological father.
My stomach twisted.
"Arthur, I need you to explain something. How could Ethan be Lily's father?""
Arthur hesitated.
"Daniel and Ethan were separated as newborns. Margaret believed Ethan had died. She never knew where he went.""
"That's not what I'm asking.""
"I understand.""
"Daniel raised Lily. He was there when she was born. He signed her birth certificate. He was her father.""
Arthur nodded.
"Yes.""
"Then how can this document say otherwise?""
He moved toward the laptop.
"Let me see.""
I pulled the screen away.
"No. You've hidden enough.""
I opened the birth certificate.
The document had been scanned from an original hospital record. My name appeared under the mother's section.
Daniel's name appeared under the legal father's section.
But a handwritten note at the bottom identified another man as the biological father.
Ethan Whitmore.
Beside the note was a date.
The date was three months before Lily was conceived.
My fingers trembled.
I remembered that period.
Daniel had been traveling constantly for work. We had argued about his absences. He had apologized repeatedly, promising things would be different once a major business deal was completed.
But I had never been with anyone else.
Never.
"Arthur," I whispered, "this is impossible.""
He looked at me.
"Then someone forged the record.""
A loud thud came from downstairs.
We both froze.
Another thud followed.
Someone was trying the back door.
Arthur grabbed the laptop.
"Get Lily.""
I ran upstairs.
My daughter was sitting on our bed, watching cartoons with her stuffed rabbit.
"Mommy, is Daddy coming home?""
The question nearly broke me.
I knelt in front of her.
"Sweetheart, I need you to put on your shoes.""
"Why?""
"We're going to visit Uncle Arthur's house.""
"Can Bunny come?""
"Of course.""
She climbed down and grabbed her rabbit.
I heard glass breaking downstairs.
Someone had entered the house.
I lifted Lily into my arms and hurried toward the bedroom door.
Arthur appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Back way. Now.""
"Who is it?""
"I don't know.""
We ran through the upstairs bathroom and into the narrow laundry room, which had a second staircase leading to the garage.
Arthur opened the door.
A shadow moved across the garage.
He stopped.
Then a man's voice called out.
"Arthur?""
I recognized it immediately.
It was the voice from the phone.
"Don't make this difficult.""
Arthur stepped in front of me.
"Who are you?""
The man moved into view.
He was wearing a charcoal coat and leather gloves. He held no weapon, but his expression was enough to make my knees weak.
"Where's the USB?""
Arthur said nothing.
The man looked at Lily.
"Hello, sweetheart.""
My daughter buried her face against my shoulder.
I stepped backward.
"Stay away from her.""
The man smiled.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone.""
"Then leave.""
He glanced at Arthur.
"Tell her.""
Arthur's jaw tightened.
"Tell her what?""
"Tell her why Daniel married her.""
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"What?""
The man took one slow step forward.
"Your husband didn't choose you by accident, Nia.""
Arthur grabbed a metal toolbox from the shelf.
"Get out.""
The man ignored him.
"Daniel knew exactly who you were.""
I shook my head.
"You're lying.""
"Am I?""
He pulled a folded photograph from his coat.
It showed me standing outside a hospital fifteen years earlier.
I was younger.
My hair was shorter.
And I was holding a baby.
I had never seen that photograph before.
But I knew the baby.
It was Lily.
Only Lily hadn't been born fifteen years earlier.
I stared at the picture, confused.
The man leaned closer.
"Ask Margaret what happened to the first baby.""
Then he turned and walked toward the garage exit.
Arthur threw the toolbox.
It struck the concrete floor behind him.
By the time we reached the garage door, the man was gone.
I looked down at the photograph.
On the back, someone had written:
*THE FIRST DAUGHTER WAS NEVER BURIED.*
May you like
My daughter began crying.
And I realized the mystery surrounding Daniel's death was only the beginning.
