Chapter 9: The Woman at the Door
Emily couldn't breathe.
Her own voice had come from the other side of the door.
Ethan gripped her hand.
“Mom, don't.””
Emily stared at the glass.
A woman's silhouette stood beyond it.
Same height.
Same long dark hair.
Same posture.
Ryan looked like he'd seen a ghost.
Marcus whispered,
“This is impossible.””
Natalie shook her head.
“No.””
The woman knocked.
“Emily, please.””
Emily took one step toward the door.
The officer blocked her.
“Stay behind me.””
The woman outside laughed softly.
“I don't want to hurt anyone.””
Emily stared.
“Who are you?””
A pause.
Then:
“You already know.””
Emily looked at Marcus.
He shook his head.
“No.””
The woman spoke again.
“Marcus, you lied to her too.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“Who are you?””
“I'll tell her.””
The officer opened the door only a few inches.
A woman stepped into the foyer.
Black.
Late thirties.
Long black hair.
Dark travel coat.
Her face was almost identical to Emily's.
Almost.
Emily stared at her.
The woman stared back.
Ethan whispered,
“Mom?””
Emily couldn't answer.
Ryan backed away.
The woman looked at him.
“You really thought you could hide me forever?””
Ryan's lips trembled.
“I thought you were dead.””
“I was never dead.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“You were in the hospital.””
The woman nodded.
“Yes.””
Emily looked between them.
“Who is she?””
The woman answered.
“My name is Emma.””
Emily's face tightened.
“Emma what?””
“Moretti.””
Silence.
Ryan whispered,
“No.””
Emma looked at him.
“You remember.””
Emily stepped forward.
“What do you mean, Moretti?””
Emma's eyes filled with tears.
“Because before you married Ryan…”
She paused.
“You weren't the first Emily.””
Emily stared.
Ryan shook his head.
“Don't.””
Emma ignored him.
“There were two of you.””
Emily felt dizzy.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Emma, stop.””
She looked at him.
“You don't get to tell me to stop.””
Then she looked at Emily.
“Your father had an identical twin.””
Emily's mouth opened.
“What?””
Emma continued.
“And when your father died, the family secret died with him.””
Marcus looked furious.
“You don't know what you're talking about.””
Emma reached into her coat.
She pulled out an old photograph.
She handed it to Emily.
Two women stood beside a newborn baby.
One was Emily.
The other was Emma.
Emily's fingers trembled.
“When was this taken?””
Emma answered.
“The day Ethan was born.””
Emily stared at the baby.
Then at the woman standing beside her.
“That's me.””
Emma nodded.
“No.””
Emily looked at her.
“That woman is me.””
Emma shook her head.
“That woman is me.””
Ryan stepped forward.
“Emily, listen to me.””
Emily turned on him.
“Which one of us did you marry?””
Ryan couldn't answer.
Her face crumpled.
“You don't even know?””
Emma looked at Ryan.
“He knows.””
Ryan's eyes closed.
“I knew.””
Emily whispered,
“You knew there were two of us.””
“Yes.””
“And you married me anyway.””
“I didn't know which one you were.””
The words struck the room like a gunshot.
Emily stepped backward.
Ethan looked confused.
“Mom?””
She dropped to her knees.
“I'm here.””
Ethan ran into her arms.
Emily held him tightly.
Emma watched them.
Her expression softened.
“He knows you.””
Emily looked up.
“Who?””
“Ethan.””
Emma's voice trembled.
“He remembers me.””
Ryan shook his head.
“He was a baby.””
“Babies remember voices.””
Emma looked at Ethan.
“Don't you?””
Ethan slowly looked at her.
His face changed.
He stared.
Then whispered,
“You were in my dream.””
Emily's blood ran cold.
Emma began crying.
“I told you I'd come back.””
Ryan suddenly moved toward the door.
The officers stopped him.
“Stay where you are.””
Ryan looked desperate.
“You don't understand. She's dangerous.””
Emma laughed bitterly.
“After everything you did, you're still calling me dangerous?””
Emily stood.
“What did he do?””
Emma looked at Ryan.
“Tell her.””
Ryan shook his head.
Emma turned to Emily.
“He didn't just erase my identity.””
She pointed toward Ethan.
“He tried to erase his.””
Emily's voice trembled.
“Why?””
Emma answered,
“Because Ethan wasn't the child they were looking for.””
Marcus suddenly understood.
His eyes widened.
“Wait.””
Emma looked at him.
“You figured it out.””
Marcus stared at Ethan.
Then at the photograph.
“Ethan has a twin.””
Emily's face went blank.
“No.””
Emma nodded.
“That's why they kept looking.””
Ryan whispered,
“Stop.””
Emma continued.
“The baby in that photograph wasn't Ethan.””
Emily looked at the picture again.
The newborn's face was partially covered.
Her fingers tightened around the edges.
“Where is the other child?””
Emma's eyes moved toward the backyard.
Emily followed her gaze.
Toward the overturned kennel.
Toward the black metal box.
Toward the mansion that suddenly seemed built around a secret.
Emma whispered,
“She never left this house.””
The officer frowned.
“Who?””
Emma looked directly at Emily.
“Your daughter.””
Emily's breath stopped.
Then, from somewhere upstairs, a child's voice called out:
“Mom?””
Emily slowly turned toward the staircase.
A little girl's footsteps began descending.
May you like
And Ryan whispered the one word that made Emily's blood run cold.
“Madison.””
