Chapter 2: The Daughter They Hid From Me
The room became chaos.
Guests who had arrived to celebrate a marriage were now watching a family collapse in front of them.
Nathan stared at Juliette like he no longer recognized her.
"What did you just say?""
Juliette stepped back.
"I didn't mean—"
"Where is the baby, Juliette?""
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
She looked toward my father.
"Dad, tell him something.""
But my father couldn't look at me.
That hurt more than I expected.
After five years of wondering whether my family had forgotten me, I finally had my answer.
They hadn't forgotten.
They had chosen.
Detective Vance picked up the birth certificate.
"According to this record, Caroline Mercer gave birth to a daughter five years ago.""
Nathan's face turned pale.
"No.""
I watched him process every impossible piece of information.
"The baby survived the fire," I said.
His eyes moved to mine.
"You knew?""
"I knew everything I could remember.""
My voice softened.
"But nobody told me where she was.""
A flash of pain crossed his face.
"Caroline, I swear to you, I didn't know.""
I believed him.
That was the worst part.
Because Nathan had been the one person I thought abandoned me.
But now I realized he might have been another victim.
Juliette shook her head.
"She's lying.""
Detective Vance looked at her.
"Then why did you panic when the birth certificate appeared?""
Juliette opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
I remembered the hospital.
The cold white walls.
The first time I woke up.
The nurse who told me my family had never come.
The doctor who explained I had suffered severe burns and memory loss.
I remembered asking one question over and over.
"Where is my baby?""
Nobody answered.
Three months later, I found out my daughter existed.
But the records had been altered.
The adoption paperwork had vanished.
The hospital logs had missing pages.
Someone had worked very hard to erase her.
And every clue led back to my sister.
Nathan stepped closer.
"Caroline, where is our daughter?""
The word "our" almost broke me.
I hadn't heard anyone say it in five years.
"I don't know.""
Juliette laughed suddenly.
It was nervous.
Desperate.
"You expect them to believe you? You disappear for five years and suddenly show up accusing everyone?""
I turned toward her.
"I didn't disappear.""
My voice sharpened.
"You burned.""
The room fell silent again.
Juliette's face twitched.
"You don't know what happened that night.""
"I remember enough.""
I closed my eyes.
For a second, I was back there.
The smell of smoke.
The sound of wood collapsing.
Juliette standing outside the burning house.
Watching.
Not screaming.
Not calling for help.
Watching.
"I remember you locking the back door.""
My father looked up.
"What?""
Juliette immediately shook her head.
"She's confused.""
"No," I said.
"I'm not.""
I stepped closer.
"You came into my room that night.""
Juliette's expression changed.
"You told me Nathan deserved someone better.""
Nathan looked at her.
"What?""
"You told me he loved me because he felt sorry for me.""
My chest tightened.
"You said I was ruining your life.""
Juliette whispered.
"Caroline...""
"And then you left me inside that house.""
Nobody spoke.
The only sound was the soft hum of the air conditioning.
Detective Vance looked at Juliette.
"We found evidence of gasoline near the back entrance.""
My father's hand covered his mouth.
"Juliette...""
She turned toward him.
"You don't understand.""
"No," he said.
His voice broke.
"I think I understand exactly.""
Juliette's eyes filled with anger.
"You all want to blame me?""
She pointed at me.
"She always had everything!""
I stared at her.
"Everything?""
Juliette laughed bitterly.
"You were Dad's favorite. You were the beautiful one. The talented one.
Nathan loved you. Mom left you the necklace.""
She touched the emerald.
"I was always second.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"So you destroyed my life because you were jealous?""
Her eyes hardened.
"I only took what should have been mine.""
Nathan stepped away from her.
"You stole my child.""
Juliette looked at him.
For the first time, fear appeared on her face.
"I raised her.""
The words froze me.
"You what?""
My entire body went cold.
Juliette realized her mistake.
But it was already too late.
Detective Vance opened his briefcase again.
"We found another record.""
He pulled out a folder.
"School registration documents. Medical records. A guardian authorization form.""
He placed them on the table.
"The child's name is Lily Mercer.""
My knees almost gave out.
Lily.
My daughter's name.
Nathan picked up the papers.
The handwriting on the guardian form was familiar.
Juliette's.
"Where is she now?""
Nobody answered.
Juliette slowly stepped backward.
Then she whispered something that made the entire ballroom freeze.
"She's not your daughter anymore.""
I felt my heart stop.
"What did you do?""
Juliette smiled through her tears.
"I made sure she would never know you.""
She turned toward the ballroom doors.
"Because I knew one day you'd come back.""
The doors opened behind her.
A young woman in a black dress walked inside.
She looked around thirty.
Confused.
Holding a small envelope.
"Excuse me...""
Everyone turned.
The woman looked at me.
Then at Juliette.
"Mrs. Mercer?""
Juliette froze.
The woman held up the envelope.
"I was told to deliver this if Caroline Mercer ever returned.""
My blood ran cold.
Because I recognized the handwriting on the envelope.
May you like
It was mine.
And I had no memory of writing it.
