Chapter 7: The Memory I Was Never Supposed To Recover
The picture stayed on the screen.
My son.
Standing beside my father.
Both of them looking directly at the camera.
Noah looked scared.
My father looked calm.
Like he had planned every second of this.
But it was the message underneath that made my entire body freeze.
*Ask Alexa why she forgot the day her son was born.*
I read it again.
And again.
The words refused to make sense.
Forgot?
The day my son was born was the day I had replayed thousands of times.
The day I became a mother.
The day everything changed.
How could I forget it?
I looked at Pascal.
“What does that mean?””
He didn’t answer.
That was becoming his answer.
“Pascal.””
His eyes moved to mine.
“I think you need to sit down.””
My anger rose instantly.
“No.””
“Alexa—”
“No more sitting down. No more waiting. No more people deciding when I’m ready for the truth.””
My voice echoed through the house.
“I want answers.””
Pascal swallowed.
Then he nodded.
“You’re right.””
Those words surprised me.
Because Pascal almost never admitted he was wrong.
He walked toward the couch slowly.
“When Noah was born…”
He stopped.
His eyes filled with something I couldn’t identify.
Pain.
Regret.
Fear.
“When Noah was born, something happened that you don’t remember.””
I crossed my arms.
“I remember everything.””
“No.””
The way he said it hurt.
“You remember what you were told.””
The room went quiet.
I felt like the floor had shifted.
“What are you saying?””
Pascal looked at Claire.
She closed her eyes.
Like she had been waiting for this moment.
“Alexa,” Pascal said softly, “you didn’t just give birth to Noah.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What does that mean?””
“You were unconscious before the delivery.””
“I was exhausted.””
“No.””
His voice dropped.
“You were unconscious because someone gave you medication.””
A chill moved through me.
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
I already knew.
“My father.””
Pascal nodded.
My chest tightened.
“Why?””
“Because he wanted control.””
I shook my head.
“That still doesn’t explain why I forgot.””
Claire spoke quietly.
“Because the medication affected your memory.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
She stepped closer.
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
My voice cracked.
“I would remember that.””
“You remember pieces.””
I froze.
Pieces.
And suddenly, memories I had ignored for years started moving.
The bright hospital lights.
The sound of someone crying.
A voice telling me to sleep.
A baby’s cry.
But there was something missing.
Something between the pain and the moment I held Noah.
A blank space.
A hole.
My hand moved to my mouth.
“Oh my God.””
Pascal watched me carefully.
“What?””
“I don’t remember holding him for the first time.””
Nobody spoke.
Because they knew.
They knew I was right.
I sat down slowly.
The memory I thought was perfect had cracks everywhere.
“I thought I was just tired.””
Claire sat beside me.
“You had complications.””
“But I was awake.””
“You were awake for parts of it.””
My eyes filled.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
Pascal looked away.
Because he knew the answer.
Everyone knew.
“Because your father convinced everyone it was better if you didn’t know.””
My laugh came out broken.
“Better.””
I repeated the word.
“That word has ruined my entire life.””
A police officer walked over.
“Ms. Morgan?””
I looked up.
“Yes?””
“We received new information from the hospital.””
My heart tightened.
“What information?””
He glanced at his notes.
“Mr. Cole regained consciousness.””
Everyone froze.
“Ethan?””
The officer nodded.
“He’s asking for you.””
I stood immediately.
“Take me to him.””
The hospital smelled exactly the same.
The same white lights.
The same cold hallway.
The same feeling that every answer waited behind a closed door.
When I entered Ethan’s room, he was awake.
He looked smaller somehow.
More fragile.
But when he saw me, his eyes filled with tears.
“Alexa.””
I walked closer.
“You knew.””
His expression changed.
“I know.””
“You knew about my father.””
“Yes.””
“You knew about the birth records.””
“Yes.””
“You knew I didn’t remember everything.””
His silence was enough.
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“How could you?””
Ethan looked down.
“Because I was scared.””
“I was your wife.””
“I know.””
“I was Noah’s mother.””
“I know.””
“Then why didn’t you trust me?””
His face broke.
“Because every person who tried to tell you the truth disappeared.””
I froze.
“What?””
“My lawyer quit.””
“What?””
“My friend who helped me investigate your father moved away overnight.””
I stared.
“Ethan.””
“I thought I could protect you by staying quiet.””
The anger inside me battled with the pain.
“You left me.””
“I know.””
“You let me believe you abandoned us.””
“I know.””
“Do you know what that did to Noah?””
His eyes closed.
“Yes.””
The answer was immediate.
And that somehow hurt more.
“Then why?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Because your father threatened to take Noah away.””
I swallowed.
“Legally?””
“No.””
“Then how?””
Ethan’s voice became quieter.
“He told me he would destroy everyone around me.””
The room felt colder.
“Who helped him?””
Ethan looked toward the door.
“Pascal.””
My heart sank.
Again.
“Why?””
“Because Pascal knew your father.””
“I know that.””
“No, Alexa.””
Ethan shook his head.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
He took a breath.
“The first time I met Pascal wasn’t when you were leaving me.””
My stomach tightened.
“Then when?””
“Before Noah was born.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
Ethan nodded.
“Your father introduced us.””
The words made no sense.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Because your father wanted someone close to you.””
My skin went cold.
“No.””
“Alexa…”
“No.””
I backed away.
“Don’t tell me that.””
“I’m sorry.””
“You’re saying Pascal was placed in my life?””
Ethan didn’t answer.
But his eyes did.
I felt sick.
The man who held me after my worst heartbreak.
The man who became my second chance.
Was he really part of a plan?
Then Ethan said something even worse.
“But that’s not the part your father was hiding.””
I looked at him.
“What else?””
Ethan hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Your father didn’t change Noah’s records because he wanted custody.””
“Then why?””
“Because the original records revealed something he couldn’t allow anyone to see.””
My heart raced.
“What?””
Ethan looked at me.
“The hospital made a mistake.””
I frowned.
“What mistake?””
He swallowed.
“When Noah was born, they took the wrong sample.””
My mind went blank.
“What?””
“The DNA test your father ordered wasn’t just to prove Ethan was Noah’s father.””
I stepped closer.
“What was it?””
Ethan’s voice broke.
“It was to find out who Noah’s biological mother was.””
The words hit like a wave.
“That’s impossible.””
“I know.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I gave birth to him.””
“Yes.””
“Then why would anyone test that?””
Ethan looked away.
“Because the hospital records showed something impossible.””
“What?””
His eyes met mine.
And the fear in them terrified me.
“The woman who gave birth to Noah…”
A pause.
“…was not listed as Alexa Morgan.””
I couldn’t breathe.
“What are you saying?””
Ethan’s voice dropped.
“I’m saying your father changed more than Noah’s birth certificate.””
My hands started shaking.
“What did he change?””
Before Ethan could answer, my phone buzzed.
A new message.
From my father.
Only three words.
*Ask your mother.*
I stared at the screen.
My mother.
The woman who died when I was fifteen.
The woman whose name nobody had spoken in years.
Then another message appeared.
A photograph.
An old hospital document.
At the bottom was a signature.
My mother’s.
And beside it was a sentence that made my blood run cold.
*Patient: Emily Morgan.*
*Newborn: Male child.*
*Mother deceased.*
I dropped the phone.
May you like
Because the date on the document was the same day Noah was born.
And my mother had been dead for six years.
