Chapter 4: The Name on the Report
Aaliyah could hear her own breathing.
Slow.
Shallow.
Too loud.
The stranger stood beneath the stage lights, staring at her with an expression that was impossible to read.
Derrick remained between them.
“You need to leave,” Derrick said.
The man didn't move.
“I've waited twenty-two years.””
“That doesn't give you the right to walk into my daughter's graduation.””
The man's eyes hardened.
“Your daughter?””
He gave a bitter laugh.
“You signed the papers, Derrick. You knew she wasn't yours.””
Aaliyah looked at Derrick.
“You knew?””
Derrick's shoulders dropped.
“I knew there was a possibility.””
“A possibility?””
“I was told the test was inconclusive.””
The man shook his head.
“It wasn't.””
Aaliyah turned toward him.
“Then who are you?””
He swallowed.
“My name is Marcus Reed.””
Monique closed her eyes.
Aaliyah looked at her.
“You know him.””
“Yes.””
“How?””
Monique's voice trembled.
“He was there the night everything happened.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“I was the one who found your mother.””
Renee suddenly stood.
“No.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Yes.””
“You weren't there.””
“I was.””
“You left.””
“I was forced to.””
Renee's face tightened.
“That's not what happened.””
Marcus pointed toward the evidence folder.
“Ask her about the envelope.””
Aaliyah looked down.
“What envelope?””
Marcus nodded toward Monique.
“The one she was carrying when she disappeared.””
Monique slowly opened her mouth.
Renee interrupted.
“She doesn't know anything about that.””
Aaliyah turned.
“You just said I didn't know.””
Renee froze.
Marcus smiled without warmth.
“Twenty-two years, Renee. And you're still terrible at lying under pressure.””
Derrick looked at him.
“Stop talking in riddles.””
“Then let's stop pretending.””
Marcus walked toward the podium.
He pulled a folded document from inside his jacket.
“This is the original birth certificate application.””
He placed it down.
Aaliyah stared at the form.
Her name was written across the top in faded ink.
Below it was a section for the father's information.
The line wasn't blank.
Someone had crossed out the name.
Marcus pointed to the black ink.
“That's my name underneath.””
Aaliyah leaned closer.
She could barely make out the letters.
*Marcus Reed.*
Her fingers touched the paper.
“Why was it crossed out?””
Marcus looked at Renee.
“Because she didn't want anyone to know I existed.””
Renee shook her head.
“That isn't true.””
Marcus's voice became quieter.
“You told Monique that if she went to the police, Aaliyah would disappear too.””
Monique looked down.
Aaliyah's stomach twisted.
“Is that true?””
Monique nodded.
“I was afraid.””
“You were afraid of her?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you fight?””
“I did.””
“Then why leave me?””
Monique's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I thought leaving you was the only way to keep you alive.””
Aaliyah looked away.
The answer hurt more than she expected.
Marcus watched her.
“I should have found you sooner.””
Derrick turned sharply.
“Where were you?””
“In prison.””
Aaliyah looked at him.
“For what?””
Marcus hesitated.
Renee answered instead.
“Murder.””
The word struck the room.
Aaliyah stared at Marcus.
He didn't deny it.
Derrick whispered, “You murdered someone?””
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“I was convicted.””
“Of what?”” Aaliyah asked.
“Your mother's death.””
Monique covered her mouth.
Aaliyah looked from Marcus to Monique.
“But she's alive.””
“I know.””
Marcus pointed toward the evidence folder.
“That's why the conviction was wrong.””
Renee shook her head violently.
“No. No, this is insane.””
Marcus turned toward her.
“You planted evidence.””
Renee's face went white.
“You don't have proof.””
Marcus looked at the sealed folder.
“That's what today is for.””
Calvin stepped toward them.
“Everyone needs to calm down.””
Aaliyah shook her head.
“No.””
She picked up the folder.
“I've been calm for twenty-two years.””
Her voice cracked.
“I'm done being calm.””
She turned toward Renee.
“What did you do?””
Renee stared at her.
“Aaliyah…”
“What did you do to my mother?””
“I never wanted her hurt.””
“But she was.””
“Yes.””
The answer slipped out before Renee could stop it.
Derrick stared at her.
“You just admitted it.””
Renee's eyes widened.
“I meant—”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Tell her.””
Renee backed away.
“You have no idea what you're talking about.””
Monique finally spoke.
“I do.””
Everyone turned.
Monique reached into the folder.
She pulled out a small photograph.
Aaliyah took it.
The photograph showed a young Monique standing beside Marcus.
Between them was a toddler.
Aaliyah.
On the back, handwritten in blue ink, were four words:
*He knows about Renee.*
Aaliyah looked at Marcus.
“What did you know?””
Marcus's eyes lowered.
“I knew Renee was stealing money from your father.””
Derrick stiffened.
“What?””
Marcus continued.
“Your family business was losing money. Not because of the economy. Because someone was moving it into private accounts.””
Derrick turned toward Renee.
“Is that true?””
Renee's lips trembled.
“I can explain.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You can explain why Monique found the accounts.””
Monique whispered, “And why she wanted a divorce.””
Derrick stared at her.
“You were leaving me?””
“I was trying to protect you.””
Renee suddenly shouted.
“You were going to destroy everything!””
Aaliyah flinched.
Renee's composure finally shattered.
“You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to spend twenty years watching everyone worship a woman who was going to take everything from me?””
Derrick stared at her.
“So you made her disappear.””
Renee's eyes moved toward him.
“I didn't kill her.””
Marcus said quietly,
“No.””
He looked at Monique.
“You did something worse.””
Renee stopped breathing.
Monique reached for the folder.
Inside was a final photograph.
A hospital bracelet.
Aaliyah's name.
And a date.
The date of Monique's supposed death.
Aaliyah stared at it.
Then she noticed something else.
The bracelet wasn't Monique's.
It belonged to someone else.
Someone whose name had been blacked out.
“Mom,” Aaliyah whispered.
Monique looked at her.
“Who was wearing this?””
Monique's face collapsed.
“I don't know.””
Marcus stepped closer.
“I do.””
Aaliyah looked at him.
Marcus pointed to the blacked-out name.
“That was the person Renee used to make everyone believe your mother was dead.””
Before Aaliyah could ask who it was, Calvin's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed almost immediately.
“What?””
He listened.
Then slowly looked at Monique.
“The vault was opened.””
Monique's eyes widened.
“By whom?””
Calvin's face tightened.
“Someone using your old authorization code.””
Marcus whispered,
“That code died with her.””
Calvin looked toward Renee.
Renee was already walking toward the stage exit.
Aaliyah saw her.
“Renee!””
May you like
Renee ran.
And the entire auditorium erupted.
