Chapter 4: The Man in the Photograph
I stared at the photograph on Vanessa's phone.
The man standing in front of a brick building had more gray in his hair than I remembered, but there was no mistaking him.
My father.
Alive.
My knees weakened.
I grabbed the edge of the kitchen counter.
Daniel reached for me.
I jerked away.
"Don't.""
"Mara, sit down.""
"How long?""
He stopped.
"How long has he been alive?""
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
She lowered the phone.
"I don't know.""
"You just said he wants to meet me.""
"He contacted me.""
"Why you?""
Vanessa swallowed.
"Because he couldn't contact you directly.""
"Why?""
She looked at Daniel.
"Because Daniel made sure he couldn't.""
The room went silent.
I turned toward my husband.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel's expression had become almost expressionless.
"It means nothing.""
"Then explain it.""
"I don't have to explain every lie your mother told you.""
I flinched.
"My mother didn't lie about this.""
"You don't know that.""
"I know she believed you were dangerous.""
Daniel's jaw clenched.
"Your mother hated my family.""
"Why?""
"Because she blamed us for your father's disappearance.""
"Was she wrong?""
He didn't answer.
I felt something cold move through me.
I picked up Vanessa's phone.
"Call him.""
Vanessa shook her head.
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because he told me not to.""
"Then why did he send you the photograph?""
"Because he knew you'd see it.""
I looked at Daniel.
He seemed suddenly older.
Not the man who had stood beneath our oak tree.
Not the man who had held Lily in the hospital.
Something darker had taken his place.
"Did you know my father was alive?""
He stared at me.
"Yes.""
The answer came so quietly that I almost missed it.
I closed my eyes.
"When did you know?""
"Years ago.""
"How many?""
"Since before we got married.""
My hand covered my mouth.
"You knew.""
"Yes.""
"You knew my father was alive before you proposed to me.""
"I didn't know where he was.""
"But you knew he was alive.""
"Yes.""
"And you never told me.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
I laughed.
"From my own father?""
"From what he would do.""
"What would he do?""
Daniel didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"What would he do, Daniel?""
"He would destroy your life.""
I shook my head.
"You've already done that.""
His eyes tightened.
"Mara—"
"No.""
I pointed toward the door.
"Get out.""
He stared at me.
"You can't mean that.""
"I mean it.""
"I live here.""
"Then sleep somewhere else.""
He looked toward the stairs.
"Vanessa?""
She was already backing away.
"I'll get my things.""
Daniel turned on her.
"You're not leaving.""
She stared at him.
"You promised me.""
"I said we'd discuss it.""
"You promised me this house.""
"I didn't promise you anything.""
Her face hardened.
"You gave me the ring.""
"And?""
"You said once Mara was gone—"
"Enough.""
I watched them.
The betrayal between them was beginning to look almost ordinary.
They had built their relationship on lies.
Now they were discovering what lies did to people.
Vanessa turned to me.
"I didn't know about your father until six months ago.""
I said nothing.
She continued.
"I found documents at Daniel's office.""
"What documents?""
"Trust records.""
Daniel's face changed.
"Vanessa.""
She ignored him.
"They were under a company called Hayes Family Holdings.""
I frowned.
"What does that have to do with my father?""
"Everything.""
She pulled a folder from her handbag.
"I copied them.""
Daniel moved toward her.
She stepped back.
"Don't.""
He stopped.
She handed the folder to me.
I opened it.
The first page was a financial statement.
The second was a property transfer.
The third was an old photograph.
My mother.
My father.
And another man.
Daniel's father.
They stood together outside a courthouse.
My hands began to shake.
At the bottom of the photograph was a date.
Thirty-one years ago.
I turned the page.
There was a legal agreement.
My mother's name.
My father's name.
Daniel's father's name.
And one phrase repeated throughout the document:
*Beneficiary: Mara Elizabeth Hayes.*
I stared at it.
"What is this?""
Vanessa whispered, "Your inheritance.""
I looked at her.
"I don't have an inheritance.""
"Apparently you do.""
Daniel closed his eyes.
I turned another page.
There were property deeds.
Investment accounts.
A life insurance policy.
And a trust established shortly after my birth.
The estimated value made my stomach turn.
Twenty-three million dollars.
I looked at Daniel.
"You knew.""
He didn't deny it.
"Why didn't I know?""
"Because the trust was frozen.""
"Why?""
"Your father disappeared.""
"That doesn't answer my question.""
He looked exhausted.
"Your father and my father were partners.""
"Business partners?""
"Yes.""
"What happened?""
"My father accused him of stealing.""
"Did he?""
"No.""
Daniel's answer came immediately.
I stared at him.
"How do you know?""
"Because I found the records.""
"Where?""
"At my father's old office.""
"And you hid them?""
"I was trying to figure out the truth.""
"For how long?""
He looked away.
"Three years.""
Three years.
I suddenly remembered all the nights Daniel had been "working late.""
All the files he had refused to discuss.
All the calls he had taken outside.
I whispered, "You weren't just cheating on me.""
He looked at me.
"You were investigating my family.""
"I was trying to protect you.""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"You were protecting yourself.""
Vanessa looked at him.
"Tell her the rest.""
Daniel glared at her.
"You don't know what you're talking about.""
"I know enough.""
I looked between them.
"What rest?""
Neither spoke.
I opened the folder again.
At the bottom of the final document was a handwritten note.
My mother's handwriting.
*If anything happens to me, the trust transfers to Mara when she becomes a mother.*
My heart stopped.
I looked at Lily.
Daniel saw it.
"That's why.""
I looked at him.
"Why what?""
"That's why I waited.""
The words came out before he could stop them.
I stared.
"You waited for me to have a baby.""
He said nothing.
"Why?""
"The trust became active when you became a mother.""
My face went numb.
"That's why you stayed married to me.""
"No.""
"That's why you proposed.""
"No.""
"That's why you wanted a child.""
"Mara, stop.""
"That's why you married me.""
"I loved you.""
"Then why did you prepare divorce papers six weeks after Lily was born?""
He had no answer.
I felt something inside me settle.
The truth was finally becoming clear.
Daniel hadn't simply fallen in love with Vanessa.
He had been waiting for something.
Something my mother had left me.
Something my father had protected.
Something worth twenty-three million dollars.
My daughter began crying upstairs.
I instinctively moved toward the staircase.
Daniel followed.
"I'll get her.""
"No.""
"I can help.""
"You've done enough.""
I ran upstairs.
Lily was red-faced in her crib, tiny fists waving.
I picked her up.
"It's okay, baby.""
She quieted against my shoulder.
Behind me, Daniel stopped at the doorway.
For a moment, I saw the father he had been.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
"Hello?""
His face changed.
I watched him listen.
Then he said one sentence.
"He's here?""
My blood went cold.
Daniel hung up.
"Who was that?"" I asked.
He stared at me.
"Your father.""
I tightened my arms around Lily.
"Where?""
Daniel looked toward the bedroom window.
Then he whispered,
"Across the street.""
I looked through the curtains.
A black sedan sat beneath the streetlamp.
The driver's door opened.
An older man stepped out.
He looked up at our house.
Then directly at my window.
And even from that distance, I knew he was looking at me.
My father had come back.
But he wasn't alone.
A woman stepped out of the passenger side.
She carried a small black case.
Daniel saw her.
His face turned white.
"That's impossible.""
"Who is she?""
He didn't answer.
The woman lifted her head.
And Daniel whispered a name I had never heard before.
"Rebecca.""
May you like
Then the woman raised one hand toward my bedroom window.
As if she knew exactly where I was.
