Chapter 9: The Other Daughter
Olivia read the message again.
I think you deserve to meet your sister.
She stared at the photograph.
The little girl appeared to be about eight years old.
She had dark curly hair, a small gap between her front teeth, and a smile that reminded Olivia of her own childhood photographs.
Under the picture, Vanessa had written:
Her name is Grace. Marcus is her biological father.
Olivia felt the room tilt.
She looked at Daniel.
“Did you know about this?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
Richard took the phone.
He examined the photograph.
Then he looked at Olivia.
“Sweetheart, you don't have to respond to this.””
“But what if it's true?””
“Then we'll find out.””
Olivia swallowed.
“Why didn't Marcus tell me?””
Richard didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
Marcus had spent weeks telling Olivia that he wanted to reconnect with his daughter.
He had described himself as a lonely man who regretted the years he had missed.
But apparently, there was another child.
And another story.
Vanessa agreed to meet Olivia at a coffee shop the following afternoon.
Daniel offered to come with her.
Olivia accepted.
Richard wanted to accompany them, but Olivia asked him to stay home.
“Dad, I need to hear this without feeling like I'm making you choose sides.””
Richard nodded.
“Okay.””
He kissed her forehead.
“Call me if you need anything.””
At the coffee shop, Vanessa was already waiting.
She was in her late forties, with shoulder-length brown hair and a tired expression.
When Olivia approached, Vanessa stood.
“Olivia?””
“Yes.””
Vanessa extended her hand.
“I'm Vanessa.””
They sat down.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Vanessa opened her purse and removed a photograph.
It showed Marcus holding a little girl on his shoulders at a birthday party.
“That was Grace's sixth birthday,” Vanessa said.
Olivia stared at the picture.
“How long have you known Marcus?””
“Almost twelve years.””
“Were you married?””
“No. We were together for several years.””
“And Grace?””
“She's his daughter.””
Olivia looked down.
“Does she know about me?””
Vanessa shook her head.
“Not until recently.””
Olivia looked up.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa took a breath.
“Marcus told me about you when we first started dating. He said he had a daughter from a previous relationship but wasn't involved because the mother had made it difficult.””
Olivia almost laughed.
“That sounds familiar.””
Vanessa nodded.
“He said he'd tried to see you, but Richard had blocked him.””
Daniel shifted in his seat.
“That's not true.””
“I know that now.””
Vanessa took out another document.
It was an old email printed on paper.
“I found this after Marcus and I separated.””
Olivia read it.
The email had been sent by Marcus to Vanessa.
I don't want to be involved with the older girl. I have a new life now. If she ever contacts me, tell her I'm not available.
Olivia's eyes filled.
Vanessa continued.
“I found several messages like that. He told me he didn't want Grace growing up around people from his past.””
Olivia looked at her.
“Why are you telling me this?””
Vanessa hesitated.
“Because I don't want Grace to experience what you did.””
Olivia looked down at the photograph.
“Is he still seeing her?””
“Occasionally. Mostly when he needs something.””
“What does he need?””
Vanessa's expression tightened.
“Money. Help with bills. A place to stay.””
Olivia closed her eyes.
Vanessa continued.
“He contacted me two months ago. He said he was reconnecting with his first daughter and that her adoptive father was wealthy.””
Olivia's head lifted.
“He said that?””
Vanessa nodded.
“He mentioned a fifty-thousand-dollar wedding.””
Olivia stared at her.
Then Vanessa said the words that made everything painfully clear.
“He told me that if he could get you to trust him, you might be willing to help him start over.””
Olivia's hands began trembling.
“Did he say he loved me?””
Vanessa looked down.
“He said you were his biggest opportunity.””
Daniel reached for Olivia's hand.
She squeezed it tightly.
Vanessa wasn't finished.
She opened another folder.
Inside were screenshots of conversations between her and Marcus.
One message had been sent three weeks before Olivia's first meeting with him.
I'm going to contact Olivia. She's getting married, and the family is paying for everything.
Vanessa's reply read:
Why now? You haven't spoken to her in years.
