Chapter 11: The Doctor Who Buried the Truth
We reached the lake house forty minutes later.
The driveway was empty.
The front door stood open.
I ran inside.
"Mom!""
No answer.
The living room looked as though someone had searched it.
Cushions had been torn open. Drawers were scattered across the floor. The family photographs had been knocked down.
Matthew moved toward the kitchen.
I checked the bedrooms.
Nothing.
Then I heard a baby crying.
The sound came from the basement.
I ran down the stairs.
At the bottom stood Claire Morgan.
She was holding Ethan.
Beside her was an elderly man with gray hair and a doctor's coat.
Dr. Samuel Whitmore.
I stopped.
"You.""
The doctor looked at me.
"Marcus Hayes.""
"Where is my mother?""
Claire tightened her grip on the baby.
"Which one?""
I felt anger surge through me.
"Stop playing games!""
Dr. Whitmore raised his hands.
"Nobody here wants to hurt you.""
"Then tell me where Elena is.""
Claire looked toward the doctor.
He sighed.
"Elena is alive. But she is not the woman you knew as Eleanor.""
I stared at him.
"Explain.""
He pulled a chair toward the table.
"Twenty-nine years ago, your biological mother delivered twins. The birth was complicated. One child required emergency respiratory support.""
Matthew stepped forward.
"Which child?""
The doctor looked at him.
"You.""
Matthew's expression changed.
"You were Baby B," Whitmore continued.
"You were transferred to a specialist hospital. Your brother remained at the original facility.""
I frowned.
"But the records say I died.""
"Because someone changed them.""
"Who?""
The doctor looked at Claire.
She lowered her eyes.
"I did.""
Matthew stared at her.
"Why?""
Claire began crying.
"Because Olivia threatened me.""
I stepped forward.
"What did Olivia have to do with this?""
Dr. Whitmore answered.
"Olivia was not yet born. But the woman who raised you, Eleanor Hayes, had been involved in the hospital from the beginning.""
I frowned.
"What?""
He continued.
"Eleanor was your father's first wife. She couldn't have children. Your biological mother, Elena, worked as a nurse at the hospital.""
I looked at Matthew.
"Then who was the woman we called Mom?""
Claire swallowed.
"Your biological mother's younger sister.""
The room went silent.
My aunt.
The woman who had helped arrange the accident.
The woman who had supposedly protected us.
The woman who had been pretending to be our mother.
I shook my head.
"Why would she take us?""
Claire looked at Ethan.
"Because she believed your father had promised her the family inheritance if she helped him raise the boys.""
I stared at her.
"My father?""
"Richard was not the man he is today. He was young, ambitious, and terrified of losing his father's approval.""
I felt another piece of my childhood disappear.
"Did he know?""
"Yes.""
Matthew turned toward the doctor.
"Where was I raised?""
"With a family named Reed. They were told your biological parents had died.""
Matthew's jaw tightened.
"And Marcus?""
Claire looked at me.
"You were raised by Eleanor.""
I stepped backward.
"But my father always said Eleanor was my mother.""
"She was the woman who raised you," Claire replied.
"Not the woman who gave birth to you.""
I looked at Ethan.
"Then why is Olivia doing all this?""
Dr. Whitmore opened a leather medical case.
Inside was a stack of original records.
"Because the original inheritance agreement was never properly executed.""
He placed a document on the table.
It was a trust agreement signed by my grandfather.
It stated that the family company would pass to the first surviving male descendant of the Hayes bloodline.
The document listed two children.
Marcus Hayes.
Matthew Hayes.
Both were entitled to equal shares.
I stared.
"So Olivia has no claim?""
"Not directly," the doctor said.
"But if one of you is legally declared deceased, the other becomes the sole beneficiary.""
Matthew understood immediately.
"She wants one of us dead.""
Claire nodded.
"That's why she has been manipulating the records.""
I looked at Dr. Whitmore.
"Did you help her?""
He lowered his head.
"Yes.""
Matthew grabbed his shirt.
"You helped someone erase my identity?""
The doctor didn't resist.
"I was paid to alter medical records. I thought I was protecting a family secret.""
"You're a doctor!""
"I know.""
Matthew released him.
"People like you are the reason nobody can trust anyone.""
The doctor opened the case again.
"But I kept the original documents.""
He handed me a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph of two babies.
The same photograph I had seen before.
But this time, something was written on the back.
*BABY A — MARCUS. BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: ELENA MORGAN.*
*BABY B — MATTHEW. BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: ELENA MORGAN.*
Underneath was a third line.
*THIRD INFANT — STILLBORN.*
I stared.
"Third?""
The doctor nodded.
"Your mother gave birth to triplets.""
My head began spinning.
"Triplets?""
Matthew took the paper.
"Where is the third child?""
Nobody answered.
Then Claire whispered:
"Olivia.""
I turned toward her.
"That's impossible. Olivia is younger than us.""
Claire shook her head.
"She was adopted. Your grandfather arranged it.""
The doctor nodded.
"Olivia was born several hours after the twins. Your grandfather registered her as the daughter of Eleanor Hayes to preserve the family's reputation.""
I stared at the document.
"So Olivia is our sister?""
Claire nodded.
"Biologically, yes.""
Matthew looked furious.
"Then why has she been trying to destroy us?""
Claire began crying.
"Because she believes your parents abandoned her while keeping both of you.""
I looked at the doctor.
"Does she know?""
"She discovered the truth when she was seventeen.""
The room went quiet.
Suddenly, Ethan began crying harder.
Claire tried to soothe him.
I stepped forward.
"Let me hold him.""
She hesitated.
Then she carefully placed him in my arms.
The baby looked up at me.
His tiny fingers wrapped around mine.
I felt something inside me soften.
Whatever his biological father was, whatever Olivia had done, this child was innocent.
I kissed his forehead.
"You're safe now, little man.""
Then the doctor spoke.
"Not yet.""
I looked up.
He had removed another document from his case.
It was a hospital transfer order.
The destination was a private clinic.
The authorized receiving physician was Dr. Samuel Whitmore.
But the signature at the bottom was not his.
It belonged to Richard Hayes.
My father.
I looked at him.
"What is this?""
The doctor lowered his voice.
"Your father ordered the transfer of one of the infants twenty-nine years ago.""
Matthew went pale.
"Which infant?""
The doctor pointed to the document.
"Baby B.""
Matthew stepped backward.
"Me?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Claire.
"Why would Dad send Matthew away?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"Because your grandfather threatened to disinherit him if both twins remained in the family.""
Matthew laughed bitterly.
"So I was sold?""
"No," Claire whispered.
"You were hidden.""
The distinction meant nothing to him.
He turned away.
Then my phone rang.
A text message appeared.
From Daniel.
*THE POLICE HAVE FOUND RICHARD'S ORIGINAL CONFESSION. HE SAYS OLIVIA WASN'T THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THE BABY TRANSFER.*
A second message arrived.
*HE SAYS IT WAS YOU.*
I stared at the screen.
Matthew slowly turned toward me.
"What does that mean?""
May you like
Before I could answer, another message appeared.
*MARCUS, YOUR FINGERPRINTS ARE ON THE ORIGINAL TRANSFER ORDER.*
