Chapter 6: The Man Who Had Been Replacing Me
I read the email three times.
My daughter was sitting beside Ethan in a car.
She looked happy.
She was holding an ice cream cone, her little pink backpack resting beside her.
Ethan was smiling at the camera.
The photograph looked harmless.
Almost affectionate.
But the caption underneath it made my hands shake.
Your brother has been telling your daughter that he is her real father.
I immediately called my mother.
She answered on the first ring.
"Daniel?""
"Where's Lily?""
"She's having breakfast.""
"Is she with you?""
"Yes. Why?""
"Put her on the phone.""
There was a pause.
Then I heard Lily's voice.
"Daddy?""
My throat tightened.
"Hey, princess.""
"Are you coming home?""
"Yes. I just need to ask you something.""
"Okay.""
"Have you been spending time with Uncle Ethan lately?""
A brief silence.
"Yes.""
"Where?""
"At the park. And the ice cream place.""
I closed my eyes.
"Who took you?""
"Uncle Ethan.""
"Did Mommy come?""
"Sometimes.""
I swallowed.
"Sweetheart, has Uncle Ethan ever told you something about being your daddy?""
She went quiet.
Then she said something that nearly broke me.
"He said he was my other daddy.""
I gripped the edge of the desk.
"What?""
"He said I had two daddies, but I wasn't supposed to tell you because it was a secret.""
I couldn't speak.
Lily continued.
"He said if I called him Daddy Ethan, Mommy would buy me a big dollhouse.""
I shut my eyes.
My brother had been using gifts to manipulate my daughter.
"Did you call him that?""
"Sometimes.""
"Why?""
"Because he said it made him happy.""
I took a shaky breath.
"Listen to me, sweetheart. You never have to keep secrets like that from Daddy. Ever.""
"Is Uncle Ethan in trouble?""
I looked at Laura.
She was watching me carefully.
"That's something the grown-ups need to figure out.""
"Are you mad at me?""
My heart broke.
"No, baby. I'm not mad at you. You haven't done anything wrong.""
She began crying.
"I don't want you to be sad.""
I wiped my eyes.
"I'm not sad because of you. I love you more than anything.""
"Can you come home now?""
"I'm coming.""
I ended the call.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
Laura approached the desk.
"Daniel?""
I handed her my phone.
She read the email.
Her expression changed.
"This needs to be documented.""
"It will be.""
"Do you know who sent it?""
"No.""
She examined the sender's address.
"It may be someone connected to your brother.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"When was this taken?""
"Let me check the file metadata.""
She connected her laptop to the phone and examined the image.
After a minute, she looked up.
"October twenty-second.""
That was two weeks earlier.
Ethan had been spending time with my daughter while my wife was pretending to be pregnant.
And nobody had told me.
I stood.
"I'm going home.""
Laura nodded.
"I'll contact a family-law attorney and coordinate with the company investigation.""
I stopped at the door.
"Laura?""
"Yes?""
"Can you find out whether Ethan has any legal rights involving Lily?""
She looked at me carefully.
"Based on what you've told me, he is her uncle, not her legal father. But we should review the relevant custody documents and any communications where he made claims about paternity.""
I nodded.
"Do that.""
When I arrived home, Lily was sitting at the kitchen island.
She had a bowl of strawberries in front of her and was drawing on a piece of paper.
My mother stood beside her.
The moment Lily saw me, she jumped down.
"Daddy!""
I caught her in my arms.
She wrapped both arms around my neck.
I held her longer than usual.
My mother watched us silently.
When Lily returned to her drawing, I walked into the kitchen with Patricia.
"How long has Ethan been seeing her?""
My mother looked down.
"Since summer.""
"How often?""
"Every couple of weeks.""
"Did you know he was calling himself her father?""
She shook her head.
"No.""
I stared at her.
"Did you know Vanessa was allowing him to tell her that?""
My mother hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
"Mom.""
She sighed.
"I heard him say something once.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What?""
"He called himself Lily's second daddy.""
"And you said nothing?""
"I thought he was joking.""
"He's been taking her behind my back. He's been teaching her to keep secrets. What part of that sounds like a joke?""
My mother began crying.
"I thought I was helping Vanessa.""
I looked at her.
"You keep saying that.""
She wiped her cheeks.
