Chapter 7: The Secret Written on My Daughter's Birth Certificate
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
The empty hospital bed stared back at me.
Lily's pink blanket was folded neatly at the foot.
Her stuffed rabbit lay on the pillow.
And the note pinned to its ear seemed to burn through my fingers.
*ASK YOUR WIFE WHO LILY'S REAL FATHER IS.*
"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?""
My voice echoed down the corridor.
A nurse came running.
"Sir, please calm down!""
"Where is Lily?""
She looked toward the empty room.
"I thought she was with security.""
"THE SECURITY OFFICERS ARE GONE!""
Detective Harris appeared behind her.
"What happened?""
I shoved the note into his hands.
He read it.
His expression immediately changed.
"Lock down the hospital.""
He grabbed his radio.
"Possible child abduction. Six-year-old girl. Pink floral dress, brown curly hair, pink bows. Last seen in the pediatric family room.""
I turned toward Elena.
She was struggling to get out of bed.
"Marcus!""
I caught her before she fell.
"Don't move. You need to stay here.""
"Take me with you.""
"Elena, you can barely stand.""
"She's my daughter!""
Her voice broke.
"Please don't leave her with them.""
I stared at her.
"Who is Lily's real father?""
Elena's face went white.
She looked at the note.
Then at me.
For a moment, I thought she might faint.
"Not here," she whispered.
I felt anger rise.
"Elena, our daughter is missing. I need the truth.""
She grabbed my wrist.
"Marcus, Lily is yours.""
"Then why would someone write that?""
"Because they know you'll believe anything right now.""
I stared at her.
"Tell me what happened.""
She swallowed.
"When Lily was born, your father arranged a private medical examination.""
"Which father?""
"Robert.""
My biological father.
She continued.
"He was convinced that you weren't his biological son. He believed your mother had concealed something about your birth.""
I shook my head.
"What does that have to do with Lily?""
"Robert had a blood sample taken from you without your knowledge.""
I felt sick.
"Why?""
"He wanted to prove that you were his son.""
I stared at her.
"And?""
Elena closed her eyes.
"The results confirmed it.""
I exhaled.
"Then what's the problem?""
"Robert didn't believe them.""
"Why not?""
"Because he thought your mother had switched the records.""
I looked at the note again.
"Did she?""
Elena hesitated.
"I don't know.""
"Elena!""
"I swear I don't!""
She began crying.
"All I know is that Robert kept saying you weren't supposed to inherit anything. He said there was another child who deserved the estate.""
"Vanessa.""
Elena nodded.
"Yes.""
I stepped backward.
"So Vanessa is his daughter, and I'm his son. Why would he want to erase me?""
"Because he believed you were born from a relationship that destroyed his first marriage.""
I stared at her.
"First marriage?""
Elena nodded.
"My father was married before he met my mother.""
I rubbed my face.
This family had more secrets than I could understand.
"Then who was my mother?""
Elena looked at me.
"Your biological mother was a woman named Claire.""
I had never heard that name.
"Where is she?""
Elena's eyes filled.
"Dead.""
The word hung between us.
"How?""
"Your father said she died during childbirth.""
I looked at the ceiling.
Another dead woman.
Another closed coffin.
Another story I had been expected to accept without questions.
Detective Harris interrupted.
"Mr. Hayes, we have something.""
He held up his phone.
A security camera image showed a woman pushing a wheelchair through a service corridor.
A small girl sat beneath a blanket.
Lily.
I grabbed the phone.
"Where?""
"Underground parking. The camera caught them leaving through the east exit.""
"Who was the woman?""
Harris enlarged the image.
The woman's face was partially visible.
Vanessa.
I felt my stomach twist.
"She's taken my daughter.""
Harris nodded.
"We're tracking the vehicle.""
I turned toward Elena.
"Tell me where she would go.""
Elena wiped her tears.
"The old service building.""
"Why?""
"Because that's where my father kept the original family records.""
I looked at Detective Harris.
"We're going there.""
He nodded.
"But we do it carefully. We don't know how many people are involved.""
I turned back to Elena.
"Stay with the officers.""
She caught my hand.
"Marcus.""
I looked at her.
"Your father knows Lily isn't his granddaughter.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"He knows something about her birth that you don't.""
I felt my heart tighten.
"What?""
Elena's voice dropped.
"Your daughter was born with a small medical mark on her shoulder.""
I nodded slowly.
"A crescent-shaped birthmark.""
"Yes.""
"What's that got to do with anything?""
Elena looked toward the window.
"Robert used to say that mark belonged to his family.""
I stared at her.
Then she whispered:
"But Claire had the same mark.""
The old service building stood at the edge of the abandoned construction yard.
Its brick walls were covered in ivy.
Several windows had been boarded up.
A rusted sign still displayed the name of my father's old company.
HARRISON DEVELOPMENT.
I stepped out of the police vehicle.
Detective Harris approached me.
"Stay behind us.""
I nodded.
But my eyes were fixed on the second-floor window.
A pink curtain moved.
Lily's bedroom curtain.
The same fabric Elena had sewn for her when she was four.
My daughter was inside.
