Chapter 14: The Brother Who Saved Me
Dad sat down heavily.
For several seconds, he looked as though he couldn't breathe.
"Ethan is my son," he said.
Mom reached for his hand.
"Richard, you raised him. You loved him. Nothing changes that.""
"But the records—"
"Daniel falsified the original hospital paperwork. He wanted access to Margaret's family inheritance through his son.""
I looked toward the hallway.
Ethan was sitting outside the bedroom, playing with the zipper on his backpack.
He had no idea his entire identity was being discussed.
"Does Ethan know?"" I asked.
Mom shook her head.
"Not yet.""
I looked at Dad.
"He's still your little boy.""
Dad nodded.
"Always.""
But there was something else bothering me.
"Why did Daniel let Ethan live with us?""
Mom explained that Daniel had planned to use Ethan as a way to remain connected to our family. Nicole had married Dad partly to maintain access to the household and to keep track of the inheritance documents.
When Ethan was born, the hospital records had been manipulated again.
Daniel had arranged for his son to be registered under Richard's name.
The arrangement gave him a reason to remain close to Dad while keeping the true identity of the child hidden.
"And Nicole?"" Dad asked.
Mom looked down.
"She was supposed to help Daniel secure the inheritance once Maya turned eighteen. Ethan was part of their plan too.""
I felt tears burn my eyes.
"How could they use an eight-year-old child?""
Mom's voice became firm.
"Because they never saw Ethan as a child. They saw him as a way to get what they wanted.""
At that moment, the bedroom door opened.
Ethan stepped inside.
"Why is everybody crying?""
Dad immediately knelt.
"Come here, buddy.""
Ethan walked toward him.
Dad wrapped both arms around him.
"You're my son. Nothing in this world is going to change that.""
Ethan looked confused.
"Did I do something wrong?""
Dad shook his head.
"No. You've done something wonderful.""
Ethan looked at me.
"Is Maya okay?""
I knelt beside him.
"I'm okay.""
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"I found another thing.""
Dad gently took it.
It was a handwritten note from Nicole.
Daniel, once the children are separated, Richard will sign whatever we put in front of him. Make sure Ethan doesn't remember the hospital visit.
Dad read it twice.
"Hospital visit?""
Rebecca stepped forward.
"That's important.""
She explained that Nicole had taken Ethan to a private medical clinic several months earlier. The clinic had been asked to conduct a series of identity tests.
The records had never been sent to our family doctor.
Margaret had already contacted the police about the forged inheritance documents. She now called Officer Harris again and explained the new discovery.
Within minutes, he agreed to investigate the clinic.
Then Mom spoke.
"There's another person you need to find.""
"Who?"" Dad asked.
"Margaret Carter.""
Daniel's former wife.
Mom explained that Margaret had fought the hospital investigation seventeen years earlier. She had refused to sign the amended birth records.
Afterward, she disappeared.
Daniel told everyone she had abandoned her children.
But Mom knew otherwise.
"Margaret never abandoned them," she said.
"She was threatened.""
Rebecca nodded.
"Isabelle kept copies of the letters.""
She opened the folder and found an address.
A small town in Pennsylvania.
Margaret had been living there under her maiden name.
Dad immediately contacted a private investigator through Margaret Collins.
By the following afternoon, they had located her.
She agreed to meet us.
Margaret Carter was a woman in her early fifties with dark hair and tired eyes.
When she entered the lawyer's conference room, she looked directly at Rebecca.
"Isabelle?""
Mom stood slowly.
"Hello, Margaret.""
Margaret burst into tears.
"You survived.""
They embraced.
Dad introduced himself.
Then Margaret looked at me.
"You're Maya?""
I nodded.
She smiled sadly.
"I've heard about you.""
Then she turned toward Ethan.
"And you must be Ethan.""
He hid slightly behind Dad.
Margaret knelt.
"Hello, sweetheart.""
Ethan whispered, "Hi.""
Margaret opened her handbag and removed two small silver bracelets.
"I've kept these for seventeen years.""
She placed them on the table.
One had the name Daniel's first child.
The other had the name of the second twin.
Then she pulled out an old photograph.
It showed her holding two newborn babies.
On the back was a handwritten note.
For my children. No matter what happens, I will find you.
Margaret looked at Dad.
"Daniel told me one of my babies had died. He showed me a hospital document. I believed him for years.""
Her voice broke.
"Then, five years ago, I discovered the truth. One of my children was alive, but Daniel had arranged for him to be raised under another man's name.""
Dad held Ethan closer.
Margaret nodded.
"I didn't come looking for him because I was afraid Daniel would hurt him.""
I looked at the two bracelets.
"Does that mean Ethan has a twin?""
Margaret nodded.
"Yes.""
"Where is the other child?""
Margaret opened a final envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a teenage girl.
She looked about my age.
Her name was written underneath.
*SOPHIA CARTER.*
Margaret looked at Ethan.
"She's your twin sister.""
Ethan's eyes widened.
"I have a sister?""
Margaret smiled through her tears.
"You do, sweetheart.""
Dad looked at the photograph.
"Where is she?""
Margaret hesitated.
"That's the problem. Daniel has been supporting her education for years. He knows exactly where she is.""
I looked at the photograph again.
Something about the girl's face seemed familiar.
Then I noticed the background.
She was standing outside the same private medical clinic where Nicole had taken Ethan.
I turned the photograph over.
There was a recent handwritten message.
Sophia, your father wants you home. We need to finish what we started.
The signature at the bottom was Daniel's.
Before anyone could speak, Margaret's phone rang.
She answered.
A terrified female voice came through.
"Mom?""
Margaret stood.
"Sophia?""
"Mom, I need you to listen. Uncle Daniel is here.""
Margaret began trembling.
"Where are you?""
The girl whispered:
"He's taking me somewhere. He says I have to sign papers about Maya's inheritance.""
Then a man's voice interrupted.
"Give me that phone.""
The call went dead.
Dad immediately called Officer Harris.
But I was already staring at the photograph.
Daniel wasn't trying to steal just my inheritance anymore.
May you like
He was gathering every person connected to the original hospital records.
And Sophia was next.