"I know.""
"Then let me ask you something. Did Ethan ever say he wanted to raise Lily?""
My mother looked toward the living room.
"Yes.""
I felt the room go silent.
"When?""
"Last month.""
"What exactly did he say?""
She took a deep breath.
"He told me that if Vanessa and Daniel separated, he wanted to be part of Lily's life.""
I stared at her.
"Part of her life?""
"He said he already loved her.""
I shook my head.
"He's her uncle.""
"He said he could give her more time than you could.""
I laughed bitterly.
Of course he had.
My brother had spent years watching me work.
He knew my weaknesses.
He knew that I sometimes missed dinner because of late meetings. He knew I occasionally answered business calls during family weekends.
And now he had used those things to position himself as a better father.
I looked through the kitchen doorway.
Lily was drawing a family picture.
There were four people.
A little girl.
A woman.
A tall man.
And another tall man.
I walked over.
"Who's this, sweetheart?""
She pointed.
"That's me.""
Then she pointed to Vanessa.
"That's Mommy.""
She pointed to me.
"That's you, Daddy.""
Then she pointed to the other man.
"That's Uncle Ethan.""
I crouched beside her.
"Why did you draw Uncle Ethan?""
She shrugged.
"Mommy said he was going to be in our family house.""
My chest tightened.
"What family house?""
"The big house with the swimming pool.""
I looked at my mother.
She went pale.
I turned back to Lily.
"Did Mommy tell you about that house?""
Lily nodded.
"She said we're going to live there with Uncle Ethan and the new baby.""
I felt my hands go cold.
"When did she tell you?""
"Last week.""
I looked at my mother.
"Last week?""
She nodded slowly.
"Vanessa showed Lily pictures of the Florida house.""
I stood.
The house purchase agreement.
The missing money.
The email about taking Lily.
It was all connected.
Vanessa hadn't merely been planning to leave.
She had been preparing my daughter for a new family arrangement.
A family arrangement that excluded me.
I walked into the hallway and called Laura.
"There's another development.""
I explained what Lily had said.
Laura listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she said, "Daniel, I think we should arrange an urgent consultation regarding custody and travel restrictions.""
"Do it.""
"And don't confront Ethan alone.""
I almost laughed.
"Trust me. That's not going to happen.""
After ending the call, I heard a car pull into the driveway.
I looked through the window.
A black SUV.
My brother's vehicle.
I felt my body tense.
My mother moved toward the kitchen.
"Daniel, maybe we should—"
"Take Lily upstairs.""
"But—"
"Please.""
She picked up Lily's hand.
"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go look at your books.""
Lily looked at me.
"Is Uncle Ethan here?""
I forced a smile.
"Maybe.""
She ran upstairs with Grandma.
I walked toward the front door.
Before I could open it, Ethan knocked.
Three times.
I opened the door.
My brother stood on the porch wearing a navy jacket and an expensive watch.
He looked relaxed.
Almost amused.
"Hey, brother.""
I didn't move.
"Don't call me that.""
His smile faded slightly.
"Okay. I see we're doing this.""
I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.
"What do you want?""
"To talk.""
"About the money? The baby? Or the fact that you've been telling my daughter you're her father?""
Ethan looked toward the house.
"Keep your voice down.""
I stepped closer.
"Don't tell me what to do.""
He exhaled.
"Daniel, you're making this much bigger than it needs to be.""
I stared at him.
"Seven hundred thousand dollars is a pretty big number.""
His jaw tightened.
"That's a business matter.""
"Forgery is a business matter?""
"You don't understand the arrangement.""
"Then explain it.""
He looked away.
"Vanessa was supposed to tell you eventually.""
"About the affair?""
"About everything.""
I laughed.
"She had two years.""
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"Look, I know you're angry.""
"Angry?""
"Yes.""
I stepped closer.
"You slept with my wife. You fathered her child. You helped her lie to me.
You stole from my company. And you manipulated my daughter into calling you Daddy.""
He raised his hands.
"That last part isn't what you think.""
"What is it, then?""
"I love Lily.""
"You're her uncle.""
"I've always been there for her.""
"Because I trusted you.""
He shook his head.
"Daniel, you were always working. Vanessa needed help. Lily needed attention.""
I stared at him.
"Don't use my daughter to justify what you did.""
