Chapter 6: The Father I Never Knew About
The man who entered the chapel looked like someone who had spent years carrying anger.
He was tall, wearing a gray jacket, his face tense and exhausted.
He didn’t look at the decorations.
He didn’t look at the broken wedding.
He only looked at Lily.
My body reacted before my mind did.
I stepped in front of her.
The same way I had at the altar.
The same way I would every time.
“Who are you?””
The man stopped.
His eyes moved from me to Lily.
Then back to me.
“I’m here to see my daughter.””
The words hit the room like a gunshot.
My daughter.
Nobody breathed.
Lily looked up at me.
“Daddy?””
I kept my eyes on him.
“Don’t move.””
The man looked hurt.
Not angry.
Hurt.
“My name is Andre.””
I didn’t care.
“You need to leave.””
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“Marcus.””
I turned.
Her face was pale.
“You know him?””
She looked away.
That was enough.
“You knew?””
Andre stepped forward.
“Vanessa didn’t tell you.””
I looked at her.
“Tell me what?””
Nobody answered.
Andre laughed quietly.
A painful laugh.
“I guess she really was going to marry you without telling you.””
My fists tightened.
“Tell me what.””
Andre looked at Lily.
“Lily isn’t just your daughter.””
The room went silent.
I felt the world stop.
“What did you say?””
Andre swallowed.
“She’s mine too.””
Lily grabbed my hand.
I looked down at her.
She looked terrified.
I immediately lowered myself beside her.
“Baby, look at me.””
Her eyes met mine.
“Nothing changes.””
But inside, everything was changing.
I stood again.
“You’re saying you’re Lily’s father?””
Andre nodded.
“I’m saying I’m her biological father.””
The words felt impossible.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You knew.””
She whispered:
“Yes.””
The pain of that answer was worse than anger.
“You knew?””
“I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
She couldn’t answer.
“When after the wedding?””
Silence.
Richard closed his eyes.
Like he had expected this moment.
“You should have told him months ago,” he said.
Vanessa looked at him.
“You don’t understand.””
Andre laughed bitterly.
“No, she’s right. Nobody understands what Vanessa does until it’s too late.””
I looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
Andre stepped closer.
“Ask her why she needed Lily gone.””
My heart sank.
Again.
The same question.
The same secret.
Vanessa shook her head.
“Marcus, it’s not what you think.””
“Then what is it?””
Andre looked at her.
“Tell him.””
She said nothing.
Andre continued.
“She wasn’t trying to remove Lily because of the wedding.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Then why?””
He looked at Lily.
“Because she was afraid I would come back.””
The chapel became silent.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You knew he existed.””
“Yes.””
“You knew he could come back.””
“Yes.””
“And you said nothing.””
Her eyes filled.
“I was trying to protect us.””
I shook my head.
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You were protecting yourself.””
Andre looked at the documents on the table.
“That’s why she needed you to sign.””
I looked at him.
“What does my signature have to do with you?””
Andre took a breath.
“Everything.””
Before he could explain, Lily suddenly spoke.
A small voice.
But everyone heard it.
“Daddy…”
I turned.
“What?””
She looked at Andre.
Then at me.
“He came to our house before.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Andre’s face changed.
Vanessa looked terrified.
Lily’s eyes filled with tears.
“He told Vanessa he wanted to talk to me.””
I looked at Vanessa.
“When?””
She whispered:
“Two months ago.””
“Two months?””
My voice cracked.
“You let a stranger come near my daughter?””
“He wasn’t a stranger.””
“Not to you.””
The words hurt.
Vanessa looked down.
Richard stepped forward.
“Marcus, there’s something else.””
I looked at him.
“What now?””
He pointed toward the document.
“The agreement wasn’t only about guardianship.””
My hands tightened.
“What was it about?””
Richard looked at Andre.
Then at Vanessa.
“It was a legal arrangement involving custody.””
The room went quiet.
Andre spoke.
“And if Marcus signed it…”
He stopped.
I stared.
“If I signed what?””
Andre looked at Lily.
Then said:
“You would have given Vanessa control before the court ever heard my claim.””
My blood ran cold.
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
From an unknown number.
One sentence.
*YOU STILL DON’T KNOW WHO VANESSA WAS REALLY PROTECTING YOU FROM.*
I looked at the screen.
Then at Vanessa.
Her face changed when she saw the message.
May you like
And she whispered:
“They found me.””
