Chapter 12: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be My Father
I couldn't hear anything except the sound of my own breathing.
Rachel Reed's husband.
The man whose name I had never heard.
The man my mother had apparently known about for seventeen years.
“Lily,” I whispered, “what was his name?””
She hesitated.
“Michael Reed.””
Thomas immediately opened his laptop.
“Do you know where he is?””
“He died when I was little.””
My stomach dropped.
“How?””
“I was told it was a car accident.””
I looked at Thomas.
He was already searching through the documents recovered from the flash drive.
“Lily, why did Mom believe he was my father?””
“Because Rachel told her.””
I shook my head.
“That's impossible. My mother always said Daniel was my father.””
“She told you what she had to tell you.””
Lily's voice cracked.
“Maya, Michael was married to Rachel. But he had an affair with Denise before Rachel died.””
I closed my eyes.
My mother.
The woman who had raised me.
The woman whose photograph still sat on my bedside table.
She had carried a secret that could have destroyed every relationship in our family.
“Did Mom love him?””
“I don't know.””
“Then why didn't she tell me?””
“Because Daniel threatened to take you away.””
I felt sick.
Thomas finally looked up.
“Lily, where is the safety deposit box?””
“Toronto Dominion Bank. Downtown. Box number 417.””
“Do you have the key?””
“Yes.””
“Can you send it to us?””
“I can do better.””
She paused.
“I'm coming home.””
Three days later, I waited at the airport with Evelyn.
Thomas stood beside us, holding a small folder.
When the arrivals doors opened, I recognized Lily immediately.
She was wearing a gray coat and carrying a black suitcase.
For a second, we simply stared at each other.
Then she dropped the suitcase.
“Maya.””
I ran toward her.
She wrapped her arms around me.
I buried my face in her shoulder.
She smelled like lavender.
The same scent my mother used to wear.
“I missed you,” I whispered.
Lily held me tighter.
“I missed you too.””
We stood there crying until Evelyn joined us.
Lily hugged her.
Then she looked around.
“Where's Denise?””
Nobody answered.
Her face crumpled.
“I know.””
Evelyn held her hand.
“Your mother loved you, sweetheart.””
Lily nodded.
“I know that too.””
The safety deposit box contained a small collection of documents.
There were photographs, medical records, a letter from Michael Reed, and an envelope addressed to Denise.
Thomas examined the paperwork first.
Then he slowly removed his glasses.
“This is significant.””
I leaned forward.
“What is it?””
He placed a laboratory report on the table.
It was dated seventeen years earlier.
The report listed Michael Reed as the biological father.
The child was identified as Maya Carter.
My hands began to shake.
“It's real?””
Thomas nodded.
“The document appears authentic, but we'll need independent verification.””
Lily reached for my hand.
“I told you.””
I stared at the report.
“Why would Mom keep this secret?””
Thomas opened the next envelope.
Inside was a letter written by Michael.
Denise,
I know what we did was wrong. I know Rachel never deserved this.
But I cannot pretend the child isn't mine.
If Daniel agrees to raise her as his own, I will stay away. I will not destroy the family you are trying to build.
I have arranged for a trust to be established in Maya's name. She will receive the funds when she turns eighteen.
Please make sure Daniel never controls it.
I looked at Thomas.
“Was there a trust?””
He nodded.
“According to this letter, yes.””
“Where is it?””
He turned the page.
The account number was listed at the bottom.
Thomas entered it into his computer.
His expression changed.
“What?””
He checked again.
Then he looked at me.
“The trust is still active.””
“How much?””
He hesitated.
“Approximately $3.8 million.””
I stared at him.
Evelyn gasped.
Lily slowly sat down.
“That's why Margaret kept talking about an inheritance.””
Thomas nodded.
“Michael Reed established it for his biological daughter. It was never supposed to be part of Daniel's estate.””
I looked at the documents.
My father had spent years trying to control money that never belonged to him.
But one question remained.
“Why did Mom say Michael was my father only after she died?””
Thomas opened the final envelope.
Inside was a letter dated two months before Denise's death.
My darling Maya,
There is one truth I have delayed telling you.
Daniel is not your biological father. Michael Reed is.
I loved Michael once, but I chose a life with Daniel because I believed it was the right thing to do.
When you were born, I was told that Michael had died before he could meet you. I later discovered that Daniel knew the truth and used it to control the situation.
He raised you as his daughter, but he never allowed you to know where your inheritance came from.
I don't want you to hate him simply because he isn't your biological father. A father is more than blood.
But a man who uses a child as a bargaining chip does not deserve to decide her future.
I put the letter down.
For years, I had believed my father was simply a man who had fallen out of love with my mother.
Now I understood that the affair, the hospital records, the missing inheritance, and Lily's disappearance were all connected.
Thomas continued reading.
There was a second page.
I have also discovered that Michael's death may not have been an accident.
I looked up.
“What?””
Thomas read the final paragraph.
The night before he died, Michael called me. He said Daniel had discovered the trust and was threatening him.
My throat tightened.
“Is there more?””
Thomas turned the page.
A police report was attached.
Michael Reed had died in a single-car accident on a rural road.
The official cause was listed as loss of control.
But the report contained one unusual detail.
His car had been found with its brake lines damaged.
I stared at the page.
“Someone sabotaged his car.””
Thomas nodded slowly.
“It's possible.””
Lily looked at me.
“Do you think Daniel did it?””
I couldn't answer.
Then Thomas found a handwritten note attached to the report.
It contained a name.
A witness.
A former mechanic who had inspected Michael's car the day before the accident.
Thomas read the name aloud.
“Robert Hayes.””
I looked at Lily.
“Do you know him?””
She shook her head.
Thomas searched the name.
Then he stopped.
“What?”” I asked.
He turned his laptop toward us.
A photograph appeared on the screen.
It showed an older man standing beside a woman at a charity event.
The woman was Vanessa.
The man was my father.
And beneath the photograph was a caption:
Daniel Carter and longtime family associate Robert Hayes attend the Reed Foundation Gala.
I felt cold.
The man who had inspected Michael's car was now working with my father.
And the date of the photograph was only six months ago.
That evening, Vanessa called me.
I almost didn't answer.
But something told me I needed to hear what she had to say.
“Maya?””
“What do you want?””
“I need to see you.””
“Why?””
“Because I know who killed Michael.””
My heart stopped.
“Who?””
She began crying.
“Your father didn't kill him himself.””
I gripped the phone.
“Then who did?””
Vanessa whispered:
“Robert Hayes.””
I looked at Thomas, who had just entered the room.
“Why would he do that?””
“Because Daniel paid him.””
“Do you have proof?””
Vanessa went quiet.
Then she said:
“I have the original payment receipt.””
I swallowed.
“Where?””
“Your father's office. Behind the framed photograph of your mother.””
I closed my eyes.
Then Vanessa delivered the final blow.
“But Maya, there's something else. Michael wasn't your mother's only secret.””
“What do you mean?””
Vanessa took a shaky breath.
“Your mother was pregnant with another child before you were born.””
I stared at the wall.
“What?””
“She gave birth to twins.””
The phone slipped slightly in my hand.
Vanessa whispered:
“You have a twin sister, Maya.””
May you like
And then she told me the name.
“Her name is Charlotte.””
