Chapter 10: The Father at the Door
I didn’t answer.
Not because I didn’t want to.
Because I didn’t know how.
Five years.
Five years of believing I knew my own life.
Five years of watching Mark tuck Lily into bed.
Five years of believing the man beside me was her father in every way that mattered.
And now a voice from my past was telling me he had been searching for her.
“Chloe?””
Ethan’s voice pulled me back.
I turned away from everyone in the room.
“Where are you?””
There was a pause.
“Chicago.””
My heart tightened.
“You’re here?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
The silence on the other end was heavy.
“Because I finally found out where you were.””
I closed my eyes.
“You could have contacted me.””
“I tried.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What?””
“I sent messages.””
I looked at Megan.
She immediately looked away.
A horrible realization formed.
“Megan deleted them.””
Ethan didn’t answer.
He didn’t have to.
“Chloe, I need you to understand something.””
I held my breath.
“I never abandoned you.””
The words hurt.
Because for five years, I had carried a completely different story.
I thought Ethan disappeared.
I thought he chose not to be part of Lily’s life.
I thought Mark stepped in because someone had to.
But maybe that had all been built on a lie.
“Why didn’t you come looking sooner?””
Ethan sighed.
“Because I thought you didn’t want me to.””
I stared at the wall.
“What?””
“The last message I received from you said you wanted me gone.””
My face went cold.
“I never sent that.””
Another silence.
Then:
“I know that now.””
I looked back at Megan.
She was crying quietly.
“Ethan, I need to ask you something.””
“Anything.””
“Are you Lily’s biological father?””
His voice softened.
“Yes.””
My knees almost gave out.
I sat down.
The room became silent.
Mark looked like he had aged ten years.
Lily was still holding my hand.
Still confused.
Still scared.
“Can you prove it?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“I had a DNA test done.””
“When?””
“A year ago.””
My heart stopped.
“A year ago?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I found your old email address.””
I swallowed.
“You knew?””
“I suspected.””
“And you didn’t tell me?””
“I tried.””
The pain in his voice was obvious.
“But every time I got close, someone blocked me.””
My eyes moved toward Megan.
She covered her face.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I ignored her.
“Where are you now?””
“At a hotel downtown.””
“Stay there.””
“Chloe—”
“I need time.””
“I understand.””
Before he hung up, he said one more thing.
“Chloe?””
“Yes?””
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.””
That sentence broke something inside me.
Because for five years, I had believed someone left.
But maybe someone had been kept away.
After the call ended, nobody spoke.
Finally, Mark said:
“I loved her.””
I looked at him.
“I know.””
His eyes filled.
“I really did.””
“Then why?””
His voice cracked.
“Because I was afraid.””
I shook my head.
“Fear doesn’t make people destroy others.””
He looked down.
“I didn’t know what Megan had done until later.””
I turned toward him.
“What?””
He looked ashamed.
“She told me Ethan abandoned you.””
“She lied.””
“Yes.””
“And you believed her?””
“I wanted to.””
That answer hurt.
Not because it was cruel.
Because it was honest.
“You wanted to believe the version where you were the hero.””
Mark didn’t respond.
I stood.
“Where is the original DNA test?””
His face changed.
“What?””
“The test you took.””
He looked away.
“Mark.””
“It’s gone.””
I stared.
“What?””
“Megan destroyed it.””
Megan looked up.
“No.””
Everyone turned toward her.
She shook her head quickly.
“I didn’t destroy it.””
“Then where is it?””
She looked terrified.
“I gave it to someone.””
“Who?””
Her lips trembled.
“Your mother.””
My heart stopped.
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
“Why would my mother have it?””
Nobody answered.
And that was when I realized.
This lie was bigger than Mark.
Bigger than Megan.
It had reached into my entire family.
My phone buzzed.
A text message.
From an unknown number.
I opened it.
One sentence.
*Chloe, if you are hearing the truth now, it means they failed to protect the secret.*
Below it was a photo.
A document.
An official-looking paper.
May you like
With one name highlighted.
My mother’s name.
