Chapter 9: The Family I Never Knew
My adoptive father stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Thomas Hayes.
The man who had taught me how to ride a bike.
The man who had held my hand when I got stitches.
The man who had told me every birthday that I was his greatest gift.
He looked at me.
And smiled.
“Hi, Katie.””
My mother staggered backward.
“Thomas.””
He nodded.
“Eleanor.””
Daniel moved in front of me.
“Don't come closer.””
Thomas laughed.
“You always were dramatic, Daniel.””
Milo stared at him.
“You knew.””
Thomas looked at him.
“I knew everything.””
I felt something inside me collapse.
“You're my father.””
Thomas looked at me.
“I raised you.””
“That isn't what I asked.””
He sighed.
“No.””
His answer was quiet.
“I am not your biological father.””
I swallowed.
“Did you know?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
“Since the day you were born.””
My mother started crying.
“You promised me.””
Thomas looked at her.
“I promised Richard.””
She froze.
I looked at Thomas.
“What did Richard promise you?””
“That you'd never come looking.””
“And you agreed?””
“I was twenty-eight years old. I had a wife who couldn't have children. Richard offered us money.””
My stomach turned.
“You bought me.””
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“We loved you.””
“That doesn't make it better.””
“I know.””
I stepped backward.
Milo came beside me.
Thomas looked at him.
“You were supposed to stay gone.””
Milo's expression hardened.
“You tried to kill me?””
Thomas shook his head.
“I never wanted you dead.””
“Then what?””
“I wanted you forgotten.””
Daniel clenched his fists.
“You stole my children.””
Thomas looked at him.
“You abandoned their mother.””
“I was forced out.””
“You still left.””
“I came back.””
“Too late.””
My mother screamed,
“Enough!””
Everyone fell silent.
She walked toward Thomas.
“You promised me you'd protect Kate.””
“I did.””
“From Richard.””
“Yes.””
“You protected her by lying to her for nineteen years.””
Thomas lowered his head.
“I thought the lie was safer.””
My mother shook her head.
“No. You protected yourself.””
Thomas looked at me.
“Your mother wasn't the only one who was afraid.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
He hesitated.
“Because Richard wasn't acting alone.””
Daniel's face changed.
“Who else?””
Thomas looked toward the hallway.
“Your grandfather had partners.””
“Who?””
“People inside the hospital. Lawyers. Bankers. Police.””
My heart pounded.
“You're saying my entire childhood was part of some conspiracy?””
Thomas looked at me sadly.
“Your childhood was real.””
“Then why does none of it feel real?””
He didn't answer.
Milo suddenly pointed at the basement.
“What's down there?””
Thomas looked at him.
“Records.””
“About us?””
“Yes.””
“How many?””
“Everything.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then we're going down.””
Thomas shook his head.
“No.””
“Why?””
“Because Richard isn't the only person coming.””
As if summoned by the words, headlights swept across the broken windows.
Several vehicles.
My mother looked outside.
“How many?””
Thomas counted.
“Four.””
Milo whispered,
“Police?””
Thomas shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at me.
“Mercer's security team.””
Daniel cursed.
Thomas walked toward the basement door.
“There isn't much time.””
I followed.
My mother grabbed my hand.
“Kate, stay with me.””
Milo followed too.
We descended into darkness.
At the bottom was a steel door.
Thomas entered a code.
The lock clicked.
Inside was a small room packed with filing cabinets.
Photographs covered one wall.
I walked toward them.
There was my mother.
Daniel.
Milo.
Me.
And hundreds of photographs of the two of us growing up.
Someone had watched us our entire lives.
I touched one photograph.
It showed me at age five.
Beside me was Milo.
Except he wasn't supposed to be there.
He was standing outside the fence of my school.
Watching me.
The date was written underneath.
*October 17, 2012.*
I turned to Thomas.
“He found me.””
Thomas nodded.
“Milo spent years trying to find you.””
I looked at Milo.
“You knew me?””
“I remembered you.””
“How?””
“We were babies when they separated us.””
He touched the photograph.
“But I remembered your face.””
My mother sobbed.
“I didn't know.””
Thomas opened the final filing cabinet.
Inside was a thick black folder.
He handed it to me.
“This is why Richard kept you alive.””
I opened it.
The first page contained my birth records.
The second contained Milo's.
The third made my blood run cold.
It was a financial agreement.
At the bottom were three signatures.
Richard Mercer.
Thomas Hayes.
And my mother.
I stared at her.
“You signed this?””
She looked horrified.
“I never saw that document.””
Thomas whispered,
“You did.””
“No.””
“You signed it the night they told you Kate was dead.””
My mother shook her head.
“I was drugged.””
Thomas nodded.
“That was the point.””
I turned the page.
There was one final clause.
*Upon reaching the age of nineteen, Katherine Mercer-Hayes shall inherit the Mercer controlling trust, provided her biological identity remains concealed.*
I looked up.
“My inheritance?””
Thomas nodded.
Richard had never wanted me dead.
He wanted control of me.
And tomorrow was my nineteenth birthday.
Then the steel door above us slammed shut.
A voice echoed through the basement.
“Happy birthday, Katherine.””
Richard.
The lights went out.
May you like
And Milo whispered in the darkness,
“Kate… don't open the last file.””
