Chapter 8: The Daughter They Tried to Erase
Vanessa descended the staircase slowly.
She had changed out of her cream pantsuit.
Now she wore a black dress, a long pearl necklace, and the same expression she had worn the night she destroyed my wedding gown.
The leather document case was tucked beneath her arm.
Behind her stood Brielle.
Her makeup was smudged.
Her hot pink satin dress had been replaced by a black coat, and she looked as though she hadn't slept.
I stared at them.
“Where are the documents?””
Vanessa smiled.
“Always business with you, Camille. You really are your mother's daughter.””
“Give them back.””
“Not until we talk.””
Adrian stepped closer.
“Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Eleanor.””
Vanessa laughed.
“Eleanor isn't here.””
I looked toward the entrance.
My grandmother was still on her way.
“Then we'll wait.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“No. We're doing this now.””
She opened the document case and removed a thick envelope.
“Your mother left something out of the story.””
I folded my arms.
“Go on.””
Vanessa held up a photograph.
It showed my mother in the old workroom, holding a newborn baby.
A second woman stood beside her.
The woman was younger than I remembered from the photograph of Vivienne.
I recognized the face.
Vanessa.
My breath caught.
“What is that?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Your mother wasn't the only woman who had a child in this family.””
Brielle stepped forward.
“Mom, don't.””
Vanessa ignored her.
“Twenty-nine years ago, your mother and I were both working in the original Bellamy studio. We were friends. We were partners. We were practically sisters.””
I stared at her.
“Then why does this photograph matter?””
“Because your mother promised to help me.””
Vanessa's voice changed.
For the first time, there was something raw beneath her carefully polished exterior.
“I had a baby. I was young, unmarried, and terrified. Your mother offered to help me build a future.””
I looked at the photograph again.
The newborn.
The workroom.
My mother.
Vanessa.
“Brielle?””
Vanessa nodded.
“She was my daughter.””
“I know that.””
“But Margaret wasn't supposed to have a child at the same time.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Vanessa stepped closer.
“Your mother had a baby too. But she never told anyone the truth about the father.””
I felt a strange chill.
“Who was he?””
Vanessa looked toward my father.
Richard's face had gone completely white.
I turned.
“Dad?””
He didn't answer.
Vanessa smiled.
“Your mother had an affair with Vivienne Laurent's business partner. A married man. She was ashamed, so she let everyone believe the child was his wife's.””
I shook my head.
“That doesn't make sense.””
Vanessa continued.
“Your mother wanted to protect her reputation. Vivienne helped arrange everything. The child was registered under a different family name.””
I looked at the photograph.
Then at my father.
“Who am I?””
He finally spoke.
“Camille, you are my daughter.””
“Then why is Vanessa talking like this?””
He looked toward the floor.
Vanessa laughed.
“Because Richard has been lying to you.””
My father stepped forward.
“Stop it.””
Vanessa raised the photograph.
“Tell her what happened to the original birth certificate.””
He closed his eyes.
I felt my heart pounding.
“Dad?””
He swallowed.
“Your mother and I were married before you were born. There were complications. We nearly lost you.””
I stared.
“What does that have to do with anything?””
“Your mother was afraid that if she died, you would be left without anyone to protect you. So she made me promise to keep certain family matters private.””
Vanessa interrupted.
“Convenient.””
My father turned on her.
“You've done enough.””
She laughed.
“You signed every document I put in front of you.””
“I was wrong.””
“You let me take her mother's company.””
“I know.””
“You watched me destroy her work.””
My father looked at me.
“I know.””
The silence was unbearable.
Then Brielle spoke.
“Mom, please stop.””
Vanessa turned.
“Stay out of this.””
Brielle's eyes filled with tears.
“You said we were going to win.””
“We are.””
“You said Camille had no rights.””
“She doesn't.””
“But Eleanor said—”
Vanessa slapped the photograph against the staircase railing.
“Eleanor knows nothing!””
Brielle flinched.
I watched her carefully.
For the first time, she didn't look like the confident woman who had shoved me into the sofa.
She looked frightened.
“Brielle,” I said quietly.
“What did you know about the designs?””
She looked at me.
“I didn't know everything.””
“Did you know they were Mom's?””
She hesitated.
Then she nodded.
My chest tightened.
“How long?””
“Mom showed me the old sketches last year.””
“And you still claimed they were yours?””
Brielle looked away.
“She told me the designs had been abandoned.””
“That doesn't make them yours.””
“I know.””
The admission surprised me.
Vanessa stepped toward her.
“Brielle, don't you dare.””
But Brielle continued.
“She said the archive was worthless. She said nobody would care about old designs.””
I stared at her.
“Then why did you destroy my wedding gown?””
Brielle's lips trembled.
“Because she told me you were going to take everything away from us.””
I laughed softly.
“Everything?””
“She said if you presented your collection, the investors would leave. She said we would lose the house, the studio, and everything Dad had built.””
I looked toward my father.
“Did you tell her that?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
Brielle looked down.
“She said it was the only way to stop you.””
I felt something cold settle inside me.
“Did you know she forged my signature?””
Brielle didn't answer.
That was enough.
I turned away.
For years, I had imagined that one day Brielle might understand what she had done.
But understanding didn't erase responsibility.
I looked at her.
“You could have asked me to help you. You could have created your own designs. You could have worked for something instead of stealing it.””
She wiped her cheek.
“I was afraid of being ordinary.””
The words hung between us.
I thought of the ruined gown.
The broken pearls.
The lace scattered across the floor.
