Chapter 10: The Wife Who Never Died
I couldn't press the answer button.
Sarah's name glowed on my screen.
Sarah Cole.
My wife.
The woman I had watched being lowered into the ground. The woman whose photographs I still kept beside my bed. The woman whose voice I had listened to on old recordings whenever I missed her too much to sleep.
She was calling me.
"Marcus," Daniel whispered.
I held up one hand.
The phone continued ringing.
Then it stopped.
A voicemail notification appeared.
I pressed play.
For several seconds, there was only static.
Then I heard a voice.
"Marcus, it's me.""
My knees weakened.
"Please don't hang up. I know you have questions. I know you're angry. But I need you to understand that I never stopped loving you.""
I covered my mouth.
The recording continued.
"I couldn't come back when I wanted to. They told me you and Lily would be in danger. They told me the only way to keep you alive was to stay dead.""
A pause.
Then a sentence that shattered whatever remained of my understanding.
"Your mother helped them bury someone else in my place.""
The voicemail ended.
I stared at the phone.
Rebecca Shaw approached.
"Who was that?""
I looked at her.
"Sarah.""
She didn't react immediately.
Then she asked, "Your late wife?""
"Apparently, she isn't dead.""
Rebecca took my phone and listened to the recording herself.
"Do you recognize the voice?""
I nodded.
"Every breath.""
Daniel sat down.
"I told you I saw her.""
I turned toward him.
"You knew she was alive?""
"No. I saw her once, but she disappeared before I could ask questions.""
"When?""
"Six months after the funeral.""
I stared at him.
"And you didn't tell me?""
He looked ashamed.
"Mom said I had imagined it. She showed me photographs from the funeral and told me I was having trouble processing Sarah's death.""
"Did you believe her?""
"I wanted to.""
I walked away.
There were too many betrayals to process.
My mother had hidden a child.
My father had faked his death.
My brother had kept secrets.
And my wife, the woman I had mourned for four years, was apparently alive.
Rebecca returned my phone.
"We need to verify the caller's identity before doing anything.""
I nodded.
Then another call came through.
Unknown number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A woman spoke.
"Marcus?""
I stopped breathing.
"Sarah?""
A quiet sob came through the speaker.
"Yes.""
I gripped the edge of the desk.
"Where are you?""
"I can't tell you.""
"Where are our daughters?""
"Both are alive.""
I closed my eyes.
"Then tell me where they are.""
"I can't. Not yet.""
"Sarah, I buried you.""
Her voice broke.
"I know.""
"I watched them lower your coffin.""
"I know, Marcus.""
"I stood beside Lily and told her her mother was gone.""
"I know!""
Her voice rose.
Then she began crying.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.""
I couldn't control myself anymore.
"Why? Why would you let me believe you were dead?""
"Because your father threatened to kill you.""
I looked at Rebecca.
She immediately began recording the call.
"My father?""
"Robert wasn't your father, Marcus. You already know that.""
"Who was he?""
"Your biological father's business partner. He adopted you after Thomas died.""
I swallowed.
"Thomas Reed.""
Sarah went quiet.
"Yes.""
"Was he really killed in that construction accident?""
Another silence.
Then Sarah whispered, "No.""
My entire body went cold.
"What happened?""
"Robert arranged the accident. Thomas had discovered that money was being stolen from the company. He was going to expose everything.""
I felt sick.
"How did you find out?""
"I found documents in Robert's office. I also found the original insurance policy.""
"What policy?""
"Thomas had taken out a life insurance policy before he died. You were the beneficiary.""
I frowned.
"That money went to my mother.""
"No. That's what Robert wanted you to believe.""
I looked toward Rebecca.
She was writing furiously.
Sarah continued.
"The money was placed into a trust. Robert controlled it. He used it to finance the company and eventually fund the arrangements involving our children.""
"Why did he target us?""
"Because he knew I had discovered the original documents.""
I remembered the hospital file.
The forged signature.
The trust.
The missing money.
"Sarah, what happened the night you supposedly died?""
She took a shaky breath.
"I gave birth to Emma and Grace.""
Grace.
The second daughter.
I finally had a name.
"Where are they?""
"Emma was transferred to Margaret. Grace was taken somewhere else. Robert arranged both transfers.""
"Why?""
"Because he needed control over the trust. The children were named beneficiaries.""
I closed my eyes.
"How did you survive?""
"I didn't die, Marcus. The hospital reported that I had died because someone changed my records. I was transferred under another identity.""
"Who helped you?""
"Dr. Helen Morris.""
I looked toward the doorway.
Helen had been the person who gave me Sarah's letter.
She had known.
"Why didn't Helen tell me?""
"She believed Robert was monitoring you. She thought telling you would make you a target.""
I pressed my fingers against my forehead.
"Where are you now?""
"I can't tell you.""
"Sarah, I need to see you.""
"I know.""
"Do you still love me?""
The question escaped before I could stop it.
There was a long silence.
Then she whispered, "Every day.""
I began crying.
For four years, I had blamed myself for not being there when she died.
I had replayed our final conversations, searching for something I should have noticed.
And she had been alive.
Somewhere.
Listening to our daughter grow up without her.
"Sarah," I said, "come home.""
"I will. But first, you need to find Grace.""
"Where?""
"With Vanessa.""
My heart tightened.
"Vanessa has Grace?""
"She's been pretending to be pregnant because she needed to explain the money she was receiving. She has been using Grace's existence to convince Robert that she could deliver the child whenever he demanded.""
"Then why hasn't she?""
"Because she wants the trust.""
I looked at Rebecca.
She signaled for me to ask Sarah about the location.
"Where is Vanessa keeping her?""
Sarah hesitated.
"There's an old property near the river. It belonged to Thomas.""
I froze.
"My biological father?""
"Yes. Robert never sold it.""
"What's the address?""
Before she could answer, another voice came through the phone.
A man.
"That's enough, Sarah.""
The call disconnected.
I stared at the screen.
Rebecca immediately instructed the officers to trace the number.
Then she turned toward me.
"Mr. Cole, we're moving.""
"Where?""
"To the property near the river. We have enough evidence to investigate.""
I looked at Daniel.
He was standing silently.
"You're coming with me.""
He nodded.
But as we reached the exit, my phone vibrated again.
A message from Sarah.
*Don't trust Daniel. He knows what happened to Grace.*
I stopped.
Slowly, I turned toward my brother.
He looked at my phone.
Then he looked at me.
May you like
And he whispered:
"She wasn't supposed to tell you that.""
