Chapter 8: The Woman Who Married Me for a Reason
I watched the video again.
Then a third time.
Emily had been certain.
Vanessa hadn't simply entered my life by coincidence.
She had known about the hospital records. She had known about the DNA samples. And somehow, she had become my wife.
I looked at the clock.
It was nearly eight in the evening.
“Where is Vanessa now?”” I asked.
Daniel rubbed his face.
“She went back to your house.””
“Alone?””
“I don't know.””
I immediately called the home security system.
The operator confirmed that someone had entered the property twenty minutes earlier.
Vanessa.
She had also opened the office safe.
My office safe.
“Did she remove anything?””
The operator checked the activity log.
“Yes, sir. She removed a document folder.””
I ended the call.
“What was in that folder?”” my mother asked.
“Emily's old medical records.””
Daniel stood.
“We need to go.””
“No,” I said.
“You're staying here.””
“Marcus—”
“You've lied to me enough.””
He looked hurt, but I didn't care.
Maya stood beside my mother.
“Dad, I want to come.””
I looked at her.
“Sweetheart, I need you somewhere safe.””
“I'm tired of everyone deciding what I can know.””
Her voice cracked.
“I lost Mom. Then Vanessa took her letter. Now everyone keeps telling me there are secrets about my life. I don't want to be protected from the truth anymore.””
I knelt in front of her.
“You're right.””
She looked surprised.
“I should have listened to you earlier. But I need you to understand that finding the truth doesn't mean you have to stand in the middle of every argument.””
She nodded slowly.
“Then promise you'll tell me everything.””
“I promise.””
I kissed her forehead.
Then I asked my mother to take her upstairs and stay with her.
Daniel and I drove to my house.
Neither of us spoke during the journey.
When we arrived, the front door was unlocked.
The living room lights were on.
Vanessa stood beside the fireplace, holding a folder.
She didn't look surprised to see us.
“I wondered how long it would take.””
I closed the door.
“Put the folder down.””
She laughed.
“You're becoming very controlling, Marcus.””
“Those are Emily's records.””
“They're old paperwork.””
“Then you won't mind giving them back.””
She held the folder against her chest.
“Have you watched the videos?””
I stared at her.
“Yes.””
Her expression changed.
“Then you know Emily was sick.””
“Don't use her illness to excuse what you've done.””
Vanessa walked toward the kitchen.
“Do you have any idea what she put me through?””
I followed.
“Tell me.””
“She discovered something about Richard. Something that could have destroyed my children.””
“Your children?””
“Yes. Tyler and Sophie.””
“What did Emily discover?””
Vanessa stopped beside the kitchen island.
“Richard had been moving money through companies registered under other people's names. Some of those names belonged to employees. One belonged to Emily.””
“And you helped him?””
“I didn't understand what he was doing.””
“Yet you signed hospital papers under your maiden name.””
She looked at me sharply.
“Where did you hear that?””
“Emily.””
Vanessa laughed nervously.
“Emily was confused near the end.””
I placed my phone on the counter.
“Then explain the second DNA test.””
She said nothing.
“Explain why you wanted the wooden box.””
“I wanted to protect Sophie and Tyler.””
“From what?””
“From Richard.””
I stared at her.
“Your husband?””
She looked down.
For a moment, the house was completely silent.
Then she whispered, “Richard was my husband when I met you.””
I felt sick.
“You told me you were divorced.””
“I was separated.””
“You lied.””
“Yes.””
“Did you know he was having an affair with Emily?””
Vanessa nodded.
“When?””
“Before Maya was born.””
I stepped backward.
“You knew?””
“He told me everything.””
My hands curled into fists.
“And you married me anyway?””
Vanessa began crying.
“Marcus, I loved you.””
“No. You wanted something.””
She looked up.
For the first time, she didn't deny it.
“Richard was going to leave me with nothing. He had control of our accounts, our property, everything. I needed a way out.””
“So you found me.””
“You were kind. You were stable. You had a daughter who needed a mother.””
I stared at her.
“You saw my daughter as an opportunity?””
“No!””
“Then why did you spend years making her feel unwanted?””
Vanessa slammed the folder onto the counter.
“Because every time I looked at her, I saw Emily!””
The words echoed through the kitchen.
She covered her mouth.
I stared at her.
“You punished a child because she reminded you of her dead mother.””
Vanessa began sobbing.
“I couldn't compete with Emily. Even after she died, she was still everywhere. Her photographs.
Her clothes. Her stupid letters. You talked about her constantly.””
“So you stole her daughter's memories?””
“I wanted this family to be mine!””
I felt something inside me go completely cold.
“You had a family. You destroyed it yourself.””
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“Richard said the box contained evidence. He told me if I found it, he could finally make sure Emily's secrets stayed buried.””
“Why would Richard care about a document from six years ago?””
She hesitated.
Then she said, “Because the document doesn't just concern Maya.””
I stared at her.
“What else?””
Vanessa opened the folder.
Inside were copies of bank transfers, medical forms, and an old legal agreement.
One page contained a signature I recognized.
My own.
I picked it up.
It was a document dated six years earlier, authorizing the release of medical records from the hospital where Maya had been born.
I had never signed it.
The signature looked similar to mine.
But it wasn't mine.
“What is this?””
Vanessa looked frightened.
“Richard needed access to the original samples.””
“And you forged my signature?””
“I didn't. Richard arranged it.””
“Why?””
“Because he wanted to know whether Maya was his daughter.””
I stared at the document.
“But the first test said he wasn't.””
Vanessa nodded.
“He didn't believe it.””
I looked at her.
“And the second test?””
She slowly shook her head.
“That's the problem.””
“What problem?””
Vanessa leaned closer.
“The second test wasn't about Richard.””
I felt my heartbeat in my throat.
“Then whose DNA was compared?””
She looked directly at me.
“Yours.””
I couldn't speak.
Vanessa continued.
“Richard wanted to know whether you were Maya's biological father.””
I stared at her.
“Why would he care?””
“Because he believed Emily had never been with anyone else. He thought she had been lying about the first test.””
“And what did the second test show?””
Vanessa's lips trembled.
“It showed that you weren't Maya's biological father.””
I stepped away from the counter.
For a moment, the room blurred.
Then I remembered Maya's face.
Her small hand holding mine.
Her voice asking whether I was still her father.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Where is that result?””
“Richard has it.””
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
I grabbed the folder.
Vanessa tried to stop me.
“Marcus, wait!””
I moved away.
“Don't touch me.””
She reached for my arm.
“You need to understand. Richard told me something else.””
I turned.
“What?””
“He said the second test was never supposed to be released.””
“Why?””
“Because it wasn't actually a paternity test.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Vanessa began crying harder.
“It was a test comparing your DNA to someone else's. Someone who had already died.””
I stared at her.
“Who?””
She whispered a name.
“Emily.””
I felt the room tilt.
Before I could ask another question, the doorbell rang.
I opened the security camera app.
A woman stood outside.
Rachel Bennett.
The nurse.
She was holding a thick envelope.
And behind her, a black SUV had stopped across the street.
A man stepped out.
Richard Cole.
Vanessa looked at the screen.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“He found us.””
