Chapter 4: The Name On The Report
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The kitchen felt smaller.
The sound of the refrigerator humming suddenly seemed too loud.
I stared at the report in my hand, unable to understand the words printed on the page.
“Patient reports repeated memories of an incident involving her father.””
My eyes kept returning to the same sentence.
Again.
And again.
“No,” I whispered.
Vanessa didn’t respond.
She just stood there with her arms crossed, watching me.
“Explain this.””
Her expression was unreadable.
“I tried to.””
“You gave me a sentence and a piece of paper.””
“Because you wouldn’t listen.””
I slammed the folder onto the table.
“My daughter was terrified of you. I found notes where you were tracking her behavior like she was a problem to fix. And now you’re showing me a report saying she’s afraid of me?””
Emily was sitting on the couch across the room.
Silent.
Watching.
Vanessa looked at her.
“Emily, go upstairs.””
My daughter immediately grabbed my arm.
“No.””
The way she said it made my heart ache.
Not stubborn.
Not defiant.
Terrified.
Vanessa noticed.
And something changed in her face.
“Emily.””
My daughter shook her head.
“I want Daddy.””
I stepped between them.
“She stays.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“You really don’t remember, do you?””
My blood ran cold.
“Remember what?””
She opened the folder again and pulled out another page.
“This evaluation happened before you adopted Emily.””
I froze.
“What?””
Emily wasn’t biologically mine.
But I had never thought of her as anything except my daughter.
My wife and I had adopted her when she was two years old.
It was the happiest day of my life.
“She was already carrying trauma,” Vanessa continued.
“You knew that.””
“I knew she had a difficult beginning.””
“No. You knew there were gaps in her memory.””
I looked down at Emily.
She was drawing circles on a piece of paper, avoiding our eyes.
“Emily,” I said softly.
“Sweetheart, did something happen before you came to live with us?””
Her pencil stopped.
Vanessa immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t pressure her.””
I looked at my wife.
“Why?””
“Because she doesn’t remember everything.””
“Then why does this report say she does?””
Vanessa looked away.
That was the first time I saw hesitation.
Not anger.
Not manipulation.
Fear.
“I found the building because of that report,” she said.
“What building?””
“The one in the picture.””
My chest tightened.
“Why was Emily there?””
Vanessa took a breath.
“Because I was trying to help her remember.””
I stared at her.
“You took our six-year-old daughter somewhere without telling me?””
“She was having nightmares.””
I didn’t answer.
“She would wake up screaming,” Vanessa continued.
“She kept saying the same things.””
“What things?””
Vanessa’s voice dropped.
“She said a man locked a door.””
The room went quiet.
I looked at Emily.
Her face had gone pale.
“Daddy,” she whispered.
I immediately walked toward her.
“I’m here.””
She grabbed my hand.
“Don’t let Mommy make me go back.””
My heart broke.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“I never hurt her.””
“Then why does she think you will?””
“Because she’s confused.””
“Or because she remembers something you don’t want me to know?””
Vanessa looked at me.
And for the first time, I saw tears forming in her eyes.
“You really think I’m the villain.””
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know anymore.
She picked up the folder.
“There’s more.””
“What?””
She looked at Emily.
Then at me.
“Your daughter’s memories are incomplete.””
My phone suddenly rang.
Unknown number.
The same number that sent the photo.
I answered immediately.
“Who is this?””
A man’s voice came through.
“You need to stop listening to Vanessa.””
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“Who are you?””
“She’s trying to make you believe she saved Emily.””
My eyes moved to Vanessa.
“Who are you?””
The man paused.
Then said:
“I’m the person who knows what happened the night your daughter disappeared.””
The call ended.
May you like
And when I looked back at Vanessa…
She was crying.