“You made me pay for that fear.””
Vanessa suddenly laughed.
“Enough with the sentimental nonsense.””
She opened the leather case and removed a final document.
“This is the original transfer agreement. It proves that Margaret voluntarily assigned the Night Bat Collection to me.””
I stared.
Eleanor had said the original documents were protected.
“Where did you get that?””
“Your mother signed it before she died.””
I looked at my father.
He stepped forward.
“Camille, don't believe her.””
Vanessa held the document higher.
“Look at the signature.””
It was my mother's.
I recognized it immediately.
The curved M.
The delicate final stroke.
It looked genuine.
I felt the air leave my lungs.
Vanessa smiled.
“Now you understand.””
I stepped closer.
“Let me see it.””
“No.””
“Then read the final paragraph.””
Vanessa's smile faltered.
I pointed toward the bottom.
“The date.””
She looked down.
Then back at me.
“What about it?””
“My mother died on September 18. This agreement is dated September 23.””
Vanessa said nothing.
I continued.
“She couldn't have signed it.””
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then Vanessa folded the document.
“Your mother signed it before she died. The date was added later.””
“By whom?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Eleanor's voice came from the entrance.
“By someone who wanted to make a fraudulent document look legitimate.””
We turned.
Eleanor stood beside Vivienne.
Two attorneys accompanied them.
Vanessa's expression collapsed.
Vivienne walked into the showroom.
“Vanessa.””
The name came out quietly.
But it carried enough authority to silence the room.
Vanessa straightened.
“Vivienne.””
“I see you've been busy.””
“I'm protecting my daughter's future.””
Vivienne looked at Brielle.
“By stealing from another woman's child?””
Vanessa's face hardened.
“You abandoned us.””
Vivienne didn't flinch.
“I abandoned a business arrangement. I did not abandon Margaret.””
“You chose her over me.””
“I chose the person who respected the work.””
Vanessa laughed.
“You always thought she was better.””
“No,” Vivienne replied.
“She simply never needed to make someone else smaller to feel important.””
Brielle looked down.
Eleanor approached the document.
“Vanessa, hand it over.””
Vanessa clutched it.
“No.””
One of the attorneys stepped forward.
“Madam, the document will be examined by an independent forensic specialist. You are not entitled to remove it from the premises.””
Vanessa backed away.
“You can't do this.””
Eleanor opened her folder.
“We already have.””
She handed a copy to my father.
“Richard, your statement is required. You need to explain why you assisted Vanessa in accessing the archive.””
My father nodded.
“I'll cooperate.””
Vanessa turned toward him.
“You wouldn't dare.””
He looked at her.
“I have spent twenty years being afraid of you.””
Then he looked at me.
“And I'm done.””
Vanessa's face twisted.
“You think Camille will forgive you?””
My father shook his head.
“No. I hope she won't have to.””
The attorneys approached.
Vanessa finally released the document.
But before they could take it, she looked directly at me.
“You think you've won?””
I didn't answer.
She stepped closer.
“Your mother made mistakes. She wasn't the saint you imagine. And when you discover what she really did, you'll wish you had never opened that archive.””
Vivienne's expression hardened.
“Enough.””
Vanessa turned toward her.
“You know it's true.””
Vivienne didn't respond.
Instead, she looked at me.
“Camille, there's something you need to see.””
She removed a small silver key from her pocket.
“This opens the private cabinet in the original design library. Your mother left one final collection there.””
I frowned.
“I thought we'd found everything.””
“Not everything.””
Vivienne looked toward Vanessa.
“This is the collection Margaret never allowed anyone to photograph.””
Vanessa suddenly lunged forward.
“Give me that key!””
Security intervened.
She struggled against them.
“That's mine!””
Vivienne stepped back.
“No, Vanessa. It never was.””
Eleanor took the key.
“We'll secure the cabinet.””
I looked toward my stepmother.
She was still fighting.
Her carefully styled hair had fallen loose.
Her pearl necklace had broken, scattering beads across the marble floor.
For a moment, she looked exactly like the person who had destroyed my wedding gown.
Only now, there was nobody left to impress.
As the attorneys escorted her toward the exit, Brielle remained behind.
She approached me slowly.
“Camille.””
I looked at her.
“Don't.””
She swallowed.
“I know I don't deserve it, but I'm sorry.””
I studied her face.
“Are you sorry you hurt me, or are you sorry you got caught?””
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
I nodded.
“That's what I thought.””
She lowered her eyes.
“I don't expect you to forgive me.””
“Good.””
I turned toward the old design library.
But before I could walk away, Brielle spoke again.
“Camille, there's something else.””
I stopped.
She looked toward Vanessa, who was now being escorted outside.
“Mom didn't just steal your designs.””
I turned slowly.
“What do you mean?””
Brielle took a trembling breath.
“She sold the original collection to another company last month. I saw the transfer papers.””
Eleanor froze.
“What company?””
Brielle looked at me.
“Maison Laurent.””
Vivienne's face changed.
“That is impossible.””
Brielle shook her head.
“Mom said the chairman had agreed to buy everything. She said the deal would be finalized after today's presentation.””
Eleanor immediately checked her phone.
Then she looked up.
“Camille, the partnership agreement has just been suspended.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
She turned the screen toward me.
A new ownership claim had been filed.
And the applicant wasn't Vanessa.
It was a company registered under my own name.
I stared at the document.
The signature at the bottom was mine.
But I had never seen it before.
May you like
And the person listed as the authorized representative was...
*Adrian Hayes.*
