Chapter 7: The Father Whose Name Was Erased
Dad stared at the hospital record as though the words might disappear if he looked at them long enough.
Clara Hayes remained standing beside the conference table.
"Ethan deserves the truth, Marcus.""
Dad rubbed both hands over his face.
"I know.""
I looked between them.
"Can somebody please tell me who my biological father is?""
Dad didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned toward the window.
"When your mother and I first met, she already had a secret.""
"What secret?""
"She was pregnant with you.""
I blinked.
"What?""
"She was about four months along. She told me before our relationship became serious.""
I shook my head.
"You're saying I'm not your biological son?""
Dad turned around.
"I'm saying I didn't give you half of your DNA. But I chose to be your father.""
I stared at him.
"Did Mom know?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know when I was born?""
He nodded.
"Every minute of it.""
Clara quietly closed the office door.
Dad sat down.
"Your biological father was a man named Andrew Cole. Danielle met him before she met me. They were together briefly, but he disappeared when she told him she was pregnant.""
I looked at the document again.
Andrew Cole.
The name was printed clearly beneath the heading.
*BIOLOGICAL FATHER: ANDREW COLE.*
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
Dad swallowed.
"Because when you were born, I signed the papers to become your legal father. I promised your mother I'd raise you as my own.""
"That doesn't answer my question.""
He looked directly at me.
"Because I was afraid you'd think I loved you less than a biological son.""
I felt something twist inside my chest.
"Did you?""
His eyes immediately filled.
"Never.""
I looked away.
Clara opened another folder.
"There's something else, Ethan. Your mother never wanted Andrew to have any control over your life. She had already established the trust to protect you.""
"Why would he want control?""
"That's something we need to establish.""
Dad leaned forward.
"Did Andrew know about the money?""
Clara nodded.
"According to Danielle's correspondence, he knew about the trust. But he refused to become involved.""
"Then why does his name appear in the hospital documents?""
Clara took out a separate sheet.
"Because he appeared at the hospital on the night Ethan was born.""
I turned toward Dad.
"You said you were there.""
"I was.""
"What happened?""
Dad's face tightened.
He seemed to be remembering something he'd spent eighteen years trying to forget.
"Andrew arrived after you were born. He stood outside the maternity ward and demanded to see Danielle.""
"What did Mom say?""
"She refused.""
"And you?""
"I told him to leave.""
Dad paused.
"Then he told me something that changed everything.""
I waited.
"He said Danielle hadn't told me the entire truth about why she left him.""
Clara placed another document on the table.
It was a handwritten statement dated the day I was born.
My mother's signature appeared at the bottom.
I read it carefully.
Andrew does not know what Daniel did. He thinks I left him because I wanted a different life. But if he discovers the truth, he may come back for Ethan.
I looked up.
"Why would Andrew be afraid of Uncle Daniel?""
Clara shook her head.
"We don't know yet.""
Dad suddenly stood.
"There's one person who might.""
He took out his phone.
"Who?"" I asked.
"Daniel.""
He called again.
This time, someone answered.
"Marcus, I thought we agreed to stop this nonsense.""
Dad switched on speaker.
"We need to talk about Andrew Cole.""
There was a silence.
Then Daniel laughed nervously.
"Why are you asking about that man?""
"Because Ethan deserves to know who his father is.""
Daniel's voice hardened.
"That man's name should have stayed buried.""
My heart started racing.
"Why?""
"Put your father back on the phone.""
Dad stepped closer to the speaker.
"Answer him.""
Daniel exhaled.
"Marcus, you don't understand. Andrew was dangerous. Danielle knew it. That's why we kept him away.""
"Who is we?""
"Your wife and I—"
He abruptly stopped.
Dad's expression changed.
"My wife?""
On the other end, I heard a chair scrape.
Daniel had just revealed something.
He hadn't said Danielle.
He'd said your wife, referring to Vanessa.
Dad spoke very quietly.
"How long have you and Vanessa been working together?""
Daniel ended the call.
Clara immediately wrote something on a notepad.
"Don't call him again," she said.
"We've got enough to investigate.""
But I was still thinking about the name Andrew Cole.
"How do we find him?""
Clara looked through an old address book.
"I have an address from Danielle's last correspondence. It may be outdated.""
She slid a piece of paper toward me.
There was a name and an address written in blue ink.
Then she added something.
"One more thing. Your mother told me Andrew wasn't the only person who knew about your biological identity.""
"Who else?""
Clara hesitated.
"Vanessa.""
I looked at Dad.
His expression hardened.
"She knew Ethan wasn't biologically mine?""
Clara nodded.
"And according to Danielle, Vanessa used that information to threaten her.""
My father gripped the table.
"What did she threaten her with?""
Clara opened the final page of the file.
A handwritten sentence was underlined twice.
If Vanessa ever enters our family, Ethan will be in danger.
I felt the room closing around me.
Because Vanessa hadn't entered our family by accident.
May you like
She had married my father.
And now I understood that my mother had been afraid of her long before she died.
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