Chapter 13: The Baby in the Second Crib
For several seconds, I couldn't understand what I was looking at.
The photograph showed two hospital bassinets.
One contained a newborn wearing a white identification bracelet.
The other contained a baby wrapped in a pale yellow blanket.
My father had written two names beneath the image.
*NOAH HAYES.*
*VANESSA REED.*
I looked at Eleanor.
"Are you telling me Vanessa was born the same night as Noah?""
Eleanor nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
"Why was I never told?""
"Because your mother made sure nobody discussed it.""
I stared at the photograph.
"That doesn't explain why Vanessa's name was written beside Noah's.""
Eleanor took a breath.
"Your mother had discovered something about the hospital records. Vanessa was born prematurely, and her mother died shortly afterward. Richard Reed was desperate to protect his daughter.""
"From what?""
"From a medical mistake.""
I looked down at the documents.
Eleanor pointed to a section near the bottom.
"Vanessa had been transferred to intensive care shortly after delivery. Her original identification bracelet was damaged during an emergency procedure.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Was her identity ever confirmed?""
"That's what the missing records were supposed to establish.""
I looked at the photograph again.
There were two bassinets.
Two babies.
Two sets of records.
And one woman who had spent years making sure nobody compared them.
My phone remained pressed against my ear.
Emily was still waiting.
"Marcus?"" she asked.
"Are you there?""
"I'm here.""
"Did you find the photograph?""
"Yes.""
"Then you need to know something. Your mother told me that Vanessa was involved in the original identification process. She said Vanessa's father had asked her to help because he was afraid of losing his daughter.""
I closed my eyes.
"Emily, did you ever suspect Noah's identity had been confused with another baby's?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because the hospital gave me two different identification numbers on two separate documents. I questioned it, but Dr. Reed told me it was an administrative correction.""
I looked at Eleanor.
She was listening carefully.
Emily continued.
"After you and I separated, I tried to obtain Noah's original medical records. Your mother had already arranged for them to be restricted.""
"Did you ever see the original file?""
"No. But I saw a photograph of the two bassinets.""
My heart hammered.
"Where?""
"At your father's old study. Margaret had left it inside a desk drawer.""
I stared at the photograph in my hand.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I tried, Marcus. You remember what happened.""
I did.
I remembered Emily showing me a picture during the final months of our marriage.
I remembered accusing her of inventing problems.
I remembered telling her that my mother would never interfere with our child.
I had been wrong.
Emily's voice softened.
"Marcus, I don't know whether the babies were ever mixed up. But I know someone deliberately altered the records.""
I looked at the names again.
"Then we need a proper investigation.""
"Yes.""
I ended the call.
Eleanor stood and walked toward the kitchen.
"I have something else.""
She returned carrying a small metal case.
Inside were two hospital identification bracelets.
One was white.
The other was yellow.
The white bracelet carried Noah's name.
The yellow one carried Vanessa's.
I examined the dates.
They were identical.
But the identification numbers were different from the ones on the official birth certificates.
"Where did you get these?""
"Your father recovered them from the hospital's disposal records. He suspected the bracelets had been switched.""
My hands trembled.
"Why would anyone switch them?""
Eleanor looked at me.
"Because Margaret believed that if the hospital couldn't establish which baby was which, she could control the legal consequences.""
I frowned.
"That still doesn't make sense.""
"Your father believed Margaret wanted to protect the family trust from a claim connected to Vanessa.""
"What claim?""
Eleanor hesitated.
Then she said:
"Vanessa's mother was a Hayes.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
"Her name was Catherine Hayes before she married Richard Reed.""
I felt the air leave my lungs.
Catherine had been my father's younger sister.
Vanessa and I were related.
I slowly sat down.
"You're saying Vanessa is my cousin?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Your mother knew. Your father knew. Richard knew.""
I stared at the photograph.
The woman holding the baby.
The woman Margaret had tried to erase.
Catherine.
My aunt.
"Why did nobody tell me?""
"Because your mother was ashamed of the family scandal.""
"What scandal?""
Eleanor looked toward the window.
