Chapter 6: The Woman Who Wanted My Daughter
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Not yet.
Those two words echoed through my head.
Vanessa stood beneath the chandeliers, her hands trembling, her wedding dress spread around her feet.
Her father immediately grabbed her arm.
“Vanessa. Stop talking.””
But she pulled away.
“No. I'm tired of pretending.””
I took one step toward her.
“What does that mean?””
She shook her head.
“Nothing.””
“You just said Lily would be your daughter.””
“Because we're supposed to be a family!””
“Then you said, 'Not yet.'' What does that mean?””
Vanessa looked around.
The guests were watching.
Some had stopped pretending not to listen.
My mother had one hand over her mouth.
Rachel stood beside Lily near the entrance.
I could see the fear returning to my daughter's face.
I lowered my voice.
“Explain yourself.””
Vanessa's father intervened.
“Daniel, this conversation is over.””
I turned toward him.
“No. It isn't.””
Michael stepped beside me.
“Let's keep this calm.””
Vanessa suddenly laughed.
It wasn't a happy sound.
“You want the truth? Fine.””
Her father closed his eyes.
“Vanessa, don't.””
She ignored him.
“I was trying to build a future. I wanted children of my own. I wanted a family that belonged to me.””
I stared at her.
“You could have told me that.””
“I did!””
“You never said you wanted Lily out of the house.””
“I never said that!””
“You said her room would eventually belong to your children.””
She looked away.
Then she whispered, “Because I wanted a baby.””
I felt a painful heaviness settle in my chest.
“You wanted a baby, and you thought Lily was in the way?””
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“I wanted something that was ours.””
I shook my head.
“She is ours. She's part of the family.””
“No, Daniel. She's yours. You make sure everyone knows that.””
I stared at her.
There was no point arguing about love with someone who viewed a child's place in a family as competition.
I turned toward Rachel.
“Take Lily outside.””
Rachel nodded.
But before she could move, Vanessa called out.
“Lily, wait!””
My daughter froze.
I immediately walked toward her.
“Don't speak to her.””
Vanessa looked desperate.
“Please. I just want to say goodbye.””
Lily hid behind Rachel.
I felt my heart break.
“She's scared of you,” I said.
Vanessa shook her head.
“She doesn't understand.””
“Then stop asking her to understand.””
Rachel led Lily through the side entrance.
I watched until the door closed.
Then I turned back.
“I want every document relating to my daughter.””
Vanessa's father scoffed.
“You're not getting anything from us.””
I pulled out my phone.
“Then I'll let the authorities handle it.””
He stepped closer.
“You're threatening us?””
“I'm telling you what happens next.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“You're going to call the police over a haircut?””
“I'm calling because I have concerns about what happened to my daughter and why documents concerning her residence were prepared without my knowledge.””
Her father pointed toward the ballroom doors.
“You have no idea how this will affect my daughter's reputation.””
I looked at him.
“I have a pretty good idea how it affects mine. I'm the father who almost married someone who made his child afraid to speak.””
I walked away.
Michael followed.
Behind us, I heard Vanessa crying.
Then came the sound of something crashing against the floor.
I didn't turn around.
Outside, the late afternoon sun was beginning to disappear behind the trees.
Rachel stood beside the parked cars.
Lily was sitting in the back seat of my SUV, hugging her stuffed rabbit.
I stopped.
I recognized it immediately.
The same rabbit Vanessa had thrown into the cardboard box.
“How did you get that?””
Rachel opened the passenger door.
“I went back to the house last week to pick up some things for the wedding. I found it in a donation box near the garage. I brought it home because I knew Lily would miss it.””
I looked at the rabbit.
One ear was slightly torn.
Lily had sewn a little blue ribbon around its neck herself.
I opened the rear door.
“Hey, sweetheart.””
She looked up.
“Are we going?””
“Yes.””
“Is the wedding over?””
I nodded.
