Chapter 7: The Daughter Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
I stood in the hospital hallway with my phone pressed against my ear long after my mother had disconnected.
Twins.
Sarah had given birth to twins.
And Vanessa had taken one of them.
My mind struggled to make sense of the words.
I looked through the glass partition at Lily and Emma.
Lily was asleep beneath her yellow blanket. Emma sat beside her, quietly arranging the stuffed animals a nurse had brought.
Two little girls.
Two innocent children.
And possibly a third.
My daughter.
Somewhere.
Alive or dead, I didn't know.
Detective Morgan approached me.
"Mr. Carter, what's happened?""
I looked at her.
"My mother says Sarah gave birth to twins.""
The detective stopped walking.
"Twins?""
"She says Vanessa took one of them.""
Her expression became serious.
"Did your mother explain when this happened?""
"No. She wants me to come to her house. She says there's something in my father's safe.""
Detective Morgan glanced toward Officer Reed.
"We're going with you.""
I nodded.
"Can we bring the girls?""
"Not yet. They're receiving medical care, and we need to keep their environment stable. A trusted hospital social worker can remain with them.""
I hesitated.
Emma had only just begun trusting me.
Leaving her felt unbearable.
But I couldn't ignore what my mother had just told me.
I returned to the room.
Emma looked up.
"Are you going somewhere?""
I crouched beside her.
"I need to find out something important, sweetheart.""
"Will you come back?""
"Yes.""
She looked at Lily.
"Promise?""
I touched her little hand.
"I promise.""
Then I turned toward the nurse.
"Please don't let anyone take either girl without speaking to the detective.""
The nurse nodded.
"We'll make sure they're protected.""
Detective Morgan drove me to my parents' house.
It was nearly nine at night when we arrived.
The porch light was on.
My mother stood behind the front window, waiting.
She opened the door before I reached the steps.
"Daniel.""
I barely recognized her expression.
Her eyes were swollen, and her hands were trembling.
I stepped inside.
"Tell me everything.""
She looked at Detective Morgan.
"Who is she?""
"Detective Morgan. She's investigating what happened to the children.""
My mother nodded slowly.
"Then perhaps it's time someone finally knew the truth.""
She led us into my father's study.
The room smelled of old books and furniture polish.
My father had died four years earlier, but his office remained almost untouched.
The wooden desk stood beneath the window.
His photographs were still arranged on the shelves.
And in the corner sat the old steel safe.
My mother knelt and entered a combination.
The door opened.
Inside were several envelopes, a small jewelry box, and a thick brown folder.
She removed the folder.
"I found this after your father passed away.""
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She looked down.
"Because I was ashamed.""
"Of what?""
She opened the folder.
The first page was a hospital document.
Sarah's name.
The date of delivery.
And two entries beneath it.
*Twin A: Female.*
*Twin B: Female.*
My hands went cold.
There were photographs attached.
Two newborn babies wrapped in pink blankets.
One had a tiny birthmark near her left shoulder.
The other had a small mark near her right ear.
My mother pointed at the second photograph.
"Your father and I visited Sarah at the hospital. We met both babies.""
I stared at the photographs.
"Why did you think one had died?""
My mother began crying.
"Vanessa came to our house three days later.""
I turned toward her.
"Vanessa?""
"She said Sarah had signed an agreement allowing her to take one of the babies temporarily.""
"Why would Sarah do that?""
"Vanessa told us Sarah was struggling. She said she had postpartum depression and couldn't care for both children.""
I shook my head.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"I know that now.""
My mother took a tissue from her pocket.
"Vanessa said you knew about the arrangement. She said you wanted to protect your marriage and avoid bringing another child into the family.""
I stared at her.
"She told you I agreed to give away my own daughter?""
My mother nodded.
"She showed us a document with your signature.""
I felt sick.
"That signature was forged.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you call me?""
"Your father wanted to. He argued with Vanessa. But she threatened to expose something about Sarah.""
"What?""
