Chapter 4: The Photograph Nobody Was Supposed to See
The photograph showed my wife standing outside a hospital.
Not the hospital where Ben was being treated.
A different one.
She was wearing a beige coat, sunglasses, and the same gold wedding ring I had given her twelve years earlier. Beside her stood a man I had never seen before.
He was holding a little boy's hand.
The boy looked about four years old.
And he looked exactly like Ben.
I zoomed in.
The child's dark hair, round cheeks, and small dimple beneath his left eye were unmistakable.
My stomach tightened.
I looked at the email again.
Mr. Carter, your wife is not the only person who has been asking questions about Ben.
The message had been sent from an address with no recognizable name.
There was no signature.
No explanation.
Just the photograph.
I called the sender.
The number was listed beneath the email.
It rang twice.
A woman answered.
“Mr. Carter?””
“Who is this?””
“My name is Rebecca Miles. I'm a former employee of the private childcare agency your wife used before Ben was born.””
I gripped the phone.
“What does that photograph have to do with my son?””
“Before I explain, I need to know whether your wife has access to your phone.””
“She doesn't.””
“Are you alone?””
I glanced through the glass panel.
Lily was sitting beside Ben's bed. The social worker was speaking quietly with a nurse.
“Yes.””
Rebecca exhaled.
“Then listen carefully. Your wife has been using a different surname for several years.””
“What?””
“She used the name Vanessa Reed when she first contacted our agency. She requested a live-in caregiver for a child who was supposed to be placed temporarily with her.””
I frowned.
“What child?””
“Benjamin.””
I stared at the hospital floor.
“Ben is my son.””
“I understand that you believe that.””
The sentence hit harder than it should have.
“What exactly are you saying?””
Rebecca paused.
“I am saying that the paperwork your wife submitted to our agency did not list you as the child's biological father.””
My mouth went dry.
“That's impossible.””
“I thought so too. That's why I kept copies.””
“Copies of what?””
“An application, a temporary guardianship agreement, and a document concerning the child's original birth registration.””
I felt the phone slipping in my hand.
“Why are you contacting me now?””
“Because three days ago, Vanessa called me. She asked whether I still had those records.””
“What did you tell her?””
“That I didn't.””
“And?””
“She threatened to report me for stealing confidential documents.””
I stared at the photograph.
“Why would she care about paperwork from before Ben was born?””
Rebecca lowered her voice.
“Because the child in that photograph is not Ben's brother.””
I couldn't speak.
She continued.
“He is Ben.””
For several seconds, I heard nothing except the distant hospital monitor.
“No,” I whispered.
“Mr. Carter, I know this is difficult.””
“No. You're wrong.””
“I wish I were.””
I looked toward Ben's room.
My little boy was sleeping beneath a hospital blanket.
The same boy I had taught to ride a bicycle.
The same boy who called me Daddy when he had nightmares.
The same boy whose birthday I had celebrated every year.
“You're telling me Vanessa had another child?””
“I'm telling you that the child in the photograph is the child your wife registered under a different identity before your marriage.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“Why would she do that?””
“I don't know. But there's something else.””
“What?””
“The man in the photograph is named Michael Grant.””
The name meant nothing to me.
“Who is he?””
“Vanessa's former partner.””
I closed my eyes.
Rebecca continued.
“He worked for a private adoption and guardianship consultancy. He was involved in the paperwork surrounding Ben's placement.””
“Placement?””
She went silent.
Then she said, “You need to look at the documents before you make any decisions.””
“Where are they?””
“In a storage facility outside town. I can meet you tomorrow.””
“Send me the address.””
“There's one more thing, Mr. Carter.””
“What?””
“Vanessa knows I contacted you.””
My blood turned cold.
“How?””
“Because someone accessed my old email account this afternoon.””
The call ended a few seconds later.
I stood in the hallway, staring at my phone.
Then I noticed a new message.
Unknown number.
*You should stop asking questions about your wife's past.*
A second message appeared.
*Especially if you want Ben to come home.*
I immediately took screenshots.
Then I called the hospital social worker.
I explained everything, including the threatening messages.
She listened without interrupting.
“Mr. Carter, please don't go anywhere alone tomorrow. We can help you contact the appropriate authorities.””
I nodded.
“I don't want anyone near my children.””
“That's understandable. We'll document the information.””
When I returned to Ben's room, Lily was awake.
She looked at my face.
“Daddy?””
“Hey, sweetheart.””
“Did Mommy call?””
I sat beside her.
“Yes.””
“Is she angry?””
I considered lying.
But Lily had already spent enough time being told that what she saw and heard wasn't real.
“She isn't happy that we're asking questions.””
Lily looked down at her rabbit.
“Can I tell you something?””
“Anything.””
She leaned closer.
“Mommy has another picture.””
“What picture?””
“It's in her bedroom.””
I waited.
“She keeps it inside the little box with her necklaces. It's a picture of a baby.””
My heartbeat quickened.
“Do you know who the baby is?””
Lily shook her head.
“But Mommy cries when she looks at it.””
I stared at her.
“Does she ever show it to Ben?””
“No.””
“Does she say anything about it?””
Lily nodded.
“She says, 'I should have done things differently.''”
I felt a chill travel down my back.
Before I could ask more, Ben stirred.
“Daddy?””
I leaned toward him.
“I'm here, buddy.””
He opened his eyes.
Then he looked at Lily.
“Don't let Mommy take me.””
The words were so quiet I almost missed them.
Lily immediately grabbed his hand.
“I'm here, Ben.””
I looked at my son.
“Why would you say that?””
He swallowed.
“Mommy said I had to go away.””
My chest tightened.
“Where?””
Ben's eyes filled with tears.
“She said a man was coming.””
I froze.
“What man?””
He turned his face toward the pillow.
“The man with the black car.””
I looked at Lily.
Her face had gone pale.
Then she whispered something that made my blood run cold.
“Daddy, I saw that car outside our house this morning.””
And suddenly, Rebecca's photograph wasn't the only thing I needed to understand.
May you like
Someone else had been watching my family.
Someone who apparently knew exactly when Ben would be alone.