"Catherine became pregnant while she was unmarried. Your grandfather disapproved. She left the family, married Richard, and refused to return.""
I shook my head.
"That doesn't explain the money.""
"No. But it explains why Margaret wanted Vanessa's identity and inheritance separated from the Hayes family.""
I looked at the bracelets again.
Then something occurred to me.
If Vanessa was my cousin, why had she been allowed to marry me?
Why had my mother encouraged the marriage?
Why had she arranged for Vanessa to become part of Noah's life?
I looked at Eleanor.
"Did Vanessa know we were related?""
Eleanor's expression changed.
"Yes.""
My stomach tightened.
"Since when?""
"Since before your wedding.""
I stood.
"She knew?""
"Your mother told her.""
I felt physically sick.
The woman I had married had known we were cousins.
She had allowed me to believe we were strangers who had fallen in love.
And my mother had helped arrange it.
I reached for my phone.
I called Vanessa.
She answered after one ring.
"Marcus?""
"Did you know Catherine was my father's sister?""
Silence.
Then a quiet sob.
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
"How long?""
"Before our wedding.""
"Did you know we were cousins?""
"Yes.""
I gripped the phone.
"Why would you marry me?""
She began crying.
"Because I loved you.""
"No. You don't get to use that word right now.""
"Marcus, I swear I didn't understand everything at first.""
"You knew enough to hide it.""
"I was afraid.""
"Of what?""
She whispered:
"Of losing the only family I had left.""
I stared at the wall.
"Your father knew?""
"Yes.""
"My mother?""
"Yes.""
"And Emily?""
Vanessa began crying harder.
"Emily found out.""
"When?""
"Before your divorce.""
I felt the last piece fall into place.
Emily hadn't been inventing accusations.
She had been trying to warn me.
I ended the call.
Eleanor placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Marcus, there is one more thing you need to know.""
I looked at her.
"Your father believed the babies were never switched.""
I frowned.
"Then why did he keep the bracelets?""
"Because he discovered something worse.""
She opened the metal case again and removed a folded note.
It was written by my father.
Margaret arranged the medical record changes because Catherine's child was entitled to a portion of the Hayes estate.
I read the sentence twice.
Eleanor continued.
"Vanessa was supposed to inherit money from the family trust. But Margaret didn't want to share it with Catherine's descendants.""
I looked at the photograph.
"Then why did she give Vanessa seventy-five thousand dollars?""
"Because she wanted Vanessa to help her keep control of the estate.""
My phone buzzed.
A message from Emily.
*Marcus, I just received the original DNA results from the hospital. They confirm Noah is your biological son. But the second report concerns Vanessa.*
I opened the attachment.
It was a genetic relationship report.
The result showed that Vanessa and I shared a close biological relationship.
I stared at the screen.
Then I noticed the second page.
It contained a note from the laboratory.
*Additional family relationship detected.*
The person who had requested the test was Margaret.
The date was three months before my wedding.
I looked at Eleanor.
"Did my mother know exactly who Vanessa was?""
Eleanor nodded.
"She knew.""
Then she said something that made my heart sink.
"Marcus, your mother didn't bring Vanessa into your life because she wanted her to become Noah's stepmother.""
I looked at her.
"Why, then?""
"She wanted Vanessa close enough to control what happened when Noah inherited the estate.""
I stared at the DNA report.
Then I saw the final line.
*Subject Vanessa Reed is biologically related to Marcus Hayes through the paternal family line.*
I felt the room spin.
My mother had known.
My wife had known.
And they had both allowed me to build a marriage on a lie.
But the worst part was still waiting.
Because the second genetic report contained another name.
*CATHERINE HAYES.*
The woman who had died the night Vanessa was born.
And beside her name was a handwritten note.
*Possible explanation for original hospital identification discrepancy.*
I looked at Eleanor.
"What does that mean?""
She closed her eyes.
"It means Margaret may have been right about one thing.""
"What?""
May you like
Eleanor's voice broke.
"One of those babies was never supposed to leave the hospital under the name printed on its bracelet.""
