Chapter 9: The Adoption That Never Happened
Daniel opened the attachment on his laptop.
I stood behind him, staring at the document.
The application was dated September 20, nine years earlier.
Six days after Elena disappeared.
Vanessa had filed a petition to adopt Maya.
My name appeared under the father's consent section.
Elena's name appeared under the biological mother's consent section.
My mother's name appeared as a witness.
All three signatures looked convincing.
But none of them made sense.
"I never signed this," I said.
Daniel enlarged the document.
"Don't touch anything. I'll save a forensic copy.""
Elena stood beside me.
"I never saw this.""
My mother had called twice, but I hadn't answered.
I was afraid of what she might say.
Afraid she might confirm something I wasn't ready to hear.
Daniel scrolled down.
"There's a court notation here.""
"What does it say?""
"Petition withdrawn before final hearing.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
He continued reading.
"Biological mother's consent questioned. Additional documentation requested.""
Elena leaned forward.
"What documentation?""
Daniel looked at the next page.
"An original birth certificate, a notarized consent statement, and proof of the biological mother's identity.""
I felt a strange sense of relief.
"So the court rejected it?""
"Not exactly. It appears the petition was withdrawn before the court made a final determination.""
"By whom?""
Daniel scrolled down.
The withdrawal form was signed by Vanessa.
But there was another detail.
The reason given was:
*Applicant no longer wishes to pursue adoption due to change in family circumstances.*
I stared at the screen.
"Why would she withdraw?""
Daniel examined the date.
"October 3.""
Elena suddenly covered her mouth.
"What?""
She pointed at the document.
"October 3 was the day I returned to the apartment.""
I turned toward her.
"You told me you came back three months later.""
"I came back twice. The first time was October 3.""
I felt a chill.
"What happened?""
"I knocked on the door. Vanessa answered.""
"Was I home?""
"No.""
"What did she say?""
Elena looked at Maya before answering.
"She told me you had already filed paperwork to make Vanessa your daughter's legal mother.""
My stomach turned.
"Did you believe her?""
"At first, yes. She showed me a document with your signature.""
I looked at the screen.
The adoption application.
"She showed you this?""
Elena nodded.
"She told me if I tried to fight it, I would be accused of abandoning Maya and attempting to abduct her.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I tried. But Vanessa said you were in the middle of a custody case and that your lawyer had advised you not to speak to me.""
Daniel looked up.
"Did she give you the lawyer's name?""
Elena shook her head.
"No.""
"Did she ever contact you again?""
"Yes.""
Elena reached into her storage box.
She pulled out a small notebook.
Inside were dates, addresses, and notes written in blue ink.
"I kept track of every attempt to contact Michael.""
She turned to a page dated October 3.
Vanessa says Michael has filed adoption papers. Says he wants me to disappear. Says I will lose everything if I challenge him.
Then she turned to another page.
Vanessa says Maya is already calling her Mommy.
Maya had been listening.
She looked up.
"Did I call Vanessa Mommy?""
Elena's face softened.
"You were a baby, sweetheart. You probably called everyone Mommy.""
Maya looked down.
"She told me you didn't want me.""
Elena closed the notebook.
"That was a lie.""
I put my arm around Maya.
Daniel continued examining the adoption file.
"There's another issue.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
"The notary information.""
He enlarged a stamp at the bottom of the application.
It belonged to a notary named Richard Bell.
I felt sick.
"Vanessa's brother-in-law.""
Daniel nodded.
"The same man from the hospital records.""
Elena stared at the screen.
"He notarized a document claiming I was present and voluntarily consenting to the adoption.""
Daniel pointed to the date.
"September 20.""
Elena shook her head.
"I was in another state.""
"Can you prove that?""
She reached into the box and removed a bus ticket.
"I traveled to Milwaukee on September 18. I stayed with my sister until October 1.""
Daniel examined it.
"Do you have anything else?""
"My sister kept copies of everything. Hotel receipts, bank transactions, even the messages I sent her.""
Daniel nodded.
"That's useful.""
I looked at the application again.
"Why would Vanessa want to adopt Maya if she was already planning to marry me?""
Elena was silent.
Then she said something that made my stomach tighten.
"Because she wanted to make sure I couldn't come back.""
I turned.
"What do you mean?""
"If she became Maya's legal mother, she wouldn't need me. And if she married you, she would have everything.""
I stared at the document.
It was no longer just about jealousy or resentment.
