Chapter 4: The Secret Before Lily
For a few seconds, I couldn’t speak.
The woman’s words stayed in my head like a warning siren.
“He was trying to make sure you could never tell anyone what happened before Lily was born.””
I gripped the phone tighter.
“Who are you?””
“My name is Rachel.””
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
“I know.””
Her voice sounded nervous, like she was standing somewhere she shouldn’t be.
“I worked with Mark years ago.””
I looked at Zoe.
She immediately grabbed a notebook.
“What does this have to do with Lily?””
Rachel was silent.
Then she said:
“Everything.””
A cold feeling moved through my body.
“Explain.””
“I can’t over the phone. Mark monitors things.””
I looked at my phone.
“You think he’s monitoring me?””
“I know he is.””
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Zoe leaned forward.
“Chloe, who was that?””
“Someone who knows Mark.””
“Is she trustworthy?””
“I don’t know.””
Zoe looked toward Lily’s bedroom.
“But she knows something.””
The next morning, we met Rachel at a small coffee shop away from my neighborhood.
I barely recognized her when she walked in.
She looked younger than I expected.
Tired.
Like someone who had carried a secret for years.
She sat across from me.
“Chloe?””
I nodded.
She placed a folder on the table.
“I’m sorry.””
I frowned.
“For what?””
“For not saying something sooner.””
My fingers tightened around my coffee cup.
“About what?””
Rachel opened the folder.
Inside were old emails.
Printed messages.
Photos.
And one document with Mark’s name at the top.
“I met Mark when we worked at the same company seven years ago.””
“That was before we married.””
“Yes.””
She looked down.
“Mark wasn’t the person you think he is.””
I almost laughed.
“Believe me, I’m starting to understand that.””
Rachel slid a photo toward me.
It showed Mark standing beside a woman I didn’t recognize.
“Who is she?””
“My sister.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“Her name was Emily.””
Rachel swallowed.
“She was pregnant when she died.””
The noise of the coffee shop disappeared.
“What does that have to do with Mark?””
Rachel’s eyes filled with anger.
“Because Mark was the last person who saw her alive.””
I stared at the picture.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“That’s impossible.””
“Is it?””
I thought about all the years I had known Mark.
His careful answers.
His missing pieces of his past.
His refusal to talk about certain people.
“What happened?””
Rachel looked at Zoe, then back at me.
“Emily worked with Mark. They were close.””
“Close how?””
Rachel didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“They had an affair.””
My stomach twisted.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“No.””
“I’m sorry.””
“No.””
I stood up.
People turned to look.
Zoe grabbed my hand.
“Chloe.””
I sat back down.
My mind raced.
The affair.
The recordings.
The custody papers.
The secret before Lily was born.
Rachel continued.
“Emily found out she was pregnant.””
My hands went cold.
“Was it Mark’s?””
Rachel nodded.
“Yes.””
The word landed like a stone.
“Then what happened?””
Rachel looked away.
“Emily wanted to tell everyone.””
“And?””
“She never got the chance.””
The silence between us was unbearable.
I whispered:
“What happened to her?””
Rachel opened the folder again.
“She died in a car accident.””
I looked at the documents.
“An accident?””
“That’s what the police report says.””
“But you don’t believe it.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
I looked at Zoe.
Neither of us spoke.
Rachel pushed another paper across the table.
“This is why Mark is afraid.””
I read the document.
It was a paternity test request.
My eyes widened.
“This is recent.””
Rachel nodded.
“Mark requested it two months ago.””
“Why?””
“Because he was worried.””
“About what?””
Rachel looked directly at me.
“About whether Lily was actually his daughter.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“He thought Emily’s child survived.””
I shook my head.
“That makes no sense. Lily is my daughter.””
Rachel’s voice softened.
“I know.””
“Then why would he think that?””
“Because Mark has spent years believing someone was hiding the truth from him.””
I looked at the folder.
Something didn’t add up.
“Wait.””
I pointed at the documents.
“If he was worried about Lily, why attack me?””
Rachel’s expression changed.
“Because he needs custody first.””
“Why?””
“Because if Lily’s DNA proves something…”
She stopped.
“Proves what?””
Rachel looked at the café entrance.
Her face suddenly changed.
“What?””
She whispered:
“We need to leave.””
I turned.
May you like
Standing outside the window was Mark.
Watching us.