Marcus answered:
Because I need to fix my situation. If she lets me in, I might finally get some breathing room.
Another message read:
Her adoptive father has money. I just need to make sure she understands that I'm her real family.
Olivia put her hand over her mouth.
She had heard almost those exact words.
Vanessa looked ashamed.
“I should have contacted you earlier.””
“Why didn't you?””
“I was afraid he'd come after me. He's very good at making people feel guilty.””
Olivia nodded slowly.
“I understand.””
Vanessa looked at Daniel.
“There's something else.””
She removed a final document.
It was a loan agreement.
Marcus had borrowed $32,000 from Vanessa's brother two years earlier.
He had promised to repay it within twelve months.
He never did.
“Is this why he wanted the wedding money?”” Daniel asked.
Vanessa nodded.
“He told my brother he had an opportunity to repay everyone after his daughter got married.””
Olivia felt sick.
“So he planned this.””
Vanessa looked at her.
“I believe he did.””
On the drive home, Olivia stared out the window.
Daniel kept both hands on the steering wheel.
After several minutes, she spoke.
“I feel stupid.””
Daniel glanced at her.
“You're not stupid.””
“I believed everything.””
“You wanted to believe your father had come back because he loved you.””
She wiped her cheek.
“Why is that so embarrassing?””
“It's not.””
She looked at him.
“I spent twenty years having one father. Then I spent a few weeks trying to replace him.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You weren't replacing Richard. You were trying to fill a question that had been in your heart since you were a little girl.””
Olivia looked away.
Daniel continued.
“Marcus knew that.””
She nodded.
Then she took out her phone.
There was a new message from Marcus.
I heard you've been talking to Vanessa. She's lying to you. Don't let that woman destroy our relationship.
Olivia showed Daniel.
He didn't respond.
Another message arrived.
You owe me a conversation. I'm your father.
Then another.
If you go through with this wedding without me, don't expect me to forgive you.
Olivia stared at the screen.
For the first time, she wasn't afraid of losing him.
She was afraid of what he might do next.
At home, Richard was sitting on the front porch.
He stood when he saw Olivia's car.
“How did it go?””
Olivia walked toward him.
“She's real.””
Richard frowned.
“Who?””
“Grace. Marcus has another daughter.””
Richard's expression changed.
“Did you meet her?””
“No. I met Vanessa.””
They went inside.
Olivia explained everything.
She showed Richard the messages.
She told him about the loan.
She described how Marcus had discussed the wedding money before he had even contacted her.
Richard listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he looked down.
Margaret came into the room and sat beside her.
“I'm so sorry, sweetheart.””
Olivia leaned against her.
“I don't understand how someone can have children and treat them like they're disposable.””
Margaret gently stroked her hair.
“Some people confuse being a parent with having a child.””
Olivia looked up.
“What do you mean?””
“Having a child happens once. Being a parent is something you choose every day.””
Richard nodded.
“Your mother understood that.””
Olivia looked at him.
“So did you.””
Richard's eyes filled.
He reached across the table.
She took his hand.
The next morning, Susan called.
She had reviewed Vanessa's evidence.
“The messages appear consistent with the timeline we've established,” she said.
Olivia sat at the dining table.
“Can they be used?””
“Potentially, yes. We'll need to preserve the original electronic records and verify their authenticity.””
Richard asked, “What about the attempted transfer?””
Susan opened another file.
“The venue has retained the request and the associated access information. The bank has also frozen any third-party authorization attempts involving Olivia's inheritance.””
Olivia nodded.
“Good.””
Susan paused.
“There's one more issue.””
“What?””
“Marcus has contacted the wedding venue again.””
Richard stood.
“What did he say?””
“He claimed he was an authorized family representative and requested access to the event schedule.””
Olivia shook her head.
“Why does he need that?””
“He also asked whether the ceremony could be moved to another date.””
Daniel looked at her.
“Why would he want to change the date?””
Susan continued.
“Apparently, he told the venue there was a family emergency.””
Richard frowned.
“Did they agree?””
“No. They contacted me first.””
