Chapter 10: The Name Behind the Lie
The room went completely silent.
I could hear the clock on the wall ticking.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
Nobody moved.
I looked at Melissa.
Then at my father.
Then back at Melissa.
“What did you just say?””
My voice didn’t sound like mine.
Melissa swallowed.
For the first time, she looked unsure.
“I said your father wasn’t the only man who believed he was your father.””
Dad stepped forward.
“Don’t.””
Melissa looked at him.
“You wanted him to know the truth.””
“No.””
“You wanted honesty.””
“Not like this.””
I felt my hands shaking.
“Dad?””
He didn’t look at me.
That hurt more than anything.
Because I had spent my whole life believing that no matter what happened, my father would always look me in the eyes.
But now he couldn’t.
“Who is Robert?””
Nobody answered.
I raised my voice.
“Who is Robert?””
Dad finally spoke.
“Robert was my best friend.””
“Was?””
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
I looked at Melissa.
“Is he my father?””
The question hung in the room.
Melissa looked at Dad.
Dad looked at the floor.
And that silence was enough to break something inside me.
“No.””
Dad finally said it.
“No, Ethan.””
He walked toward me.
“Robert was not your father.””
“Then why did she say that?””
He looked at Melissa.
“Because she wants to hurt me.””
Melissa shook her head.
“No. Because you spent years hiding behind a lie.””
Dad’s expression changed.
“Melissa, leave.””
She laughed quietly.
“You still don’t understand.””
She pointed at the laptop.
“That video proves I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.””
I looked at the screen.
The hospital footage was still frozen.
Robert standing beside my mother.
A moment nobody wanted me to see.
“Why was he there?””
Dad sat down.
His face looked exhausted.
“Because Robert was helping your mother.””
“Helping her with what?””
He hesitated.
“Finding out the truth.””
My heart pounded.
“What truth?””
Dad rubbed his forehead.
“The truth about your birth.””
The words made my stomach twist.
I thought about the letter.
The photo.
The hospital.
The lies.
Everything connected back to that night.
Melissa walked closer.
“Your mother started asking questions after Ethan was born.””
“Questions about me?””
Dad nodded.
“Yes.””
Melissa looked away.
“I made mistakes.””
I almost laughed.
Mistakes?
Years of cruelty.
Years of secrets.
“Mistakes don’t make someone throw away a child’s food.””
Her face changed.
A flash of shame crossed her eyes.
But it disappeared quickly.
“I know.””
The answer surprised me.
She looked at me.
“I know I was cruel to you.””
Nobody expected her to admit it.
Not even Dad.
“But you reminded me of everything I lost.””
My voice became quiet.
“What did I ever do to you?””
Melissa looked down.
“Nothing.””
The honesty hurt.
“Then why?””
She took a deep breath.
“Because your mother had something I wanted.””
“What?””
Melissa looked at Dad.
“His heart.””
The room became silent.
Dad looked away.
Melissa continued.
“When your mother was alive, she was the only person Michael ever chose first.””
I stared at her.
“So you punished me?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I punished myself.””
I shook my head.
“No. You punished me.””
She didn’t argue.
And somehow, that made it worse.
Dad stood.
“You need to go.””
Melissa picked up her bag.
Before leaving, she stopped.
“Ethan.””
I didn’t answer.
She looked at the laptop.
“There is another file.””
Everyone froze.
“What file?”” Dad asked.
Melissa smiled sadly.
“The one your mother wanted you to see after the video.””
She walked toward the door.
“Because the video only shows what happened.””
She opened the door.
“The next file explains why.””
Then she left.
I immediately grabbed the laptop.
There was one more folder.
One video.
No title.
Just a date.
The day after I was born.
Dad whispered:
“Don’t.””
I looked at him.
“Why?””
His eyes filled with fear.
“Because once you see it…”
He stopped.
I clicked play.
The screen went black.
Then a woman’s voice appeared.
My mother’s voice.
And she said:
“If Ethan is watching this, it means Michael finally told him.””
My breath stopped.
Then she continued.
“But before he hears the rest, he needs to know one thing.””
The video paused.
A loading circle appeared.
Then my mother said:
“Your father is not the person you should be afraid of.””
I looked at Dad.
Then the screen went dark.
May you like
And a new name appeared.
*Melissa Carter.*