I started walking.
Harris grabbed my arm.
"Wait.""
A security camera turned toward us.
Then a loudspeaker crackled.
"Marcus.""
My father's voice.
"You're early.""
I looked up.
"Bring my daughter outside!""
A short laugh echoed through the speakers.
"Always so impatient.""
"LET HER GO!""
"Come inside.""
Harris signaled to the officers.
Two moved toward the rear entrance.
Another took position near the loading bay.
I followed the detective through the front door.
The building smelled of dust, damp concrete, and old machinery.
A single light illuminated the reception area.
On the wall hung a photograph of my father standing beside Vanessa.
Beneath it was another photograph.
A woman holding a newborn baby.
I approached.
The woman had dark hair and tired eyes.
Her face was unfamiliar.
But the baby had a crescent-shaped mark on its shoulder.
I touched the glass.
"Claire.""
A voice answered behind me.
"Your mother.""
I turned.
My father stood at the top of the stairs.
He looked older than the man in my memories.
His hair was almost entirely gray.
But his eyes were the same.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
"Where's Lily?""
He descended slowly.
"She's safe.""
"Bring her here.""
"Not until we talk.""
Detective Harris stepped forward.
"Mr. Hayes, put your hands where I can see them.""
My father smiled.
"You police officers always arrive after the important things happen.""
He glanced at me.
"Did Elena tell you about Claire?""
I stepped forward.
"Tell me why you let me believe you were dead.""
He sighed.
"Because I had to protect you.""
"From what?""
"Your mother.""
I shook my head.
"Which one?""
For the first time, his expression changed.
Then he laughed.
"You're beginning to understand.""
He walked toward a locked office.
"Come.""
I didn't move.
"Where's my daughter?""
He opened the door.
"Inside.""
I rushed forward.
The office was empty.
A small pink backpack sat on the desk.
Beside it was Lily's stuffed rabbit.
I grabbed it.
"WHERE IS SHE?""
My father closed the door behind us.
"She's with Vanessa.""
I turned.
"You said she was here!""
"I said she was safe.""
I lunged toward him.
Detective Harris caught my arm.
My father calmly placed a folder on the desk.
"Before you do something stupid, look at this.""
I opened it.
Inside was a birth certificate.
My name appeared at the top.
But the mother's name was different.
Claire Morgan.
The father's name was Robert Hayes.
I stared at the document.
Then I looked at my father.
"Why does it say Robert Hayes?""
"Because that's who you are.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"But Elena said...""
"Elena knows very little.""
He removed another document.
A hospital record.
It showed that I had been born thirty-five years earlier.
Then he placed a second birth certificate beside it.
This one belonged to Lily.
I looked at the mother's name.
Elena Hayes.
The father's name was blank.
I stared.
"What is this?""
My father smiled.
"Your daughter was never registered under your name.""
"That's impossible.""
"Your marriage certificate was altered. Your daughter's birth registration was amended before it was filed.""
I felt sick.
"Who did that?""
He leaned closer.
"Your mother.""
I shook my head.
"Why?""
"Because she knew the truth.""
"What truth?""
He pointed to the final document.
A DNA report.
Two names.
Marcus Hayes.
Lily Hayes.
The result was highlighted.
<text color="secondary" size="sm">PATERNITY TEST: EXCLUDED.</text>
My legs nearly buckled.
"No.""
My father watched me.
"Now do you understand?""
I stared at the paper.
My daughter.
The little girl I had carried through nightmares.
The child whose first steps I had celebrated.
The little girl who had screamed for her mother beside the swimming pool.
My daughter.
I looked up.
"You're lying.""
He shook his head.
"Ask Elena.""
I grabbed the report.
"Where is Lily?""
My father pointed toward the back wall.
"Ask Vanessa.""
A phone rang on the desk.
He answered.
"Yes?""
A woman's voice came through.
"Daniel, we have a problem.""
Vanessa.
My father listened.
Then his face hardened.
"What do you mean she's escaped?""
He looked at me.
I felt my heart stop.
Vanessa continued.
"The little girl found the tunnel.""
My father slowly lowered the phone.
Then he whispered:
"Marcus, your daughter is coming here.""
A metallic crash sounded somewhere beneath the building.
Detective Harris immediately reached for his weapon.
"Everybody stay where you are!""
My father backed toward the door.
I grabbed the DNA report.
Then I heard a small voice.
"Daddy?""
I turned.
Lily stood at the end of the hallway.
Her pink dress was dirty.
One bow was missing.
Her face was streaked with tears.
"Lily!""
I ran toward her.
She threw herself into my arms.
I held her so tightly that she squealed.
"Baby, are you hurt?""
She shook her head.
Then she whispered into my ear.
"Daddy, Mommy said not to trust Grandpa.""
I looked up.
My father stood in the doorway.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
Because Lily had something in her hand.
A small black recording device.
And when she pressed the button, a woman's voice filled the hallway.
A voice I recognized immediately.
My mother's.
"If you're hearing this, Marcus, then Daniel has finally found you.""
A pause.
May you like
Then she said:
"Your father isn't the man standing in front of you.""
