Chapter 12: The Sister Who Was Never Supposed to Exist
I stared at the birth certificate.
Emily Carter.
My sister.
For eighteen years, I'd believed I was an only child.
Mom had never mentioned another pregnancy. Dad had never mentioned another daughter.
Yet there it was.
His name.
Her name.
A date of birth.
And a hospital stamp.
"Where is she?"" I asked.
Laura closed her eyes.
"I don't know.""
"You just told me Patricia raised her!""
"She did. But Patricia moved several times. The last address I have is in Marietta.""
Dad stood.
"Why would Margaret believe her baby had died?""
Laura looked at him.
"Because someone told her the child hadn't survived.""
"Who?""
"Michael.""
Dad gripped the back of a chair.
"Why would he do that?""
Laura explained that my mother had been pregnant with twins during her first pregnancy.
One baby was declared stillborn.
The other was placed in neonatal care.
My mother was heavily medicated after the delivery and never saw the second child.
A hospital employee later informed her that the surviving baby had been transferred to another facility.
But no official transfer record existed.
For years, Mom believed her daughter had died.
Then, shortly before her own death, she discovered a hospital payment connected to Patricia Miller.
The money had been transferred through an account controlled by Michael.
"Patricia was paid to take the baby," Laura said.
Dad looked horrified.
"You're saying my daughter was stolen?""
Laura nodded.
I sat down.
My sister had grown up without us.
She might have celebrated birthdays wondering why her parents had abandoned her.
Meanwhile, I'd been living in the same house as the people who had hidden her existence.
"Did Mom find her?"" I asked.
"She found out Patricia had a daughter named Emily. She suspected the girl was yours and Marcus's.""
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"She was afraid that Michael would hurt her before she could bring Emily home.""
Dad began pacing.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
Laura looked at him sadly.
"Because she was afraid you would confront Michael before she had enough evidence.""
Dad stopped.
"I would have protected her.""
Laura didn't answer.
I looked at him.
"Would you?""
He turned toward me.
"Ethan—"
"You couldn't even protect me from Vanessa.""
He looked down.
I hated saying it.
But it was true.
Detective Harris interrupted.
"Laura, do you have anything connecting Patricia to the child's disappearance?""
She opened another folder.
Inside were copies of payments, hospital correspondence, and a photograph of a woman holding a newborn.
The photograph had been taken eighteen years earlier.
On the back, my mother had written:
My little girl. October 28. I will find you.
I touched the photograph.
Mom had known.
She had never stopped looking.
A knock sounded at the apartment door.
Everyone froze.
Detective Harris signaled for us to remain silent.
Officer Lewis moved toward the entrance.
"Who is it?""
A woman's voice answered.
"Patricia Miller. I need to speak with Ethan.""
Laura went pale.
Detective Harris opened the door carefully.
Patricia stood outside.
Her blond hair was shorter than I remembered. She wore a gray coat and held a large envelope against her chest.
She looked directly at me.
"Ethan, please. I know what Laura told you.""
I stepped forward.
"Where is my sister?""
Patricia began crying.
"She's alive.""
"Where?""
"She's safe.""
"That's not an answer!""
Patricia flinched.
Detective Harris asked her to come inside.
She handed him the envelope.
"I brought everything. The original payments. The hospital records. And a letter from Margaret.""
Dad stepped closer.
"Why did you take my daughter?""
Patricia looked at him.
"Michael told me the baby had no family. He said the mother had signed away her rights.""
"That's a lie!""
"I know that now.""
"How could you not know?""
Patricia lowered her head.
"I was twenty-four. I had just lost my own baby. Michael offered me money and told me I could give this little girl a home.""
The room went silent.
I looked at her.
"You raised my sister for money?""
Patricia shook her head.
"At first, yes. But I loved her. I raised her as my own.""
"You stole eighteen years from her.""
"I know.""
"Did she know?""
Patricia started crying harder.
"No. She believes I'm her biological mother.""
Dad turned away.
I couldn't imagine what Emily would feel when she learned the truth.
Then Patricia handed me a folded letter.
"Your mother wrote this for her.""
I opened it.
My darling Emily,
I don't know how old you are now, or what you look like, or whether you have your father's eyes. But I have never forgotten you.
I looked for you every year.
I hope you were loved. I hope you were safe. And if you ever find this letter, please know that losing you was the greatest heartbreak of my life.
I pressed the letter against my chest.
Mom had spent eighteen years grieving a daughter who was still alive.
I looked at Patricia.
"Where is Emily now?""
She hesitated.
Then she reached into her purse and removed her phone.
"She's at home.""
"Call her.""
Patricia shook her head.
"There's something you need to understand. She isn't a little girl anymore. She's twenty-one. She has her own life.""
"Then let her decide what she wants.""
Patricia nodded slowly.
She dialed a number.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then a young woman's voice answered.
"Hey, Mom. Is everything okay?""
Patricia closed her eyes.
"Emily, sweetheart, I need you to come somewhere.""
"Why?""
Patricia looked at me.
"Because there are people here who need to meet you.""
A pause.
"Who?""
Patricia swallowed.
"Your brother.""
My heart stopped.
The voice on the other end became quiet.
"My what?""
Patricia looked at me again.
"Ethan. His name is Ethan Carter.""
There was a long silence.
Then Emily whispered:
"That's impossible.""
Patricia began crying.
"No, sweetheart. It isn't.""
The call ended.
Dad sat down, unable to speak.
Detective Harris took Patricia's statement while Laura organized the documents.
For the first time, I thought we might finally be getting somewhere.
Then Patricia's phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
Her face went white.
"What is it?"" I asked.
She turned the phone toward me.
A message from Michael.
You have ten minutes to bring the original hospital records to the warehouse. If you don't, Emily will learn what really happened to her birth mother.
A second message arrived.
It contained a photograph.
Emily was standing outside her apartment building.
Someone had taken the picture from across the street.
I grabbed the phone.
"He's watching her.""
Detective Harris immediately called for backup.
Dad stood.
"We're going to get my daughter.""
Patricia shook her head.
"Marcus, you don't understand. Michael has been watching her for years.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
Patricia looked at the floor.
Then she whispered:
"Because Emily isn't just your sister. She's the only person who can legally challenge Michael's claim to your grandfather's company.""
Laura frowned.
"What are you talking about?""
Patricia pulled another document from her envelope.
It was a second birth certificate.
This one listed Emily as the firstborn child of Margaret and Marcus Carter.
Beneath it was a handwritten note from my mother.
If anything happens to me, Emily must receive her rightful share. Michael must never gain control of the company.
Dad stared at the document.
Then Patricia revealed one final detail.
"Michael didn't steal Emily from your mother just to hide the pregnancy.""
She looked at me.
"He needed her identity to transfer the company shares. And tomorrow morning, unless we stop him, he's planning to sell the entire business.""
Detective Harris looked at his watch.
"Then we don't have until tomorrow.""
He turned toward the officers.
"We move now.""
But as Dad reached for his jacket, my phone rang.
It was Emily.
I answered immediately.
"Emily?""
A frightened voice whispered:
"Ethan, I think someone is inside my apartment.""
Then I heard a door slam.
May you like
A man's voice shouted in the background.
And the call went dead.
