Chapter 8: The Person Who Wanted Emma Gone
Nobody spoke after Marcus said those words.
Not because we didn’t have questions.
Because we had too many.
The letter remained open on the table.
A simple piece of paper.
A lifetime of damage.
Marcus placed it down carefully.
“Who?””
Arthur looked away.
Marcus’s voice rose.
“Who wanted my daughter gone?””
Arthur didn’t answer.
Alicia did.
“I don’t know.””
Marcus looked at her.
“You don’t know?””
She shook her head.
“I knew someone was trying to separate us. I knew someone wanted me away from Emma. But I never knew everything.””
Vanessa’s face changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Marcus noticed.
“You know.””
“No.””
“You do.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I know what I was told.””
“By who?””
She said nothing.
Marcus stepped closer.
“By who?””
Her silence became unbearable.
Then Arthur spoke.
“Marcus.””
Everyone looked at him.
“You need to understand something.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
Arthur looked older than he had moments before.
“Some secrets are not kept because people are cruel.””
Marcus laughed softly.
“Really?””
Arthur continued.
“Sometimes they are kept because people are afraid of what happens when the truth comes out.””
I looked at him.
“And what happens?””
Arthur looked at me.
“The family changes.””
I held Emma tighter.
“The family already changed.””
Arthur nodded.
“I know.””
Alicia looked toward Vanessa.
“Tell him.””
Vanessa’s eyes filled with anger.
“You don’t get to ask me for honesty.””
Alicia stared.
“You lied for years.””
“So did you.””
The words hit the room.
Marcus looked between them.
“What does that mean?””
Alicia went silent.
Marcus noticed.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
She looked down.
Then she whispered:
“There’s something I never told you about Emma’s birth.””
My heart sank.
Another secret.
Another hidden piece.
Marcus looked exhausted.
“What now?””
Alicia swallowed.
“Emma wasn’t supposed to be born in that hospital.””
Everyone froze.
Marcus stared.
“What?””
“I was moved.””
“Why?””
Alicia looked at Arthur.
“Because someone found out I was pregnant.””
Marcus’s face hardened.
“Who?””
Alicia shook her head.
“I never saw them.””
“Then how do you know?””
“Because the night Emma was born…”
She stopped.
Her eyes moved to Vanessa.
“The hospital records disappeared.””
Vanessa immediately looked away.
Marcus saw.
“You.””
Vanessa shook her head quickly.
“No.””
“You know about the records.””
“I heard rumors.””
“From who?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Marcus turned to Arthur.
“Dad.””
Arthur looked broken.
“I found out later.””
“Later?””
“Yes.””
Marcus stared.
“You found out my daughter’s identity was being hidden and you waited?””
Arthur’s voice cracked.
“I was trying to protect you.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at Emma.
“You were protecting yourself.””
The words hurt Arthur.
I saw it.
But I also knew Marcus was right.
For years, everyone had made decisions around him.
Nobody had trusted him with the truth.
Emma suddenly spoke.
“Mommy?””
I looked down.
“Yes, baby?””
She pointed toward the photograph.
“Is that me?””
Everyone went quiet.
I looked at the photo.
The baby.
The hospital room.
The unknown man.
I didn’t know what to say.
So I told the truth.
“I don’t know.””
Emma frowned.
“Why?””
That one word hurt more than everything else.
Why?
Why didn’t we know?
Why had adults allowed a child to become the center of a war she never started?
Marcus knelt beside her.
“Emma.””
She looked at him.
“Daddy’s sorry.””
“For what?””
His eyes filled.
“For not knowing everything.””
Emma touched his face.
“It’s okay.””
The innocence of that moment broke something inside all of us.
Then the front door shook.
A loud knock.
Everyone turned.
Arthur looked confused.
“We’re not expecting anyone.””
The knock came again.
Harder.
Marcus moved toward the hallway.
“No one leaves.””
Vanessa looked frightened.
Alicia whispered:
“They found us.””
Marcus stopped.
“Who?””
Before anyone answered, a voice came from the other side of the door.
A man’s voice.
Calm.
Confident.
A voice that made Arthur go completely still.
“Arthur.””
Nobody moved.
The man knocked again.
“I know you’re in there.””
Arthur whispered:
“No.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Who is that?””
Arthur didn’t answer.
The voice continued.
“Open the door.””
A pause.
“Or I’ll tell Marcus everything myself.””
Marcus stared at his father.
May you like
And for the first time that night…
Arthur looked afraid.
