Chapter 13: The Truth About My First Baby
"Tell me who killed my father.""
My voice sounded unfamiliar, even to me.
On the other end of the phone, Tyler was breathing heavily.
"I can't explain this over the phone.""
"You've had three years to explain it.""
"Emily, please. You need to understand that everything I did was because I was trying to protect myself.""
I looked at Sarah.
She immediately gestured for me to keep him talking.
"Protect yourself from what?""
"From Richard. From Daniel. From the things they know.""
I closed my eyes.
"Did you know our first baby wasn't yours?""
Silence.
Then Tyler whispered, "Yes.""
The word hit harder than anything he'd said at the cruise terminal.
I gripped the phone.
"How long?""
"Since the night of the accident.""
"Who was the father?""
He didn't answer.
"Tyler!""
"Emily, it doesn't matter anymore.""
"It mattered when I was lying in a hospital bed crying over a baby I thought we'd lost together!""
His voice cracked.
"I know.""
"No, you don't. You went home afterward. You went back to work.
You told everyone you were grieving. I spent months blaming myself.""
He started crying.
"I didn't know what else to do.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You could have told me the truth.""
"I was afraid.""
"Of what?""
"Of losing you.""
I stared at the photograph of the black SUV on Sarah's computer.
"Who was driving that vehicle?""
Tyler remained silent.
"Was it you?""
"Yes.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why were you following us?""
"Because Daniel told me you were going to meet someone.""
"Who?""
"Richard.""
My stomach tightened.
"What did Richard want with me?""
Tyler exhaled.
"He knew about the pregnancy. He told Daniel that your father was trying to keep you away from him.""
I couldn't make sense of it.
"Why would Richard care about my pregnancy?""
"Because he believed the baby might be his.""
The room seemed to tilt.
I remembered a summer three years earlier.
My father had introduced me to several business associates at a charity fundraiser. One of them had been Richard Cole.
He'd been friendly.
He'd complimented my work.
He'd asked whether I was happy in my marriage.
I'd thought nothing of it.
But now I remembered that he'd called me several times afterward.
I'd stopped answering when Tyler became uncomfortable.
"Are you saying Richard believed he was the father of my baby?""
"Yes.""
"Was he?""
Tyler hesitated.
"I don't know.""
I felt tears run down my face.
"How could you not know?""
"Because I found messages between you and Richard. I thought something had happened.""
I stared at the phone.
"Tyler, Richard was my father's business partner. He helped me arrange a charity event. Those messages were about donations.""
"I didn't know that.""
"You never asked!""
"I was angry.""
"So you followed us in a car?""
Tyler's voice became desperate.
"Daniel told me Richard was going to take you away. I followed your car because I wanted to confront him.""
"And then?""
"I lost control. I tried to get around you. There was another car coming. I swerved, hit the barrier, and the SUV struck your vehicle.""
My entire body went cold.
"You caused the accident.""
"I didn't mean to.""
"You were following me while I was pregnant!""
"I know.""
"And you let me believe it was an unavoidable collision.""
He began sobbing.
"Emily, I was terrified. You were bleeding. I thought you were going to die. When the doctors told me about the baby, I couldn't tell you what happened.""
I pressed my hand against my mouth.
For three years, I'd carried the guilt of losing that pregnancy.
I'd wondered whether stress, exhaustion, or something I'd eaten had caused it.
I'd blamed myself.
And the man who had caused the accident had slept beside me every night afterward.
"Did my father find out?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"A few weeks later. He found the original police report and confronted me.""
"What did he say?""
Tyler's voice dropped.
"He told me he was going to the police.""
I looked at Sarah.
She was writing everything down.
"Then why is my father dead?""
"I didn't kill him.""
"Who did?""
Tyler took a shaky breath.
"Daniel.""
My mother let out a cry.
I felt the room freeze.
"What did Daniel do?""
"Your father had recorded our conversation. Daniel knew about it. He went to the hospital to get the recording.""
"And?""
Tyler's voice broke.
"They argued. Your father refused to give him the USB drive. Daniel called Richard.""
I closed my eyes.
"What happened next?""
"I wasn't there when it happened. But Daniel told me later that he switched something in your father's medication.""
My mother collapsed into the chair beside her.
Sarah immediately signaled for the call to be recorded and contacted the authorities.
I could barely hear anything.
My brother had caused the accident that destroyed my first pregnancy.
He had helped Tyler steal my inheritance.
He had lied about my mental health.
And now Tyler was telling me he'd murdered our father.
"Why didn't you report him?"" I whispered.
"Because Richard threatened me.""
"With what?""
"He had the original evidence from the accident. He said if I went to the police, he'd make sure I went to prison for what happened to the baby.""
I looked down at Piper and Poppy.
"Did you ever think about them?""
Tyler started crying harder.
"Every day.""
"No. You thought about yourself every day.""
I ended the call.
Sarah was already speaking to the police.
Within minutes, officers were on their way.
But before they arrived, another message appeared on my phone.
It was from Daniel.
Tyler is lying. He knows what really happened to your father.
Then came a photograph.
Daniel was standing beside a hospital bed.
The person lying in it was Richard Cole.
May you like
And beneath the photograph was a final message.
Richard is awake. He wants to tell you who actually killed Robert.
