Chapter 9: The Secret Hidden in the Hospital Records
I couldn’t speak.
For several seconds, I honestly couldn’t.
The sentence replayed in my mind.
Marcus and I didn’t only have one child.
One child.
That meant there was another.
Another secret.
Another person connected to this mess.
I looked at Elena.
“No.””
She started crying.
“Daniel—”
“No.””
I stepped away.
“How many years?””
She looked down.
“How many years did you know?””
“Daniel, please listen.””
“How many?””
Her shoulders shook.
“Fifteen.””
I laughed softly.
Not because it was funny.
Because my brain couldn’t process anything else.
“Fifteen years.””
I walked around the room.
“You built a life with me.””
“Yes.””
“You had another child.””
“Yes.””
“And you never told me.””
“I wanted to.””
“When?””
She looked at me.
“I don’t know.””
That answer broke something.
Because I realized she had been carrying this secret for so long that even she didn’t know when she planned to release it.
“What happened?””
She wiped her face.
“After Amara was born, Marcus and I were not good together.””
“That much I know.””
“He was angry all the time.””
I listened.
“I left because I was afraid.””
“And the second child?””
She looked at the floor.
“The baby came before I left.””
My heart pounded.
“Where is this child?””
She was silent.
“Elena.””
Her lips trembled.
“I don’t know.””
The words were barely audible.
I stared at her.
“What?””
“I lost custody.””
“To Marcus?””
She nodded.
“After I left, he fought me legally.””
“And you just gave up?””
“No.””
Her voice broke.
“I fought.””
“Then what happened?””
She closed her eyes.
“The court ordered temporary placement while everything was investigated.””
“And?””
She swallowed.
“Marcus disappeared with the child.””
The room went silent.
I felt sick.
“You’re saying he took your child?””
“Yes.””
“And now he’s back?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
She looked at me.
“Because he found our son.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
I pointed toward the door.
“This is not making sense.””
“I know.””
“Then explain it.””
She stood.
“I found records.””
“What records?””
“Hospital records.””
I stared.
“From when?””
“Fifteen years ago.””
She walked to the bedroom and returned with a folder.
She handed it to me.
Inside were copies of documents.
I opened the first page.
Patient information.
Names.
Dates.
My eyes moved down.
Then stopped.
A child’s name.
A name I had never heard before.
I looked at Elena.
“Who is this?””
She whispered:
“Your daughter’s half-sister.””
I looked back at the paper.
The child’s name was written clearly.
*Amara Reed.*
I turned the page.
There was another document.
A DNA report.
I froze.
“Why do you have this?””
Elena didn’t answer.
“Why do you have this?””
“Because Marcus sent it.””
My stomach tightened.
“When?””
“Last month.””
“Why?””
She looked terrified.
“Because the results weren’t about Amara.””
I stared at her.
“Then what were they about?””
She sat down.
“Daniel…”
“Tell me.””
Her voice became a whisper.
“They were about our baby.””
I looked toward the hospital bassinet.
The room suddenly felt too small.
“The test was done before he was born?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because Marcus believed something.””
“What?””
She looked at me.
“He believed the child I was carrying wasn’t yours.””
I shook my head.
“But you said you believed.””
“I did.””
“Then why test?””
“Because he threatened to expose everything.””
My jaw tightened.
“Expose what?””
She didn’t answer.
I already knew there was another layer.
“There’s more.””
She nodded.
“Yes.””
I closed my eyes.
“Of course there is.””
Elena reached for my hand.
I moved away.
Not because I hated her.
Because I didn’t know how to touch someone whose entire history I was still discovering.
“Daniel, I never wanted to hurt you.””
“I believe that.””
She looked surprised.
“But you did.””
She cried silently.
I picked up the DNA report.
The page shook in my hand.
“What did the results say?””
Elena looked at me.
“I never opened it.””
I stared.
“What?””
“Marcus sent it. I was afraid.””
“You hid a DNA test?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her voice cracked.
“Because I was afraid of losing you before I knew the answer.””
I looked at the report.
The answer was sitting there.
A piece of paper.
A few words.
A truth that could destroy everything.
I opened the envelope.
Elena covered her mouth.
I pulled out the results.
I read the first line.
Then the second.
Then the final sentence.
My hands went numb.
Because the truth wasn’t what Marcus claimed.
It was worse.
The report wasn’t saying the baby wasn’t mine.
It was saying something impossible.
Something nobody had considered.
Something that meant Marcus had been lying.
I looked at Elena.
“Where is Marcus?””
She wiped her tears.
“I don’t know.””
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Again.
This time, I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice whispered.
“Daniel?””
I froze.
“Who is this?””
The woman was crying.
“My name is Amara.””
I stood up.
“Amara?””
“Yes.””
My heart raced.
“Where are you?””
There was a pause.
Then she said:
May you like
“I know who your son’s father really is.””
The line went dead.