Chapter 14: The Woman Who Wanted My Family
I didn’t blink.
“A deal with who?””
Patricia looked down.
For years, I had only seen her anger.
Her cruelty.
Her arrogance.
But now I saw something else.
Fear.
“Lauren.””
My stomach tightened.
“What deal?””
Patricia swallowed.
“I wanted Daniel to have a different life.””
I almost laughed.
“You wanted to choose his wife?””
“He was unhappy.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You decided he was unhappy.””
Patricia looked at me.
“You don’t understand.””
“I understand perfectly.””
I pointed toward the documents.
“You saw my daughter and decided she didn’t belong.””
Her expression changed.
“She made his life complicated.””
The words were quiet.
But they cut deeper than shouting.
“She is a child.””
“I know.””
“No.””
My voice became cold.
“You know her age. You know her name. But you never saw her as a person.””
Patricia looked away.
Then she whispered:
“Lauren was supposed to make things easier.””
“Easier?””
“Yes.””
“For who?””
She didn’t answer.
Because the answer was obvious.
Not Mia.
Not me.
Not even Daniel.
Only her.
I stood.
“You destroyed your own family.””
Patricia grabbed my wrist.
“Wait.””
I pulled away.
“No.””
Her eyes filled with panic.
“You need to know the rest.””
I stopped.
“What rest?””
She looked around.
Then lowered her voice.
“Daniel doesn’t know everything.””
I stared at her.
“What did you hide?””
She hesitated.
“I paid Lauren.””
My breath stopped.
“You what?””
“I gave her money to get close to Daniel.””
The world became silent.
All the pieces finally connected.
The affair.
The marriage papers.
The replacement plan.
It wasn’t a romance.
It was an arrangement.
“Why?””
Patricia looked at me.
“Because I wanted a different future.””
“For your son?””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“You didn’t want a different future.””
I picked up my bag.
“You wanted control.””
Before I could leave, Patricia said:
“There’s one thing you don’t know.””
I turned.
“What?””
Her voice became smaller.
“Daniel wasn’t the first person I approached.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
She looked at me.
“I tried to convince you to leave before Lauren.””
My stomach tightened.
“When?””
“Years ago.””
I stared at her.
“I never talked to you alone.””
“You did.””
A memory suddenly appeared.
A conversation shortly after Mia’s birth.
Patricia visiting our apartment.
Telling me motherhood was exhausting.
Telling me Daniel needed someone who understood his ambitions.
I thought she was being cruel.
I never realized she was testing me.
“You tried to break us from the beginning.””
Patricia looked down.
“Yes.””
The honesty shocked me.
“Why admit this now?””
She looked toward the window.
“Because Lauren betrayed me.””
I froze.
“What?””
“She stopped following my plan.””
“How?””
Patricia’s face darkened.
“She wants everything now.””
My heart started racing.
“What does that mean?””
“She wants Daniel. She wants my company. She wants the money.””
I stared at her.
“So you created a monster.””
Patricia didn’t answer.
Then my phone rang.
Olivia.
I answered immediately.
“Emma.””
Her voice sounded urgent.
“We found something.””
“What?””
“The full video.””
I looked at Patricia.
“Okay.””
“No, Emma.””
Her voice lowered.
“You need to see this.””
“Why?””
A pause.
Then:
“Because there’s a part where Daniel and Patricia aren’t the only ones in the room.””
My chest tightened.
“Who else?””
Olivia whispered:
“Lauren.””
I looked at Patricia.
She closed her eyes.
Because she already knew.
And suddenly I realized.
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The video wasn’t just going to expose what they did to Mia.
It was going to reveal who started it all.