He looked directly at me.
"You think you're the only person who wanted a family?""
For a moment, I couldn't believe what I had heard.
Then Ethan continued.
"You had everything. The wife. The daughter.
The house. The company. Everyone thought you were perfect.""
"So you decided to take it?""
"I didn't decide anything.""
"You made choices.""
He looked toward the front window.
"Vanessa told you about the Florida house?""
I didn't answer.
He gave a small, humorless smile.
"Of course she did.""
"Was that the plan? Steal my money, move my wife into another house, and convince my daughter you were her father?""
"Nobody was stealing anything.""
"Then why did you forge my signature?""
He looked down.
For the first time, his confidence slipped.
"That was temporary.""
"You're going to jail if the documents prove what I think they prove.""
He laughed.
"You wouldn't do that to your own brother.""
I stared at him.
"You're the one who did it to yourself.""
Ethan's expression hardened.
"Think carefully, Daniel.""
"About what?""
He leaned closer.
"About how much you actually know.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
He glanced toward the house again.
"Vanessa hasn't told you everything about Oliver.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What about him?""
Ethan shook his head.
"Ask her about the hospital records.""
I stepped forward.
"Tell me now.""
He moved backward.
"Not here.""
"Then where?""
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said something I hadn't expected.
"Ask your mother why she changed the name on the hospital discharge paperwork.""
My entire body went cold.
"What?""
Ethan opened his car door.
"She knows.""
"Get back here!""
He ignored me.
Before getting inside, he turned.
"And Daniel? Don't assume the name on that birth certificate tells you everything.""
Then he drove away.
I stood on the porch, watching the SUV disappear down the street.
I couldn't make sense of his words.
The name on the birth certificate was clear.
Vanessa Brooks.
Ethan Cole.
Their son.
What could possibly have been changed?
I went inside.
My mother was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
She looked as though she'd heard everything.
I approached her.
"Why did you change Oliver's hospital paperwork?""
She closed her eyes.
"Daniel...""
"Tell me.""
She shook her head.
"I didn't want you to find out this way.""
I stared at her.
"Find out what?""
She looked toward the upstairs hallway.
Then she whispered:
"Oliver wasn't supposed to leave the hospital under Ethan's name.""
I felt my heart begin pounding.
"What does that mean?""
My mother took my hand.
"Because the doctors discovered something after his birth.""
"What?""
She began crying.
And then she told me the one thing that made the entire story more complicated than an affair, a fake pregnancy, or a stolen fortune.
"Ethan might not be Oliver's biological father.""
I stepped backward.
"What?""
My mother nodded.
"There was another man.""
I stared at her.
"Who?""
She looked directly into my eyes.
"Daniel, Vanessa told the hospital that she had only been with Ethan. But the medical records showed something different.""
My throat tightened.
"Who was the other man?""
My mother opened her mouth.
Before she could answer, my phone rang.
It was Rachel.
I answered immediately.
"Rachel?""
Her voice was trembling.
"Daniel, I need you to come to the hospital.""
"Why? What's happened?""
"Oliver's latest test results came back.""
I looked at my mother.
Rachel continued.
"And there's a problem with the information Vanessa gave the doctors about his biological father.""
I gripped the phone.
"What kind of problem?""
There was a pause.
Then Rachel said:
"The blood test has ruled Ethan out.""
I stared at the wall.
"Are you certain?""
"Yes.""
I could barely breathe.
"Then who is his father?""
Rachel lowered her voice.
"That's what we need to establish. But Daniel, there's something else.""
"What?""
"I found an old document in Vanessa's medical file.""
"What document?""
"A previous fertility report.""
I frowned.
"Why would that matter?""
Rachel was silent for a moment.
Then she said:
"Because it contains your name.""
The call ended.
I slowly lowered the phone.
My mother was crying.
And suddenly, I realized the question wasn't simply whether Vanessa had lied about being pregnant.
The question was whether she had been lying about the father of every child involved in this story.
I looked toward the staircase.
Upstairs, my daughter was drawing pictures of the family she thought she had.
Downstairs, my mother was hiding another secret.
May you like
And somewhere across town, my brother knew something about Oliver that could destroy whatever remained of our family.
*For the first time, I wondered whether the baby shower had exposed only the smallest part of the truth.*