My mother looked toward the folder.
"She said Sarah had been involved with another man before you separated. She claimed the twins might not both be yours.""
I stared at her.
"Did you believe that?""
My mother shook her head.
"Your father didn't. Neither did I. But Vanessa kept insisting that one child was not yours.""
I picked up the hospital photograph.
Two babies.
My daughters.
My hands began trembling.
"Where is the other one?""
My mother opened another envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Vanessa holding a newborn.
On the back, someone had written:
Madison — three days old.
I frowned.
"That's Madison.""
My mother nodded.
"Vanessa brought her here shortly after Sarah gave birth.""
I stared at the photograph.
"You're saying Madison was born around the same time as the twins?""
"Yes.""
I felt a terrible thought forming.
"Who is Madison's father?""
My mother hesitated.
"Vanessa told us her previous partner was the father.""
I looked at the detective.
She had been quietly examining the documents.
"Detective?""
She pointed to a page at the bottom of the folder.
"Mr. Carter, look at this.""
It was a medical discharge summary.
The patient was Sarah Mitchell.
The date matched the twins' birth.
But there was something written in the margin.
*Second infant transferred to private neonatal care under authorization of Vanessa Carter.*
I stared at the words.
"Private neonatal care?""
Detective Morgan photographed the page.
"Do you know which hospital?""
My mother shook her head.
"Vanessa said the baby had complications.""
I looked at the photograph of Madison again.
Then at the hospital records.
"How long after the twins were born was Madison born?""
My mother answered quietly.
"Three days.""
I felt my knees weaken.
Three days.
The same woman who claimed to be helping Sarah had appeared at the hospital with a newborn of her own.
I turned toward Detective Morgan.
"Do you think Madison could be the missing twin?""
The detective didn't answer immediately.
"That's something we need to verify through medical records and DNA testing.""
My mother covered her mouth.
"Oh, God.""
I stared at the photograph.
Madison.
The little girl who had sat in the birthday throne while Lily searched the garbage.
The child Vanessa had called her own.
The child whose birthday she'd celebrated with an extravagant party.
What if she was actually my daughter?
What if Vanessa had raised her while keeping her biological twin hidden?
A knock came from the front door.
All three of us froze.
Detective Morgan immediately moved toward the hallway.
"Stay here.""
She checked the front window.
Then she looked at me.
"It's another officer.""
She opened the door.
A uniformed officer stood outside holding a document envelope.
"Detective, we have an update from the hospital records unit.""
Morgan took the envelope.
"What did they find?""
"The neonatal transfer record. It lists a temporary guardian and an emergency contact.""
She opened the envelope.
Her expression changed.
I stepped closer.
"What?""
She turned the paper toward me.
The guardian's name was Vanessa Carter.
The emergency contact was Marcus Bell.
And beneath that was a hospital identification number.
The officer spoke quietly.
"There's one more thing. The baby was not transferred to another hospital.""
I stared at him.
"Then where?""
He looked at the document.
"According to these records, the baby was discharged directly into the care of Vanessa Carter.""
My mother began sobbing.
I looked again at Madison's photograph.
Three days after Sarah gave birth, Vanessa had brought home a newborn.
I swallowed.
"Where is Madison now?""
Detective Morgan was already reaching for her phone.
"At the family residence, according to the last information we have.""
I looked toward the door.
"Then we need to find her.""
But before we could leave, my phone rang.
The caller ID displayed an unfamiliar number.
I answered.
A man's voice spoke immediately.
"Mr. Carter, this is Marcus Bell.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"What do you want?""
"I think you and I need to talk.""
"About what?""
"About Vanessa.""
I almost laughed.
"You're a little late.""
He ignored the comment.
"There's something she hasn't told you.""
"What?""
A pause.
Then he said:
"Madison isn't your only daughter who was stolen from Sarah.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who else?""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Your wife didn't just take one baby from that hospital, Daniel.""
May you like
He paused.
"She switched two.""
