Chapter 13: Two Mothers, One Terrible Secret
Nobody moved.
The woman standing in front of me had just claimed that the woman downstairs was my real mother.
But the woman downstairs had the same face.
The same silver hair.
The same eyes.
And both had photographs proving they had once stood beside my father.
Daniel was the first to speak.
"Who are you?""
The woman we'd brought from Marietta looked at him.
"My name is Evelyn Hayes.""
"Then who's downstairs?""
She swallowed.
"Her name is Eleanor.""
Sarah stepped forward.
"Why do you look identical?""
Evelyn placed the photograph on the table.
"Because she's my twin sister.""
I stared at the two women in the photograph.
My entire life had just become a story I couldn't have imagined.
"You have a twin sister?""
Evelyn nodded.
"Yes. And she's been pretending to be me for almost thirty years.""
Daniel pulled out a chair.
"Start explaining.""
Evelyn sat down.
"After Marcus was born, Thomas discovered that Adrian's father had been using our company to move money through fraudulent construction contracts. He wanted to expose everything, but Richard was already involved.""
"Why did you disappear?"" I asked.
"Because Richard threatened to destroy both families. He told me that if I revealed the truth about the company, he'd make sure Marcus disappeared and Daniel was taken away from me.""
She paused.
"Thomas arranged for me to leave Atlanta. He believed keeping me away would protect the children.""
"And Eleanor?"" Sarah asked.
"She stayed behind. She had already been working with Richard. She knew about the company and the original trust.""
Daniel frowned.
"Why would she pretend to be you?""
"Because Richard needed someone who could sign documents and claim to represent the family.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Then who raised me?""
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
"Thomas did. He loved you as his son. He never wanted you to believe you were anything less than his child.""
I felt a lump forming in my throat.
"Did he know Eleanor was pretending to be you?""
"Yes. He discovered it shortly before he died.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Then what happened to Thomas?""
Evelyn looked down.
"Richard and Victor arranged for him to be poisoned. But they needed the company records and the original trust before he died.""
Sarah whispered, "And Vanessa?""
"Vanessa was working for them. She was supposed to locate the trust and make sure Marcus signed away his rights.""
I remembered the pills.
The strange medication.
The way Vanessa watched me swallow them.
"Did she know about the accident?""
Evelyn nodded.
"She knew the plan was to damage your brakes. She was supposed to make sure you survived, but she wasn't supposed to let you recover your eyesight.""
Daniel stood.
"How do we know you're telling the truth?""
Evelyn reached into her handbag.
She removed an old hospital photograph.
It showed her holding a newborn baby.
On the back was a date and a hospital identification number.
Below it was a handwritten note from Thomas.
My son. My greatest reason to keep fighting.
I stared at the picture.
For the first time, I could see the woman who had given birth to me.
But before I could say anything, the office door opened.
Detective Mitchell entered with two officers.
Behind them stood another elderly woman.
She wore a blue cardigan.
Her silver hair was identical to Evelyn's.
She looked directly at me.
"Marcus," she said softly.
"I've waited a long time to meet you.""
Evelyn stood.
"Don't listen to her.""
The woman downstairs smiled sadly.
"Evelyn, enough.""
Detective Mitchell raised her hand.
"Both of you need to remain calm. We're going to establish everyone's identity before anyone leaves this building.""
The second woman approached the table.
She placed a folder beside the hospital photograph.
Inside were medical records, birth certificates, and an old photograph of my father.
"I am Eleanor Hayes," she said.
"And I can prove that the woman you've been calling Evelyn is an impostor.""
Evelyn shook her head.
"She's lying.""
Eleanor turned toward me.
"Ask her about the original trust.""
I looked at Evelyn.
"What about it?""
She said nothing.
Eleanor opened the folder.
"The real trust contains a clause that Thomas added after discovering Richard's fraud. It identifies the three people who can authorize a transfer.""
She pointed to the names.
Marcus Bennett.
Sarah Bennett.
Daniel Hayes.
Then she turned to the final page.
There was a fourth name.
*Eleanor Hayes.*
Daniel stared.
"Why is your name there?""
Eleanor looked at him.
"Because I was the original financial administrator. I helped Thomas establish the company.""
Evelyn suddenly shouted.
"She's the one who stole the money!""
Eleanor didn't flinch.
"Yes. I moved the money.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
She opened another document.
"Because Richard and Victor were preparing to empty the company accounts. I moved the remaining funds into a protected account before they could reach them.""
Daniel looked at the figures.
Nearly $1.2 million.
"Where is this money?""
"Safe.""
"Whose account?""
Eleanor met my eyes.
"Yours, Marcus.""
Then she reached into her folder and placed a small memory card on the table.
"There's also a recording of Thomas explaining everything. He made it the night before he died.""
My heart began pounding.
"Can we hear it?""
Eleanor nodded.
"But I need you to understand something first.""
She looked toward Evelyn.
"One of us has been lying about your father's death.""
Then she turned the memory card over.
May you like
Written across it were the words:
*THE NIGHT THOMAS DIED — ORIGINAL RECORDING.*
