Chapter 6: The Name Written on My Daughter's Birth Certificate
For eighteen months, I had imagined seeing Daniel again.
Sometimes, in my worst moments, I imagined screaming at him.
Sometimes I imagined asking why he had abandoned his daughter.
Sometimes I imagined him standing outside our apartment, apologizing, begging for another chance.
But I had never imagined him walking into my sister's wedding and mentioning Lily's birth certificate.
I stepped in front of my daughter.
"What did you just say?""
Daniel looked exhausted.
His gray coat was damp from the rain. His hair was uncombed, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Claire, please. Let me explain.""
"You're not going near her.""
He stopped.
"I understand.""
"No, you don't. You left her.""
His eyes moved toward Lily.
She was hiding behind my dress.
"Hi, sweetheart.""
Lily didn't respond.
Daniel swallowed.
"I know you hate me.""
She looked up.
"I don't hate you.""
His face softened.
"I don't?""
"I just don't know you anymore.""
The words hit him harder than anything I could have said.
He lowered his eyes.
Graham approached.
"Daniel, why are you here?""
Daniel looked at him.
"Because I finally found the original documents.""
"Which documents?""
Daniel glanced at the police officers.
"The ones Vanessa and Patricia have been trying to destroy.""
My mother stepped forward.
"He's lying.""
Daniel didn't look at her.
"Hello, Patricia.""
She tightened her grip on her purse.
"You have no right to be here.""
"Actually, I do.""
He reached into his coat and removed a large brown envelope.
"I have the original financial records, the transfer instructions, and the document Patricia signed.""
My mother went pale.
Graham took a step forward.
"What document?""
Daniel opened the envelope.
A photocopy of an agreement appeared.
It contained several signatures.
One belonged to Vanessa.
One belonged to Patricia.
The third belonged to a company director.
Graham studied the page.
"This is a repayment agreement.""
Daniel nodded.
"Your family's foundation transferred money to a company Vanessa controlled. Patricia signed the authorization. Martin Cole handled the transactions.""
Graham's jaw tightened.
"How much?""
"Two million, three hundred thousand dollars.""
The room erupted again.
My mother shook her head.
"It was temporary!""
Daniel looked at her.
"Then why did you forge Claire's signature?""
I froze.
"What?""
He turned toward me.
"Your name appears on the authorization documents.""
I stared at the paper.
There it was.
Claire Bennett.
My signature.
Except it wasn't mine.
I had never signed anything connected to Graham's family foundation.
"I never authorized this.""
"I know.""
Daniel handed the documents to the officer.
"Someone used Claire's identity to create a second account. When the money started disappearing, they needed a way to explain the transfers.""
Graham looked horrified.
"They used Claire as the person responsible?""
Daniel nodded.
"That was the plan.""
I felt sick.
My sister had not merely humiliated me.
She had potentially framed me for a crime.
My mother started crying.
"Vanessa told me it was all legal.""
Daniel looked at her.
"You knew Claire's name was being used.""
Patricia shook her head.
"I didn't know the details.""
"You signed the paperwork.""
"I was protecting my family!""
I stared at her.
"Which family?""
She looked at me.
For once, she had no answer.
Then Daniel turned toward Graham.
"There's something else.""
Graham crossed his arms.
"What now?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Rachel wasn't just investigating the missing money. She had discovered something about Vanessa's marriage plans.""
Vanessa, who had been standing near the head table, suddenly moved toward the exit.
A police officer stepped in front of her.
"Ma'am, please stay where you are.""
She stopped.
Graham looked at Daniel.
"What did Rachel discover?""
Daniel opened the envelope again.
He removed a printed email.
"Rachel found a message between Vanessa and Martin Cole. It described a plan to obtain control of the foundation after the wedding.""
Graham read it.
His face hardened.
"She intended to use our marriage to gain access to the accounts.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"That's not true.""
Graham continued reading.
"There's a section here about my sister.""
Daniel nodded.
"Rachel had discovered the missing money. She was planning to report it.""
Graham looked up.
"And then she died.""
Nobody spoke.
My sister's face had gone completely white.
The police officer asked her to sit down.
She refused.
"I want my lawyer.""
The officer nodded.
"That's your right.""
But I wasn't listening anymore.
I was staring at Daniel.
"Why did you bring up Lily's birth certificate?""
He looked at our daughter.
Then at me.
"I didn't want to tell you like this.""
"Tell me what?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"Before I left, Vanessa told me she had evidence that I wasn't Lily's biological father.""
I felt the floor tilt.
"What?""
"She said there had been another man. Someone from before our marriage.""
I stared at him.
"That's impossible.""
"I know.""
"Daniel, we were married. Lily was born during our marriage. You were there.""
He nodded.
"I know I was.""
"Then why are we discussing this?""
He reached into the envelope and pulled out another document.
A laboratory report.
My name was printed at the top.
So was Lily's.
I couldn't understand what I was looking at.
Daniel pointed to a section near the bottom.
"Vanessa arranged a DNA test using a hairbrush from your apartment and a sample she obtained from Lily.""
My blood turned cold.
"She tested my daughter?""
"Yes.""
"Without my permission?""
He nodded.
"She wanted to use the results against me.""
I looked at the report.
The conclusion was clearly printed.
But before I could read it, Graham stepped closer.
"Wait.""
He took the paper from my hands.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then he looked at Daniel.
"Where did you get this?""
"From Martin.""
Graham's face changed.
"That's not possible.""
"Why?""
"Because the laboratory listed here closed three years ago.""
Daniel frowned.
"What?""
Graham pointed to the report.
"This is a fake.""
I looked at Vanessa.
She was standing near the police officer, staring at us.
Graham turned the paper over.
"And there's something else.""
He pointed to a small reference number printed in the corner.
"This isn't a DNA report.""
Daniel looked confused.
"Then what is it?""
Graham's voice dropped.
"It's an insurance identification number.""
My mother began shaking.
Vanessa suddenly shouted.
"Don't read the next page!""
But Daniel had already pulled another document from the envelope.
It was a photocopy of an insurance policy.
The beneficiary's name was clearly visible.
Patricia Bennett.
The insured person's name was Lily Bennett.
And the policy had been taken out when Lily was only four years old.
I stared at my mother.
"Why would you insure my daughter without telling me?""
Patricia's lips trembled.
"I can explain.""
"Explain what?""
She looked toward Vanessa.
Vanessa shook her head violently.
"Mom, don't.""
The officer approached my mother.
"Ma'am, I need you to step away from the documents.""
But Patricia didn't move.
Instead, she looked directly at me.
"Claire, your father found out about the policy. That's why everything happened.""
My throat tightened.
"What happened?""
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered something that made Daniel step backward.
"Your father didn't disappear because of the money.""
She opened her eyes.
"He disappeared because he discovered that Lily was never supposed to be the beneficiary.""
I stared at her.
"Then who was?""
My mother looked toward the ballroom doors.
And at that exact moment, another man entered.
Martin Cole.
He was carrying a blue folder.
He looked at Graham first.
Then at me.
Finally, he placed the folder on the nearest table.
"Before anyone arrests Vanessa," he said quietly, "you need to know who really arranged Rachel's death.""
He opened the folder.
The first photograph showed my mother.
The second showed Vanessa.
The third showed someone standing behind them.
Someone who had been present at Lily's fourth birthday party.
Someone who had kissed my daughter on the forehead and called her sweetheart.
Someone I had trusted with my child's life.
Martin looked directly at me.
"Claire, the person you're looking for isn't your sister.""
May you like
He paused.
"It's the person who raised you both.""