Vanessa had attempted to erase Elena legally, financially, and emotionally.
She had tried to rewrite Maya's family history.
And she had nearly succeeded.
My phone rang.
My mother.
This time, I answered.
"Michael, please.""
"What?""
"I need to tell you something.""
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded.
"Go ahead.""
My mother began crying.
"Vanessa came to my house yesterday.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Why?""
"She said you had found the hospital records. She told me you were going to blame me for everything.""
"Did she threaten you?""
"She said if I didn't support her, she'd expose something.""
"What?""
My mother hesitated.
Then she whispered:
"She said she'd show everyone the money I received.""
I froze.
"What money?""
"Michael, I didn't know what it was for.""
"How much?""
"Ten thousand dollars.""
I gripped the phone.
"Ten thousand dollars?""
"She said it was a loan. She said I could use it to pay off the medical bills.""
"Mom, when did she give you that money?""
"Three days after Elena disappeared.""
I closed my eyes.
The timing was becoming impossible to ignore.
"Where did it come from?""
"I don't know.""
I looked at the bank documents.
Forty-two thousand dollars had disappeared from Maya's account.
Vanessa had apparently transferred money to herself.
And my mother had received ten thousand.
"Did you know it came from Maya's savings?""
"No.""
"Did you ever repay it?""
"I tried. Vanessa told me not to worry about it.""
I felt my hands shaking.
"Mom, you accepted money from her while helping her lie about Elena?""
My mother began sobbing.
"I thought I was protecting you.""
"You keep saying that.""
"I know.""
"How much of the money did you spend?""
"All of it.""
I ended the call.
For a moment, I couldn't look at anyone.
Then Daniel spoke.
"Michael, we need to separate what we know from what we suspect. Your mother may have received money from the account, but we need records establishing the source.""
I nodded.
"What about the adoption?""
"We'll challenge the authenticity of the signatures and obtain the original court file.""
Elena sat down.
"Can I ask something?""
Daniel looked at her.
"Of course.""
"If Vanessa withdrew the adoption petition, does that mean she knew I was coming back?""
He considered the question.
"Possibly. We need to establish the timeline.""
Elena looked at me.
"Michael, I think she withdrew it because she found out I was preparing to fight.""
I frowned.
"How?""
Elena opened her notebook again.
"Because the day before she withdrew the petition, someone broke into my sister's apartment.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"They didn't take money or jewelry. They took a folder.""
"What was in it?""
"My original hospital discharge papers. My passport copy. And the letter proving I had permission to travel with Maya.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Did you report the break-in?""
"Yes. The police gave me a report number.""
"Do you still have it?""
She nodded.
She found the number in her notebook.
Daniel photographed it.
Then my phone vibrated.
An email from an unfamiliar address.
There was no subject line.
Only one attachment.
I opened it.
It was an old photograph of Vanessa standing outside the courthouse.
She was holding the adoption petition.
Beside her stood a young woman I recognized.
Tyler's biological mother.
I stared at the photograph.
Why had she been there?
Then I noticed the date.
October 3.
The same day Elena had returned to our apartment.
A message appeared beneath the photograph.
*You keep looking at Vanessa. But she didn't do this alone. Ask Tyler's mother what she was paid to say.*
I read the message twice.
Then I looked at Daniel.
"Who sent this?""
He examined the email address.
"It appears to be a temporary account.""
Elena stared at the photograph.
Her face had gone pale.
"Michael...""
"What?""
"That's not the only thing I recognize.""
She pointed to the courthouse entrance.
A man was standing behind Vanessa.
His face was partially turned toward the camera.
But I knew him.
I had seen him at family dinners.
At Christmas celebrations.
At Maya's birthday parties.
It was my mother's brother.
Uncle Peter.
The man who had once told me Elena was lucky I hadn't reported her for abandoning her child.
I felt the room spinning.
My uncle hadn't simply believed Vanessa's story.
He had been there when the adoption papers were filed.
And now I understood why my mother had been so afraid to tell the truth.
This wasn't just one woman's betrayal.
It was a family secret that had been protected by people I had trusted for years.
Daniel closed the laptop.
"We need to find Tyler's mother.""
I looked at the photograph again.
For the first time, I wondered whether Vanessa had chosen Tyler's place in our family for a reason.
Because if his mother had been involved from the beginning, then there was another question I hadn't considered.
May you like
What had Vanessa promised her in exchange for helping erase Elena?
And what did that promise have to do with the money stolen from Maya?
