Chapter 4: The Man at the Door
The door opened.
Marcus stood there.
Nia's older brother was still wearing his graduation suit from the ceremony, his blue tie loosened around his collar. His eyes moved from Nia's face to the torn gown, then to Angela.
He stopped breathing.
“Mom?””
Angela stared at him.
“Marcus.””
His expression hardened.
“What are you doing here?””
Nia looked between them.
“You knew she was coming?””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Marcus, go back outside.””
He didn't move.
“What's happening?””
“Nothing,” Vanessa said quickly.
Marcus looked at the ripped gown.
“That's not nothing.””
Nia wiped her cheek.
“Ask her.””
Vanessa's jaw tightened.
Marcus looked at his mother.
“Ask me what?””
Nia pointed at the folder on the floor.
“Why is Mom saying she was looking for me?””
Marcus glanced down.
His face changed.
“What's in that?””
Vanessa bent to pick up the papers.
Marcus caught her wrist.
“Don't.””
Vanessa stared at him.
“Let go.””
“Why are you tearing them?””
“They're lies.””
Marcus looked at Angela.
“Are they?””
Angela didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at her son.
“You were six.””
Marcus blinked.
“What?””
“When they took Nia away, you were six.””
Nia's eyes widened.
Marcus slowly released Vanessa's wrist.
“I don't remember that.””
“You weren't supposed to.””
Vanessa stepped between them.
“Angela, enough.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Mom.””
Vanessa turned.
“What?””
“Why did she just say they took Nia away?””
Silence.
Nia's fingers curled around the torn gown.
Vanessa's voice softened.
“Because your mother is trying to confuse you.””
Marcus shook his head.
“She knows my name.””
“She was always obsessed with us.””
Angela's face went cold.
“I was your mother.””
Marcus flinched.
Nia looked at him.
“Did you know I was adopted?””
Marcus stared at her.
“What?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Nia understood.
“Oh my God.””
Marcus turned toward Vanessa.
“You told me she was your daughter.””
Vanessa swallowed.
“She is.””
“That wasn't my question.””
Vanessa looked away.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Did you know?””
Vanessa's silence answered him.
Marcus's face fell.
Nia could barely hear her own voice.
“How long?””
Vanessa finally looked at her.
“Since you were a baby.””
Nia shook her head.
“No.””
Angela reached for her.
Nia pulled away.
“Don't.””
Angela stopped.
Nia looked at Vanessa.
“You knew she was my mother?””
“Yes.””
“And you kept me from her?””
“I protected you.””
“You lied to me.””
“I gave you a life.””
“You stole mine!””
Her voice cracked through the backstage room.
Outside, the audience erupted in applause.
Nobody backstage moved.
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“I need the truth.””
Vanessa whispered, “You can't handle it.””
“Try me.””
Angela picked up the folder.
“The court record is only part of it.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What else is there?””
Angela opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Several people.
Vanessa's eyes snapped toward the door.
Marcus noticed.
“Who's coming?””
Angela's expression tightened.
“I don't know.””
The footsteps stopped outside.
A woman's voice spoke quietly.
“Ms. Carter?””
Angela froze.
Nia looked at her.
“Mom?””
Angela whispered one word.
“That's the attorney.””
Vanessa's face went pale.
Marcus stared at his stepmother.
“Why would your attorney be here?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
The door opened again.
A Black woman in a charcoal suit stepped inside, carrying a leather briefcase.
She looked directly at Nia.
Then at the torn gown.
Then at Vanessa.
Her expression was grim.
“I'm sorry,” she said.
Vanessa backed away.
“What are you doing here?””
The attorney placed the briefcase on a folding chair.
“I was told not to come unless the original documents were in danger of being destroyed.””
Her eyes settled on the torn pages.
“They are.””
Nia stared at her.
“What documents?””
The attorney looked at Angela.
Angela nodded.
Then the woman opened her briefcase.
“I think you deserve to know what your mother was prevented from seeing eighteen years ago.””
She pulled out a sealed envelope.
Vanessa lunged toward her.
“Don't open that.””
The attorney held it against her chest.
Marcus stepped in front of Vanessa.
“Why?””
Vanessa stared at him.
And for the first time, she didn't have an answer.
The attorney slowly broke the seal.
Inside was a single handwritten letter.
She unfolded it.
Her eyes moved across the first line.
Then she looked at Nia.
“Your mother wrote this the night you were born.””
Nia's lips parted.
“What does it say?””
The attorney looked down at the page.
May you like
And her face went white.
“It says Vanessa was never supposed to have custody of you.””
