Chapter 4: The Name on Her Phone
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Vanessa's phone vibrated in her hand, the name DANIEL glowing against the dark screen.
Madison stared at it as if the letters might rearrange themselves into something less terrible.
"Mom," she whispered, "why is my father's name calling you?""
Vanessa pressed the red button.
The ringing stopped.
Then the phone rang again.
Dad didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
"Answer it.""
Vanessa clutched the phone against her chest.
"Michael, please. This is not something we should discuss in front of the girls.""
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before spending Emily's college savings on your secrets.""
"You don't understand.""
"You're right. I don't. That's why I'm asking questions.""
Madison stepped between them, her face pale.
"Mom, you told me my father died before I was born.""
Vanessa's eyes filled with tears.
"He did, sweetheart.""
"Then how is he calling you?""
"His number could have been reassigned.""
Dad glanced at the screen.
"To the exact name you saved in your contacts?""
Vanessa said nothing.
Madison grabbed her mother's wrist.
"Let me see the phone.""
"Don't touch me!""
The sharpness of Vanessa's voice made Madison recoil.
I'd seen my stepsister throw tantrums over clothes, vacations, and restaurant reservations. I'd watched her mock me for working at a diner while she complained about having to wake up before noon.
But I'd never seen her look at her mother with fear.
"Mom," Madison said, her voice trembling, "tell me the truth.""
Vanessa looked from her daughter to my father.
Then she did something that stunned all of us.
She threw the phone onto the patio.
It struck the stones, bounced once, and slid beneath a chair.
"Enough!"" she shouted.
"I am sick of being interrogated in my own home!""
Dad walked over and retrieved the phone.
The screen was cracked, but the incoming call remained visible.
He answered and switched on the speaker.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through, rough and impatient.
"Vanessa? Finally. I've been calling you all afternoon. Did you get the money?""
Dad looked at Vanessa.
She covered her mouth.
The man continued.
"I need the rest by Friday. You said Michael wouldn't notice anything until after the wedding.""
My stomach tightened.
Wedding?
Dad's expression became unreadable.
"Who is this?""
Silence.
Then the man asked, "Michael?""
"Yes.""
Another silence.
When the man spoke again, his voice had changed.
"Listen, Michael. Whatever she's told you, you need to hear me out.""
Dad's jaw tightened.
"Start with your name.""
"Daniel Brooks.""
Madison made a small, wounded sound.
The man continued quickly.
"I didn't know she was taking money from Emily's account. Vanessa told me it was money she'd inherited.""
Dad looked at the bank statement.
"You're receiving transfers from an eighteen-year-old girl's college fund, and you never thought to ask where the money came from?""
"I asked. She said it was hers.""
"How much have you received?""
Daniel hesitated.
Vanessa shook her head frantically at the phone, silently pleading with him to stop.
"I don't have the exact figure," Daniel said.
"Maybe twenty thousand. A little more.""
I felt the ground disappear beneath me.
Twenty thousand dollars.
My father had spent years putting money aside so I could have choices after graduation.
Vanessa had apparently been sending it to a man who knew nothing about me.
Or claimed he knew nothing.
Dad gripped the phone.
"What were you using it for?""
"That's between me and Vanessa.""
"Not anymore.""
Daniel exhaled sharply.
"Look, Michael. I didn't ask for any of this. She contacted me last year and said she wanted to make things right. She said Madison deserved to know the truth.""
Madison grabbed the back of a patio chair.
"What truth?""
Nobody answered her.
She turned toward Vanessa.
"What is he talking about?""
Vanessa shook her head.
"He's lying.""
Daniel heard her.
"No, Vanessa. You told me you were going to tell her after graduation. You promised.""
"SHUT UP!"" Vanessa screamed.
Dad's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me what?""
Daniel was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, "Michael, I'm Madison's biological father.""
Madison stumbled backward.
Her shoulder struck the glass door.
"No," she whispered.
Vanessa rushed toward her.
"Madison, sweetheart—"
"Don't touch me!""
Madison slapped her mother's hand away.
"You're lying. You said my father died!""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"From WHAT?""
Vanessa began crying.
Daniel's voice came through the phone again.
"I wanted to meet my daughter. Vanessa said you were keeping her away from me. She told me I had no rights, no way to contact Madison without making things difficult for everyone.""
Dad's face darkened.
"And the money?""
"I thought it was part of an agreement. She said she'd help me get established, and then we'd figure out visitation.""
Madison stared at the phone.
"You took money from Emily to find my father?""
Vanessa shook her head desperately.
"It wasn't like that!""
"Then what was it like?""
"I was trying to give you something you'd always wanted!""
"A father?""
The word broke in Madison's mouth.
She began crying.
For the first time since I'd known her, she didn't seem angry at me. She seemed like a child who had just discovered that the foundation beneath her entire life was rotten.
Daniel spoke again.
"Madison, I'm sorry. I wanted to meet you. I still do.""
She pressed both hands over her ears.
"Stop talking!""
Dad ended the call.
The silence afterward was almost unbearable.
Vanessa sank onto the patio chair and buried her face in her hands.
"I was going to tell you," she sobbed.
"I just needed more time.""
Dad looked at her.
"You had seventeen years.""
"I was afraid you'd leave me.""
"You stole from my daughter.""
"I was afraid you'd choose her over us!""
Dad stared at her for a long moment.
Then he said, "You didn't need to make me choose. You made that decision yourself.""
He turned toward the house.
"Tomorrow morning, we're going to the bank. I'm freezing every account you've had access to, and I'm contacting a lawyer.""
Vanessa jumped to her feet.
"You can't throw me out!""
"I'm not discussing that tonight.""
"Michael, I'm your wife!""
"And Emily is my daughter.""
He walked inside.
I followed him, barely feeling my legs.
Behind us, Madison remained beside the dying fire, crying into her hands.
I should have felt victorious.
Instead, I felt sick.
Because the money was gone, my graduation was tomorrow, and my stepsister's biological father had just revealed that Vanessa had been lying to both families for years.
Then Dad stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
He turned toward me, holding his phone.
"Emily, there's one more thing you need to see.""
He opened an email that had arrived while Daniel was on the call.
The subject line read:
*FINAL PAYMENT CONFIRMATION — BRIDAL BOUTIQUE.*
I stared at the screen.
Bridal boutique?
Dad opened the attached document.
May you like
And when I saw the wedding date, I realized Vanessa hadn't just been hiding Madison's father.
She had been planning something that involved my father, my stolen money, and a wedding that was supposed to happen in six weeks.