She looked down at her dress.
“Did I ruin it?””
I leaned into the car.
“No, Lily.””
“But everyone was looking.””
“They were looking because I needed them to understand something important.””
“What?””
“That you didn't do anything wrong.””
She touched her hair.
“Will it grow back?””
“Yes.””
“How long?””
I smiled gently.
“A little while.””
She considered that.
Then she asked, “Will you still like it when it's different?””
I brushed a curl away from her forehead.
“I'll like it because it's yours.””
She nodded and hugged the rabbit.
I closed the door carefully.
Rachel walked over to me.
“Daniel, we need to talk about something.””
“What?””
She looked toward the venue.
“Emily told me she wasn't the only person who saw Vanessa behaving strangely.””
I frowned.
“Who else?””
“The housekeeper.””
I stared at her.
“What housekeeper?””
“Mrs. Collins. The woman who used to work at your house during the week.””
I remembered her.
She had worked for us for almost a year before leaving suddenly.
Vanessa told me Mrs. Collins had moved to another city to care for her sister.
“What about her?””
“Emily says Mrs. Collins contacted her two days ago. She wanted to speak to you.””
“Why didn't anyone tell me?””
“Because Vanessa found out.””
I looked at Rachel.
“What happened?””
“She called the housekeeper and threatened to report her for stealing.””
I felt another chill.
“Did she steal anything?””
“Emily says Mrs. Collins claimed Vanessa had taken some of Lily's school documents and medical paperwork.””
I stared at her.
“Why would Vanessa need those?””
Rachel shook her head.
“I don't know.””
I looked toward the SUV.
Lily was watching us through the window.
I lowered my voice.
“Find Mrs. Collins.””
Rachel nodded.
“I'll call her.””
I opened the driver's door.
But before I got in, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice came through.
“Mr. Brooks? My name is Helen Collins. I used to work at your home.””
I looked at Rachel.
“I'm listening.””
“I heard about what happened today. I'm so sorry.””
“Why are you calling?””
There was a long pause.
Then she said, “Because I should have spoken up months ago.””
My grip tightened around the phone.
“What did you see?””
“I saw Vanessa going through Lily's school bag. I saw her taking documents from your study. And I saw her making phone calls about your daughter.””
“Who was she calling?””
“I don't know the man's full name. But I heard her mention a family court appointment.””
I stopped breathing.
“A family court appointment?””
“Yes, sir.””
“When?””
“About three weeks ago.””
I looked toward Lily.
She was still sitting in the back seat, hugging her rabbit.
“What exactly did she say?””
Helen's voice became shaky.
“She said that after the wedding, everything would be easier because she would finally have the authority to make decisions about Lily.””
I closed my eyes.
Then Helen said the sentence that changed everything.
“Mr. Brooks, I don't think Vanessa was only trying to become your daughter's stepmother.””
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean?””
“I think she was preparing to have Lily removed from your care.””
The world seemed to go silent.
I gripped the edge of the car door.
“Why would she do that?””
Helen hesitated.
Then she whispered:
“Because Vanessa wasn't planning to raise Lily with you. She was planning to become her legal guardian without you.””
I looked at Rachel.
She had heard enough to understand.
Her face went pale.
“Do you have proof?”” I asked.
“Yes.””
“What proof?””
“I kept copies of the documents Vanessa asked me to deliver. And there's something else.””
“What?””
Helen took a shaky breath.
“Your daughter wasn't the only child Vanessa was planning for.””
I froze.
“What does that mean?””
“I found another child's birth certificate in her private office.””
I stared at the phone.
“Whose birth certificate?””
Helen whispered a name.
“Daniel, I think you need to know who Vanessa really is.””
And then the call disconnected.
I stood beside the car, unable to move.
The wedding was over.
May you like
But the truth about Vanessa was only beginning.
And somewhere inside my house, there might be evidence of something far worse than a forged signature.
