Chapter 10: The Woman Who Found Me First
The letter slipped slightly in my hands.
For a moment, I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t even understand the words in front of me.
The woman who found you first.
Those words repeated in my head.
Over and over.
I looked at Simone.
She looked like she already knew what the letter said.
That was the worst part.
Not surprise.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
“You knew.””
My voice was barely above a whisper.
Simone’s face crumpled.
“Darius…”
“No.””
I held up the letter.
“You knew this was coming.””
She shook her head.
“I knew your father wrote something.””
“But you knew what it was about.””
She looked away.
That was enough.
The ballroom had become a place full of ghosts.
Every decoration reminded me of the future I thought I had.
The wedding cake.
The flowers.
The chairs filled with people who came to celebrate my happiness.
Instead, they had witnessed the moment my entire life changed.
Ava held my hand.
“Daddy?””
I looked down.
She looked scared.
Not of me.
Of everything.
I squeezed her fingers gently.
“I’m okay.””
But I wasn’t.
Not even close.
I turned back to Simone.
“Start from the beginning.””
She closed her eyes.
“I met your father three months before I met you.””
“Why?””
She swallowed.
“He contacted me because he knew I worked with Lena.””
I looked at Lena.
She nodded slowly.
“Your father found out I was trying to reach you.””
“And he stopped her?””
Lena hesitated.
“Yes.””
My jaw tightened.
“Why?””
Simone answered.
“Because he believed your life would fall apart.””
I laughed quietly.
“My life?””
She looked down.
“He thought you had built a future without knowing about Ava. He thought bringing her into your life would destroy everything.””
I stared at her.
“And you agreed.””
A tear rolled down her face.
“Yes.””
The honesty hurt.
But I needed it.
“Why?””
She took a shaky breath.
“Because I was afraid of becoming the woman who took you away from your dreams.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“I know.””
She wiped her face.
“I told myself I was protecting you. Protecting our relationship. Protecting the life we were building.””
She looked at Ava.
“But every day, I knew I was wrong.””
Ava stared at her.
“Then why didn’t you fix it?””
Simone looked devastated.
Because that question came from the person she had hurt most.
“I don’t have a good answer.””
The room went silent.
And for once, she wasn’t trying to defend herself.
She was admitting it.
I looked at the letter again.
“My father knew about Ava.””
“Yes.””
“He knew before I did.””
“Yes.””
“And he still let me believe I couldn’t have children.””
Simone’s expression changed.
“What?””
I looked at her.
“You told me I couldn’t have kids.””
Her face went pale.
“I never said that.””
I froze.
“What?””
She shook her head.
“I told you doctors were unsure. I told you there might be complications.””
“But you made me believe…”
I stopped.
Because suddenly I remembered.
The conversations.
The uncertainty.
The way she carefully avoided saying the words.
She never actually lied.
She guided me toward the lie.
A different kind of betrayal.
Adrian spoke quietly.
“Your father was afraid of the same thing.””
I turned.
“What thing?””
“That you would hate him.””
I looked at him.
“I do.””
The words came instantly.
And saying them hurt.
Because I didn’t know if I meant them.
I hated what he did.
But he was still my father.
Or the memory of him was.
Lena stepped closer.
“There’s something you should know about Ava.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She glanced at Simone.
“Simone wasn’t the only reason you didn’t know.””
My body went still.
“What are you saying?””
Lena looked down.
“I received messages.””
“From who?””
She didn’t answer.
My chest tightened.
“Lena.””
She looked at me.
“Someone close to you.””
The words felt impossible.
Someone else.
Another person.
Another hidden piece.
“Who?””
Before she could answer, a phone rang.
Everyone looked around.
The sound came from Simone’s purse.
She froze.
“No.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
She reached for the bag.
But I got there first.
The screen lit up.
One name appeared.
Dad.
I looked at Simone.
Then at the phone.
My father was dead.
So who was calling from his number?
I answered.
Nobody spoke.
Only breathing.
Then a voice whispered:
“Darius…”
My blood turned cold.
Because I knew that voice.
I had heard it every day growing up.
“Mom?””
The call went silent.
May you like
Then my mother said:
“Please don’t trust everything Lena is telling you.””
