Chapter 13: The Son Who Was Never Supposed to Exist
For almost a minute, nobody spoke.
My mother lay motionless in the hospital bed.
Vanessa stood beside the window, one hand covering her mouth.
And I remained at the foot of the bed, staring at the woman who had raised me.
"You're saying I'm not your biological son?""
Eleanor began crying.
"Marcus, please.""
"Answer me.""
She looked at Vanessa, then back at me.
"No. You're not.""
I felt something inside me collapse.
"Then who am I?""
My mother reached for my hand.
I stepped away.
"Don't touch me.""
"Your father and I raised you. We loved you.""
"That's not what I asked!""
My voice echoed through the room.
Vanessa flinched.
I pointed toward the medical report.
"You just told me that you gave birth to a boy named Daniel. The records say another baby was reported dead. And now you're telling me I'm that baby?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Yes.""
"Then where did the other boy go?""
She closed her eyes.
"Your father took him.""
"Where?""
"I don't know.""
I stared at her.
"You expect me to believe my father took a newborn baby and you never knew where he went?""
"He told me the child was being raised by another family.""
"Which family?""
She started crying harder.
"I never asked.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You never asked where your own son went?""
Eleanor covered her face.
"I was afraid.""
"Of what?""
"Of losing everything.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She was crying too.
But I couldn't find any sympathy inside myself.
For thirty-two years, I had believed I was Daniel Hayes's son.
I had grown up with his photographs, his stories, and his name.
Now I was being told that my entire identity rested on a hospital record that had been manipulated.
"Who is my biological mother?"" I asked.
Eleanor looked at me.
"I am.""
I shook my head.
"No. You just said you gave birth to another boy.""
"I did. But you were the child I carried.""
I stopped.
"What?""
She nodded.
"The hospital records were switched. The baby I gave birth to was registered under another mother's name. You were the baby they told me had died.""
I tried to understand.
"So I was your child, but someone told you I had died?""
"Yes.""
"And the boy named Daniel?""
"He was my son too.""
My hands began shaking.
"Then why was he raised by my father?""
Eleanor looked down.
"Because your father discovered the switch before anyone else.""
I stared at her.
"What switch?""
She took a trembling breath.
"Your father had an affair with Margaret Reed. She gave birth to a baby boy. He believed that boy was his son.""
My stomach tightened.
"And Claire?""
"Claire was Thomas Reed's daughter. Margaret had two children.""
I looked at the documents.
Two children.
A boy and a girl.
My father had fathered the boy.
Thomas had fathered the girl.
And somehow, all three babies had become part of a hospital scandal.
Eleanor continued.
"When Daniel discovered that Margaret's son was being listed as my baby, he arranged to take him away. He believed he was protecting the child.""
I gripped the bed railing.
"Why didn't he tell me?""
"Because he thought you would hate him.""
I stared at her.
"He was right.""
I left the hospital without saying goodbye.
Outside, the rain had started.
I sat in my car with both hands on the steering wheel.
I couldn't stop thinking about Claire.
If she had been Thomas Reed's daughter, then my father had not been her biological father.
That meant I wasn't related to her through blood.
At least, that part of my life was still intact.
But my biological father?
I had spent my entire life calling him Dad.
Now I didn't know who he was.
My phone rang.
Robert Whitmore.
"Marcus, Jonathan told me what happened.""
"Did he tell you about the boy?""
"Yes.""
"Do you know where he is?""
Robert hesitated.
"We found an address connected to the guardianship documents.""
"Where?""
"An old family estate in Connecticut. The guardianship was registered under the name Daniel Hayes.""
I closed my eyes.
"That's my father's name.""
"Yes.""
"Who was the guardian?""
Robert paused.
"Your father.""
I laughed.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"It gets worse.""
"What?""
"The boy was registered under a different surname several months later.""
"Which one?""
"Reed.""
My heart stopped.
"Reed?""
"Yes.""
I gripped the phone.
"Thomas Reed's surname?""
"Apparently.""
I looked at the rain running down my windshield.
"Where is he now?""
"We're trying to locate him.""
Then Robert added something.
"Marcus, there's another document. It appears your father left a letter specifically for this child.""
"Where?""
"In the Connecticut property.""
I started the engine.
"Send me the address.""
The estate was smaller than Thomas Reed's property, but it had clearly once belonged to a wealthy family.
An elderly caretaker opened the door.
"Can I help you?""
"My name is Marcus Hayes. I'm looking for documents left by Daniel Hayes.""
The man's expression changed.
"You're Daniel's son?""
I swallowed.
"Apparently.""
He studied me for a moment.
Then he stepped aside.
"Come in.""
He led me into a study.
There were old photographs on the walls.
One showed my father holding a baby.
Another showed him standing beside a young boy of perhaps six.
I picked up the second photograph.
The boy had dark hair and a small scar above his left eyebrow.
I looked at the date.
Thirty years earlier.
The caretaker spoke quietly.
"Daniel visited this house every month. He always brought that boy presents.""
"Who was he?""
The caretaker looked at me.
"His name was Daniel Reed.""
I stared at him.
"Where is he now?""
"Alive, as far as I know.""
"Do you have an address?""
The caretaker nodded.
Then he handed me a sealed envelope.
"This was left for you.""
I opened it.
My father's handwriting appeared immediately.
Marcus,
If you've found this letter, then the truth has finally caught up with us.
There is something I need you to understand. I did not abandon my son. I did not abandon you. I made decisions because I believed they would protect both children.
I continued reading.
The boy you are looking for is your biological half-brother. His name is Daniel Reed.
I raised him from infancy whenever I could, but I could never bring him home without exposing the hospital scandal.
Eleanor believes she lost one son. She doesn't know that the other was raised under my protection.
I stopped reading.
Then I reached the final paragraph.
Marcus, if you meet him, please tell him that I loved him. Tell him I wanted to bring him home. And tell him that he has a brother.
I lowered the letter.
For thirty-two years, I had believed I was an only child.
Now I had a brother.
May you like
A brother my father had hidden.
And I had no idea whether he even knew I existed.
