Chapter 10: The Price of Keeping a Secret
Tyler's biological mother was named Rebecca Miller.
I had met her twice.
The first time was at Tyler's birthday party, where Vanessa introduced her as an unreliable woman who had abandoned her son. The second time was outside a grocery store, where Rebecca had approached Vanessa and asked whether she could spend Christmas with Tyler.
Vanessa had refused.
I remembered the expression on Rebecca's face.
She hadn't looked like an unreliable mother.
She had looked like someone begging for a chance.
Now I was beginning to understand why.
Daniel found an address for Rebecca through the public records connected to Tyler's custody arrangements.
She lived approximately forty minutes from our house.
Before we could contact her, however, my phone rang.
Vanessa.
I answered.
"Michael, where are you?""
"Why?""
"Because Tyler wants to speak to you.""
I glanced at Maya.
"Put him on.""
There was a brief silence.
Then a small voice came through.
"Michael?""
"Hey, buddy.""
"Are you coming home?""
I closed my eyes.
"Not right now.""
"Mom says you don't want us anymore.""
My chest tightened.
"Tyler, that's not true.""
"She says you're taking Maya away and leaving us.""
I heard Vanessa in the background.
"Tell him what else I said, Tyler.""
The boy hesitated.
Then he whispered, "She says if you leave, we'll have nowhere to live.""
I felt sick.
"Tyler, listen to me. None of this is your fault. I care about you, okay?""
"Then why are you doing this?""
I had no answer that an eleven-year-old boy could understand.
"I'll explain when things are calmer.""
He sniffed.
"Mom says you hate her.""
I lowered my voice.
"I don't hate anybody, Tyler.""
A sudden movement sounded on the other end.
Vanessa took the phone.
"That's enough.""
"Don't use Tyler to communicate with me.""
"I'm not using him. He's asking questions.""
"Then answer them honestly.""
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"You've become very comfortable believing Elena's version of everything.""
"I have documents now.""
"You have pieces of paper.""
"I have hospital records.""
Her voice dropped.
"Those records don't tell you what happened inside our family.""
"Then tell me.""
She remained silent.
I continued.
"Who is Rebecca Miller?""
The silence became absolute.
Then Vanessa said, "You have no business contacting her.""
That was my answer.
I ended the call.
Daniel looked at me.
"She knows.""
"Yes.""
"Then Rebecca may be the person who connects the financial records to the adoption petition.""
Elena sat beside Maya.
She had been quiet throughout the conversation.
"Michael, I need to ask something.""
"What?""
"Do you think Vanessa ever wanted to be a mother, or did she simply want to replace me?""
I looked at her.
"I don't know.""
Elena stared at the floor.
"Because I remember something she said when I was pregnant. She told me she couldn't wait to have a little girl in the family.""
I frowned.
"She already had Tyler.""
"She said she wanted a daughter who would call her Mommy.""
I felt a chill.
Daniel interrupted.
"We shouldn't speculate about her motives. We need evidence.""
He looked at his phone.
"I've found Rebecca's current address.""
We drove there together.
Maya stayed with Elena in the car while Daniel and I approached the house.
A woman opened the door.
She was in her early forties, with tired eyes and dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail.
"Yes?""
"Rebecca Miller?""
Her expression tightened.
"Who wants to know?""
"My name is Michael Carter. I'm married to Vanessa.""
She stared at me.
Then she laughed without humor.
"Not anymore, I hope.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"I need to ask you about something that happened nine years ago.""
Her face changed.
"Then you'd better come inside.""
Her living room was modest.
There were photographs of Tyler on the shelves, including one from his first day of school.
Rebecca poured coffee but didn't drink hers.
"Vanessa told me you were never going to contact me.""
"Why?""
"Because she said you believed I was an unfit mother.""
I stared at her.
"She told me you abandoned Tyler.""
Rebecca looked away.
"That's convenient.""
"What happened?""
She reached into a cabinet and removed a small folder.
"Vanessa contacted me when Tyler was two. She said she wanted to become his legal guardian because I was struggling financially.""
"Did you agree?""
"Temporarily. I thought she was helping.""
She opened the folder.
Inside were bank statements and a signed agreement.
"She promised to pay my rent and help me get back on my feet. In exchange, I agreed to let Tyler stay with her for six months.""
"What happened after six months?""
"She refused to return him.""
My jaw tightened.
"Did you go to court?""
"Of course. But Vanessa claimed I had accepted money in exchange for giving up my parental rights.""
I stared at her.
"Did you?""
"No. I accepted money for temporary childcare and housing assistance.""
She removed another document.
"This was the agreement she made me sign.""
I examined it.
The first page described a temporary guardianship arrangement.
The second page contained an additional paragraph.
*Mother voluntarily relinquishes any future claim to custody upon receipt of financial consideration.*
Rebecca shook her head.
"I never agreed to that paragraph.""
"Did you sign the second page?""
"No. My signature was copied from the first.""
I looked at Daniel.
He was photographing the documents.
Rebecca continued.
"Vanessa told me that if I challenged her, she would make sure Tyler grew up believing I had sold him.""
I felt cold.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
"I did. Nobody believed me.""
She leaned forward.
"Then, about nine years ago, Vanessa came to me with another offer.""
"What offer?""
"She wanted me to sign a statement claiming Elena Carter was mentally unstable and had tried to take Maya out of the country.""
I froze.
"Did you sign it?""
Rebecca shook her head.
"No. But Vanessa offered me fifteen thousand dollars.""
Daniel looked up.
"Did she pay you?""
Rebecca reached into the folder and removed a bank deposit slip.
"She deposited five thousand into my account before I refused.""
I stared at the document.
The deposit date was September 18.
Four days after Maya's birth.
I felt sick.
"Where did the money come from?""
Rebecca pointed to the account number.
"I don't know. But the transfer description said something about a family education fund.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Can we get the complete transaction record?""
"I've already requested it.""
Rebecca looked at me.
"There's something else.""
"What?""
"Vanessa wasn't trying to buy my silence about Elena.""
She reached into the folder again.
This time, she removed a photograph.
It showed Vanessa sitting beside a man in a restaurant.
The same man from the courthouse photograph.
Richard Bell.
Rebecca pointed to him.
"He was the one who delivered the money.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Why would he do that?""
Rebecca's eyes filled with tears.
"Because Vanessa told me she was building a family that couldn't be taken away from her.""
She paused.
"Then she told me something I'll never forget.""
"What?""
Rebecca looked directly at me.
"She said Maya wasn't the only child she wanted to control.""
Before I could ask another question, Rebecca's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Her expression turned terrified.
"That's Vanessa.""
I looked at her.
"Answer it.""
Rebecca hesitated.
Then she pressed the speaker button.
Vanessa's voice filled the room.
"Rebecca, I hope you haven't forgotten our agreement.""
Rebecca swallowed.
"What agreement?""
Vanessa laughed softly.
"The one where you keep your mouth shut about what happened to Tyler.""
Rebecca's face went pale.
May you like
Then Vanessa said something that made Daniel immediately start recording.
"Because if Michael finds out where Tyler's father really is, none of us will be able to keep pretending anymore.""