Olivia felt a cold sensation move through her chest.
“What is he trying to do?””
Susan's voice became serious.
“I don't know. But I recommend you contact the venue directly and confirm that no changes are authorized without your written consent.””
Richard nodded.
“Already done.””
That afternoon, Olivia received a call from the wedding planner.
“Olivia, I'm sorry to bother you.””
“It's okay. What's happened?””
The planner lowered her voice.
“Your father came to the venue.””
Olivia froze.
“Which father?””
“Mr. Reed.””
Olivia closed her eyes.
“What did he want?””
“He asked to see the ballroom. He said he needed to check the aisle arrangements.””
Olivia frowned.
“Why?””
“He said there had been a change in the wedding procession.””
Olivia looked at Richard.
He was listening.
“What change?””
The planner hesitated.
“He said he was still walking you down the aisle and that Mr. Bennett would be seated with the other guests.””
Olivia's face tightened.
“I never told him that.””
“I know. I refused to make any changes.””
“Thank you.””
“There was something else.””
“What?””
“He left an envelope for you.””
Olivia's stomach dropped.
“What was inside?””
“I didn't open it.””
“Can you send me a photograph?””
A minute later, her phone buzzed.
It was a picture of a cream-colored envelope.
Her name was written across the front.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
Olivia opened the photograph.
It read:
You can choose the man who raised you, but you cannot erase the man who gave you life.
Beneath the message was a second sentence.
If Richard walks you down that aisle, I'll make sure everyone knows what he did to your mother.
Olivia looked up.
Richard's face had gone completely still.
Daniel took the phone.
“That's a threat.””
Susan was contacted immediately.
She advised Olivia to preserve the message and avoid direct confrontation.
But Olivia was no longer interested in avoiding the truth.
She wanted to know what Marcus believed he still had over them.
That evening, Richard sat alone in his study.
He opened Denise's old envelope again.
There was one document he had never shown Olivia.
It was a letter from the hospital's social worker, written shortly after Denise's death.
The letter confirmed that Marcus had been contacted about Olivia's care.
He had declined.
But attached to it was a handwritten note from Marcus.
It contained only one sentence:
Please don't tell the child I refused. Let her believe I couldn't be reached.
Richard stared at the words.
He had kept the note because he thought one day Olivia might need to understand.
Now she needed to see it.
He walked into the living room.
Olivia was sitting beside Daniel, reviewing wedding arrangements.
“Sweetheart?””
She looked up.
“Yes, Dad?””
Richard placed the note in front of her.
“I think it's time you saw this.””
She read it.
Then she read it again.
Her lips trembled.
“Did you know he wrote this?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you show me before?””
Richard sat beside her.
“Because your mother wanted you to have the chance to make your own decision about him.””
Olivia looked at the note.
“He wanted me to believe he couldn't be found.””
Richard nodded.
“And I didn't want your childhood to be built around the idea that someone had deliberately rejected you.””
Olivia began crying.
Richard put his arm around her.
She leaned into him.
“I'm sorry I ever made you feel like you weren't my real father.””
Richard kissed the top of her head.
“Let's not spend the rest of your life apologizing for the past.””
She pulled back.
“What do you want me to do?””
He smiled sadly.
“Be happy. That's all I've ever wanted.””
Three days before the wedding, Marcus sent Olivia a final message.
It was short.
I will be at your wedding. You cannot stop me from being your father.
Olivia showed it to Susan.
Susan advised her to make the venue aware of the situation and arrange for security.
Richard agreed.
But Olivia had another idea.
She wanted Marcus to attend.
Daniel looked at her in disbelief.
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because I'm done being afraid of what he'll say.””
Richard studied her face.
“What are you planning?””
Olivia took a breath.
“I want him to hear the truth in front of everyone.””
Richard was quiet.
Then he nodded.
“Whatever you decide, I'll be beside you.””
But neither of them knew that Marcus had already contacted a guest.
And that guest had agreed to help him.
A guest who was supposed to sit in the front row.
May you like
A guest who had been invited by Olivia herself.
*Her future mother-in-law.*
