Chapter 8: The Mother Who Wasn't Her Mother
I couldn't speak.
Elena stood beside me, staring at the phone.
"Mom," she whispered.
Miriam heard her.
"Elena.""
"Who am I?""
Miriam began sobbing.
"I wanted to tell you.""
"When?""
"I don't know.""
"Twenty-seven years?""
"Please.""
"No.""
Elena's voice hardened.
"You don't get to say please.""
I put my hand on her shoulder.
She pulled away.
"Don't.""
I understood.
She needed answers.
Not comfort.
"Where are you?"" I asked Miriam.
"The church.""
"Why?""
"I thought the wedding would be the safest place.""
Elena laughed bitterly.
"The safest place?""
"No.""
Miriam's voice cracked.
"I thought if everyone was there, Robert wouldn't hurt you.""
I looked at Elena.
"Stay where you are.""
"Daniel—"
"We're coming.""
I hung up.
The church was empty when we arrived.
The wedding decorations were still being installed.
White fabric draped from the ceiling.
Rows of flowers lined the aisle.
At the altar stood Miriam.
She looked exhausted.
She had a bandage over her temple.
Elena walked toward her.
"Tell me.""
Miriam nodded.
"Twenty-seven years ago, I was pregnant.""
"With me?""
"Yes.""
"Then why does the test say you're not my mother?""
Miriam closed her eyes.
"Because you weren't the baby I gave birth to.""
Elena stopped.
"What?""
Miriam took a breath.
"You were born at St. Catherine's Hospital.""
I remembered the hospital.
The rain.
The corridor.
Thomas.
Miriam continued.
"There were complications.""
"What kind?""
"Severe bleeding.""
"Mom...""
"I lost consciousness.""
Elena stared at her.
"And when I woke up?""
Miriam looked at me.
"You were in my arms.""
"Then what happened?""
"Nothing.""
Miriam's hands shook.
"I went home believing you were my daughter.""
Elena frowned.
"How?""
"Because nobody told me anything.""
I stepped closer.
"Until when?""
"Until three months ago.""
Elena's face changed.
"What happened three months ago?""
"Robert came to me.""
Of course.
Miriam continued.
"He had documents.""
"What documents?""
"Hospital records.""
She looked at Elena.
"Two babies were born within the same hour.""
Silence.
"One was a girl," Miriam said.
"One was a boy.""
Elena stared.
"You switched babies?""
"No.""
Miriam shook her head violently.
"I didn't.""
"Then who did?""
"I don't know.""
Claire stepped forward.
"Was there another family?""
Miriam nodded.
"Yes.""
"Who?""
Miriam looked at me.
"The other baby was Thomas's.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"Thomas had another child?""
"No.""
She shook her head.
"The other baby was mine and Daniel's.""
Elena stopped breathing.
I stared at Miriam.
"What?""
"The child you and I had together.""
My mind raced.
"You mean...""
She nodded.
"Elena wasn't your biological child.""
She looked at me.
"But our biological child was born that night.""
My heart pounded.
"Where is he?""
Miriam's face collapsed.
"I don't know.""
Elena whispered, "A boy?""
"Yes.""
"Then who am I?""
Miriam walked toward her.
"You're the child we were given.""
Elena stepped backward.
"By who?""
Miriam looked at the empty altar.
"I believe someone deliberately switched you.""
Claire asked, "Why?""
"Money.""
Everyone went silent.
Miriam explained.
"Thomas's family had a trust for their biological grandchild.""
Elena stared.
"So they thought I was Thomas's daughter.""
"Yes.""
"And they gave me the trust.""
"Yes.""
I finally understood.
The entire scheme had been built on a lie.
Robert didn't care whether Elena was biologically related to Thomas.
He only cared that the legal documents said she was.
But another child existed.
My child.
Somewhere.
Alive.
Maybe.
Elena sat in one of the pews.
"Why would Robert know?""
"Because he found the hospital records.""
"When?""
"Three months ago.""
"And that's when he came back.""
Miriam nodded.
I walked toward the altar.
"What happened to our son?""
Miriam's eyes filled.
"I searched.""
"For twenty-seven years?""
"Yes.""
"How?""
"Quietly.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought he was dead.""
My chest tightened.
"What made you think that?""
"Because the records disappeared.""
Claire immediately opened her folder.
"Hospital records?""
Miriam nodded.
"Someone removed the original birth records.""
"Who?""
"The nurse who handled the delivery.""
"Where is she?""
Miriam shook her head.
"Dead.""
Claire looked at me.
"How?""
"Car accident.""
The same pattern.
The same convenient accidents.
I felt a wave of anger.
"Robert.""
Miriam nodded.
"He was cleaning up every loose end.""
Elena stood.
"Then why did he let me live?""
Miriam looked at her.
"Because you were useful.""
Elena closed her eyes.
The truth hurt more than any lie.
I walked toward her.
She didn't pull away this time.
"You're still my daughter.""
She looked at me.
"Even if I'm not yours by blood?""
I smiled sadly.
"You've got that backward.""
"What?""
"You're my daughter because I raised you.""
She began crying.
"Your blood just gave us a different story.""
She hugged me.
I held her.
Then Claire's phone rang.
She answered.
"Hello?""
Her face changed.
"Who?""
She listened.
Then looked at me.
"It's the hospital.""
"What hospital?""
"St. Catherine's.""
I took the phone.
"Who is this?""
A woman's voice answered.
"My name is Nurse Evelyn Carter.""
I froze.
Miriam gasped.
"Evelyn?""
The nurse continued.
"I was there the night Elena was born.""
"You're alive?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you come forward?""
"I tried.""
"When?""
"Three months ago.""
I looked at Miriam.
"Robert?""
"No.""
The nurse's voice trembled.
"Someone else.""
"Who?""
"I can't say over the phone.""
"Then where are you?""
"At the old maternity ward.""
"St. Catherine's was demolished.""
"Not all of it.""
She gave me an address.
"Come alone.""
I frowned.
"Why alone?""
"Because the man who switched the babies is here.""
My heart stopped.
"Who?""
The line went dead.
Elena stared at me.
"What did she say?""
I didn't answer.
Miriam whispered, "Daniel?""
I looked at all three women.
"We have to go.""
The abandoned hospital stood behind a chain-link fence on the edge of town.
The maternity wing had been closed for years.
Broken windows.
Peeling paint.
Weeds growing through the pavement.
We entered through a side door.
Inside, the air smelled of mold and old disinfectant.
"Evelyn?"" I called.
No answer.
We followed the hallway until we reached the old nursery.
Twenty-seven years earlier, newborn babies had slept behind the glass.
Now the room was empty.
Except for one chair.
A woman sat in it.
Gray hair.
Thin face.
A hospital badge pinned to her coat.
"Evelyn?""
She stood.
"Daniel.""
I approached her.
"Tell me what happened.""
She looked at Elena.
Then Miriam.
Then me.
"You were both there.""
Miriam began crying.
"Who?""
Evelyn pointed at me.
"You were holding the wrong baby.""
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
"Who switched them?""
She reached into her coat.
"Your brother.""
My blood froze.
"Thomas?""
"No.""
She shook her head.
"Not Thomas.""
She pulled out an old photograph.
The image showed three people standing outside the hospital twenty-seven years ago.
Miriam.
Me.
And another man.
I recognized him instantly.
My father.
A man who had supposedly died before I met Miriam.
May you like
Evelyn whispered:
"He was alive that night.""
