Chapter 8: The Handwriting
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Darnell stared at the letter in his hands.
“That isn't mine.””
Rochelle shook her head.
“It is.””
“No.””
“I know your handwriting.””
Darnell looked furious.
“You think I wrote this?””
“I know you did.””
Kiara stepped between them.
“Stop.””
Both turned toward her.
She held out her hand.
“Give me the letter.””
Darnell handed it over.
Kiara studied the writing.
The letters were uneven, rushed.
She recognized the same sharp capital D from birthday cards Darnell had written when she was little.
But recognition wasn't proof.
She looked at him.
“Did you write this?””
Darnell's voice broke.
“No.””
Rochelle whispered, “Then why does it look exactly like yours?””
“I don't know.””
Andre took the paper.
“There might be another explanation.””
Kiara looked at him.
“Like what?””
“Someone copied his handwriting.””
Darnell stared at the letter.
“Why would anyone do that?””
“To make you believe something.””
Rochelle suddenly said, “Or to make Marcus believe it.””
Kiara turned.
“What do you mean?””
Rochelle looked toward the open safe.
“Marcus was suspicious of everyone.””
“Because of me?””
“Because of the baby.””
Kiara's eyes narrowed.
“What exactly did he suspect?””
Rochelle lowered her voice.
“He suspected Darnell was your biological father.””
Darnell closed his eyes.
“And you let him believe that?””
“I didn't know what to tell him.””
“You could have told him the truth.””
“I didn't know the truth!””
Kiara slammed the letter onto the metal shelf.
“Enough!””
Her voice echoed through the basement.
“You've both spent my entire life speaking around the truth.””
She pointed at Darnell.
“You raised me.””
Then at Rochelle.
“You gave birth to me.””
Then at Andre.
“You pretended you might be my father.””
Andre looked down.
“And Marcus believed I was his daughter.””
Nobody corrected her.
Kiara continued.
“So what I need now is simple. Who was my biological father?””
Rochelle's face crumpled.
“I don't know.””
Kiara stared at her.
“You don't know?””
“I thought I knew.””
“Who?””
Rochelle looked at Darnell.
“Darnell.””
Darnell went pale.
“What?””
“You were the only person I was with around that time.””
Darnell shook his head.
“Then why did Marcus think he might be the father?””
“Because I told him there was a chance.””
“You told him?””
“Yes.””
Darnell stepped backward.
“Rochelle…”
“I was terrified.””
“Of what?””
“That he'd leave.””
“So you lied?””
“I told him I wasn't sure.””
Darnell looked at Kiara.
“I didn't know.””
Kiara's tears returned.
“Did you ever suspect?””
“No.””
“Not once?””
Darnell's voice became softer.
“I didn't need a blood test to love you.””
Kiara looked away.
Andre suddenly noticed something inside the safe.
“Wait.””
He reached in and pulled out the black box.
It was small enough to fit in one hand.
There was no lock.
He opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Dozens of them.
Kiara picked up the first.
It showed Rochelle standing beside Marcus.
She was pregnant.
Her hand rested over her stomach.
On the back was a date.
Three weeks before Kiara's birth.
Kiara picked up another.
Marcus was smiling beside Rochelle.
On the back, three words were written:
*I KNOW NOW.*
Kiara's breathing quickened.
“What did he know?””
Andre searched through the photographs.
Then he stopped.
He held one up.
It showed Darnell standing outside a hospital.
Kiara stared at it.
“Why was he there?””
Rochelle looked terrified.
“I don't remember that.””
Darnell took the photograph.
The date was the day Kiara was born.
He stared at it.
“I was working.””
Kiara looked at him.
“You told me you were at the hospital.””
“I was.””
“But you said you arrived after Mom gave birth.””
Darnell's face changed.
“I…”
He couldn't finish.
Kiara stepped closer.
“What happened that day?””
Darnell stared at the photograph.
Then he noticed something written on the back.
His own handwriting.
*She can't know what happened before midnight.*
He dropped it.
Kiara picked it up.
“What's before midnight?””
Darnell shook his head.
“I don't remember.””
Rochelle suddenly screamed.
“Yes, you do.””
Everyone turned.
Rochelle was crying.
“You remember.””
Darnell stared at her.
“You were there.””
“Where?””
“At the hospital.””
“What happened?””
Rochelle covered her mouth.
“You came into my room.””
“Why?””
“You asked me whether Marcus had come.””
Darnell's face went blank.
Kiara whispered, “Did he?””
Rochelle nodded.
“Marcus came to the hospital that night.””
Kiara's eyes widened.
“But he died before I was born.””
“He didn't die until after midnight.””
The room went silent.
Kiara stared at her mother.
“So Marcus saw me?””
Rochelle nodded.
“He held you.””
Kiara's tears fell.
“Then what happened?””
Rochelle looked at Darnell.
“Darnell took you.””
Darnell's voice trembled.
“I don't remember.””
“You carried her out of the room.””
“Why?””
May you like
Rochelle whispered:
“Because Marcus was still alive.””
