Chapter 7: The Girl Who Called Me Dad
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
The voice on the phone was young, frightened, and strangely familiar.
"Dad?""
I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter.
"Who are you?""
"My name is Lily.""
I looked at the photograph still open on my screen.
The dark curls.
The silver necklace.
Sarah's necklace.
"How old are you?"" I asked.
"I'm twenty.""
My mind raced.
Sarah had given birth to Lily four years before Maya. That would make Lily twenty now.
"Where are you?""
"I can't tell you that yet.""
"Why not?""
"Because Vanessa knows I'm talking to you.""
I glanced at Rachel.
She had stopped moving.
"Lily, listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you. If you're Sarah's daughter, I want to meet you.""
A quiet laugh came through the phone.
It wasn't a happy laugh.
"You said that once before.""
I froze.
"What?""
"When I was little. You told me you would come back for me.""
My chest tightened.
"I don't understand.""
"Vanessa showed me photographs of you. She told me you were my father.""
I closed my eyes.
That was impossible.
I had never met Lily.
Sarah had never mentioned her.
But Lily sounded certain.
"Your mother and I didn't meet until you were already a child," I said carefully.
"I wasn't there when you were born.""
"I know.""
"Then why do you call me Dad?""
There was a long silence.
"Because Sarah told me to.""
My eyes burned.
"Did you know your mother?""
"Only when I was little. I remember her brushing my hair. I remember her singing when I couldn't sleep.""
Lily's voice cracked.
"Then one day, she stopped coming.""
I looked at Sarah's letter on the table.
"She was sick," I whispered.
"I know. Vanessa told me.""
"How did Vanessa know you?""
"She was my guardian.""
I stared at the phone.
"What?""
"After Sarah died, Vanessa came to the facility where I lived. She said she was a family friend. She showed me pictures of you and Maya. She told me she was going to help bring us together.""
I felt sick.
"Why didn't she?""
"She said you didn't want me.""
The kitchen seemed to tilt.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Lily continued.
"She said you had a new family and didn't want complications. She told me Maya was your only daughter.""
I gripped the counter harder.
"That wasn't true.""
"I know that now.""
"How?""
"Because I found the letters.""
"What letters?""
"The ones Sarah wrote before she died. She had been trying to arrange for me to live with you.""
I looked at Rachel.
She was crying silently.
"Lily, where are those letters?""
"Vanessa has some. I have copies.""
"Why did she keep them?""
"Because she didn't want me to know what Sarah had written.""
I took a slow breath.
"Tell me about the necklace.""
Lily touched the silver pendant in her photograph.
"Sarah gave it to me when I was six. She said I should keep it because it belonged to our family.""
"How did Vanessa get it?""
"She took it after the funeral. She told me she would keep it safe.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Why are you wearing it now?""
"Because I found it in her house last month.""
I felt anger rising.
"Where?""
"In a locked drawer.""
"How did you get inside?""
Lily hesitated.
"I was cleaning her office.""
I glanced toward the staircase.
Vanessa had kept Sarah's belongings in a locked drawer?
For years?
"Why were you cleaning her office?""
"Because she offered me a job.""
"What kind of job?""
"Administrative work. She said she needed someone to organize old client files.""
I frowned.
"Client files?""
"Hair purchases. Agreements. Payments.""
My stomach tightened.
"Did you find Maya's name?""
"Yes.""
"Did you find Emma's?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Rachel.
She had gone pale.
"There's something you need to understand," Lily continued.
"Vanessa isn't just selling hair. She's been keeping records of women and girls in the family for years.""
I stared at the phone.
"Why?""
"Because she says our hair is valuable.""
I felt sick.
"What does that mean?""
"She has a private buyer. He pays more for natural hair from women with a particular family background.""
"Who is he?""
"I don't know his real name. Everyone calls him Mr. H.""
I remembered the man in the photograph.
The expensive watch.
The brown envelope.
"Have you met him?""
"Twice.""
"What does he look like?""
"Older. Gray hair. Silver watch. He always wears expensive suits.""
It was the same man.
"Why did he take an interest in our family?""
Lily's voice dropped.
"Because Sarah made an agreement with him years ago.""
I stopped breathing.
"What agreement?""
"I don't know all the details. But I found a folder with her name.""
"Was Sarah involved in selling hair?""
"Not exactly. She worked for him before she met you.""
My mind went blank.
Sarah?
The woman who used to braid Maya's hair every Sunday?
The woman who hated the idea of cutting it?
"Why would she work for someone like that?""
"She was young. She needed money. But she stopped when she found out what he was doing.""
I sat down.
"What was he doing?""
"Buying hair from women who couldn't afford to refuse.""
I looked toward the hallway.
Lily continued.
"Sarah wanted out. She took copies of his records. She told him she would expose everything if he ever contacted her family.""
"Did she succeed?""
"I don't think so.""
I stared at the letter.
Sarah had been trying to protect us.
Even after her death.
"Where are you now, Lily?""
"I told you. I can't say.""
"You're twenty. You're an adult. You can come here.""
"I want to.""
"Then come.""
She began crying.
"There's a reason I haven't.""
"What reason?""
"Vanessa has my passport.""
I stood abruptly.
"What?""
"She says she has legal control over some of my documents because of the old agreement. She keeps telling me I owe her money.""
I closed my eyes.
Another debt.
Another girl.
Another story.
"How much?""
"Six thousand dollars.""
I stared at Rachel.
She shook her head.
"That's not possible.""
Lily continued.
"She says it's for my accommodation, education, and everything she spent raising me.""
"Did she raise you?""
"No.""
Her voice became bitter.
"I lived in a residential facility. She visited sometimes. She only became interested in me again when I turned eighteen.""
I felt my hands curl into fists.
"Listen carefully. Don't meet her alone. Don't sign anything. I'll get help.""
"Please hurry.""
"I will.""
Before I could ask anything else, Lily whispered:
"Dad, there's one more thing.""
"What?""
"Vanessa told me Maya wasn't supposed to be the first girl.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who was?""
Lily answered quietly.
"Me.""
The call ended.
I immediately tried calling back.
The number was switched off.
I looked at Rachel.
"She's in danger.""
Rachel nodded.
Then she pointed toward the front door.
A white envelope had been pushed underneath it.
I walked over and picked it up.
Inside was a printed photograph.
It showed Lily standing outside our house.
The photograph had been taken that morning.
On the back, someone had written:
*ONE FAMILY. THREE DAUGHTERS. ONE UNFINISHED AGREEMENT.*
May you like
And beneath that, in smaller handwriting:
*Tell Michael to stop looking.*
