Chapter 11: The Bride Was My Sister
I stared at my mother.
Then I stared at Vanessa.
She had gone completely still.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
“No,” I whispered.
Mom nodded through her tears.
“I'm sorry.””
I shook my head.
“No. That's impossible.””
Vanessa stepped backward.
“Evelyn, stop.””
Mom looked at her.
“I'm sorry, Anna.””
The name seemed to drain the color from Vanessa's face.
“Don't call me that.””
I looked between them.
“Somebody explain what is happening.””
Mom picked up the photograph.
“This was taken three days after your father and I lost contact with Anna. She was born prematurely. Your grandmother arranged for her to be transferred to another hospital.””
“Why?””
Mom swallowed.
“Charles said the baby needed specialist treatment. He offered to arrange everything.””
Charles.
His name appeared in every terrible chapter of our family history.
“What happened after that?””
Mom looked down.
“We were told Anna had died.””
“But she didn't.””
“No.””
Vanessa suddenly began laughing.
It was a broken, frightened sound.
“You expect me to believe this?””
Mom reached into the envelope and removed another document.
A birth certificate.
The original one.
The name was clear.
Anna Evelyn Bennett.
Mother: Evelyn Bennett.
Father: Daniel Bennett.
Vanessa took it from her.
Her fingers trembled.
“That's not my name.””
Mom whispered, “It was.””
I felt sick.
“Vanessa, did you know?””
She shook her head.
“I didn't know anything.””
I looked at her.
“You knew about my inheritance. You knew about my father. You knew about Grace. How can you expect me to believe you knew nothing about this?””
“Because I didn't!””
She threw the certificate onto the table.
“My parents told me I was adopted. Patricia said my biological mother had died during childbirth. She said my father was a businessman who didn't want me.””
Mom covered her face.
“I was alive.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“You abandoned me.””
“I was told you were dead.””
“You should have checked!””
Mom began sobbing.
I couldn't speak.
The woman I had planned to marry was apparently my sister.
The person who had humiliated my mother was her missing daughter.
The woman I had kissed, held, and promised to spend my life with had been connected to my family long before we met.
I moved away from her.
“Did you ever feel anything?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Marcus—”
“Don't call me that.””
She started crying.
“I didn't know.””
“Did you ever wonder why your father insisted you marry me?””
She looked down.
“Charles told me you were the key to everything.””
“What did he mean?””
“He said your grandmother's trust would become easier to control if our families were legally connected.””
I stared at her.
“So even if you didn't know we were siblings, you knew your father was using you.””
“Yes.””
“And you still agreed.””
She nodded.
I turned away.
Mom approached her.
“Anna, sweetheart, I have looked for you for so long.””
Vanessa stepped back.
“Don't.””
“I thought you were dead.””
“You let me grow up believing nobody wanted me.””
“I didn't know.””
Vanessa pointed toward the documents.
“Then why did you never find out? Why didn't you demand proof? Why didn't you search?””
Mom had no answer.
For a moment, I felt sympathy for both of them.
Then Vanessa said something that destroyed it.
“Perhaps this is why Charles wanted me to marry you. He knew the truth would never matter once the trust was transferred.””
I turned.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“Your father left something else.””
“What?””
“A letter.””
She reached into her handbag and removed a small folded page.
It was addressed to Charles.
The handwriting was my father's.
I opened it.
Charles, I know what you've done. I know Anna is alive. I know you've hidden her identity, and I know you've used Patricia to keep her away from Evelyn.
My hands trembled.
I will not allow you to destroy another one of my children. If anything happens to me, the truth must reach Matthew.
I looked at the date.
November 17, 2000.
The day before the accident.
The letter continued.
I have also discovered that the money you have been transferring isn't yours. It belongs to the company and the children you have stolen from this family.
At the bottom was a sentence written in darker ink.
You are not the only person who knows what happened in the car.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Where did you get this?””
“Charles gave it to me.””
“When?””
“Last month.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Why?””
“He said if I married you, he would finally tell me who my real parents were.””
Mom began crying harder.
Vanessa looked at her.
“I thought you were dead.””
Mom stepped closer.
“Anna, please.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Don't.””
She picked up her handbag.
“I need to leave.””
“Where are you going?”” I asked.
“Somewhere away from all of you.””
“You can't just walk out.””
She looked at me.
“Why? You've already lost your wedding. Your mother has lost a daughter. And I've lost the only family I've ever known.””
Then she walked toward the door.
Mom followed.
“Anna!””
Vanessa stopped.
For one second, I thought she might turn around.
Instead, she said quietly:
“My name is Vanessa.””
Then she left.
An hour later, I received a call from Detective Reed.
“Matthew, I need you to come to my office immediately.””
“What happened?””
“I reviewed the original hospital records.””
“And?””
“Your mother wasn't the only woman who gave birth at that hospital on November 3, 1993.””
I felt cold.
“What are you saying?””
“There were two newborn girls transferred under the same authorization.””
I looked at the photograph.
Anna.
Vanessa.
“Who was the other baby?””
The detective paused.
“Your grandmother's private records identify her as Elizabeth.””
I frowned.
“Who is Elizabeth?””
“I believe you've already met her.””
My mind raced.
Then I remembered the wedding.
The guests.
The relatives.
The woman who had been standing beside Mom when Vanessa threw the rose.
My cousin Natalie.
But Natalie wasn't my cousin.
She was my aunt.
I sat down.
“Detective, what does this mean?””
“It means there may have been a second identity exchange.””
He lowered his voice.
“And there's a reason your grandmother never wanted the two girls to meet.””
The call ended.
I looked at Mom.
She had heard everything.
Her face was expressionless.
Then she whispered:
“Margaret didn't just hide Anna.””
May you like
She looked at me.
“She switched the babies.””
