Chapter 5 - The Night Lily Was Born
The envelope was still in my hand.
The words on the front looked simple.
But they felt heavier than anything I had ever held.
"Ask your husband what happened the night Lily was born."
I looked at Daniel.
His face had lost all color.
Not because he was confused.
Because he knew exactly what that envelope meant.
And that was when I realized something worse than betrayal.
Daniel had been carrying this secret long before I ever discovered it.
"Daniel."
My voice was quiet.
Almost too quiet.
"What happened the night Lily was born?"
He didn't answer.
The room waited.
Rebecca stared at him.
Claire covered her mouth.
My mother looked down.
Everyone knew.
Everyone except me.
Daniel slowly sat down in the chair beside the hospital bed.
"Emma..."
I shook my head.
"No."
My fingers tightened around the envelope.
"Don't say my name like that."
He looked hurt.
But I couldn't feel sorry for him anymore.
Not after everything.
"You brought divorce papers here."
"You stood beside a child and let her tell me you were her father."
"You watched me find out that my entire life was built on secrets."
I looked at him.
"And now you are going to tell me you were trying to protect me?"
Daniel looked away.
Because that was exactly what he was about to say.
Rebecca stepped closer.
"Tell her the truth."
Daniel looked at her.
"You don't understand."
Rebecca's expression hardened.
"I understand enough."
She pointed toward me.
"She almost gave her life to save a child who was taken from her."
Daniel closed his eyes.
The words hit him.
Because they were true.
I looked at Lily.
The little girl was sitting silently in the corner.
She looked scared.
Confused.
She didn't understand why the adults around her were destroying each other.
I softened for a moment.
Then I looked back at Daniel.
"I need to know."
He remained silent.
"Now."
Finally, he spoke.
"The night Lily was born..."
He stopped.
Like even saying it hurt.
"I wasn't supposed to be there."
My heart sank.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel looked at Claire.
She started crying.
"I was younger."
Claire whispered.
"I made mistakes."
I stared at her.
"Stop."
My voice was sharp.
"Everyone keeps saying they made mistakes."
I looked around the room.
"But mistakes don't create eighteen years of lies."
Nobody argued.
Because nobody could.
Daniel took a deep breath.
"Claire called me that night."
I froze.
"Why?"
He swallowed.
"Because she needed help."
I looked at Claire.
"Help with what?"
Claire looked at the floor.
Daniel continued.
"She was scared. She had just given birth."
My eyes moved between them.
"And?"
Daniel hesitated.
Then said:
"She told me the baby wasn't supposed to be hers."
The room became silent.
I looked at Lily.
Then back at him.
"What are you saying?"
Daniel's voice became quieter.
"Emma..."
I shook my head.
"No."
I already knew I didn't want to hear the next sentence.
But I needed to.
"Say it."
Daniel looked at me.
"Lily was born from a woman named Rebecca."
My breathing stopped.
Rebecca covered her mouth.
"No..."
Daniel continued.
"Claire couldn't keep her."
My hands started shaking.
"Why?"
Nobody answered.
Then my mother finally spoke.
"Because of what happened before."
I looked at her.
"What happened before?"
She closed her eyes.
"The accident."
A cold feeling moved through me.
"What accident?"
My mother looked at Rebecca.
Then at me.
"Eighteen years ago, Rebecca was involved in a car accident while she was pregnant."
Rebecca shook her head.
"No."
My mother continued.
"You were there."
Rebecca looked shocked.
"I was unconscious."
"Exactly."
The room became quiet.
My mother looked at me.
"You were born early."
I stared.
"Me?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
The words felt impossible.
"Then why don't I remember?"
My mother didn't answer.
Because there was no answer that could make sense.
Dr. Morgan quietly reviewed the documents.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
She picked up the genetic report again.
"Something is not matching."
My heart raced.
"What now?"
She looked at Daniel.
"The dates."
Daniel became still.
"What about them?"
Dr. Morgan pointed at the report.
"If Lily was born eighteen years ago..."
She looked at me.
"And Emma was already born before that."
Everyone froze.
I felt confused.
"What does that mean?"
The doctor looked serious.
"It means there is another missing piece."
Rebecca stepped forward.
"What missing piece?"
Dr. Morgan looked at the papers.
"The hospital records show two newborn girls were registered around the same time."
My stomach dropped.
"Two?"
She nodded.
"Two babies."
The room went silent.
Claire whispered:
"No..."
I looked at her.
"You know something."
She started crying.
"Emma, please."
"No."
I shook my head.
"I am done with please."
I looked directly at her.
"Tell me."
Claire covered her face.
"I didn't know everything."
"Then tell me what you knew."
She took a shaky breath.
"The night Lily was born..."
She looked at Daniel.
"Daniel was there because..."
She stopped.
Because she couldn't say it.
Daniel stood suddenly.
"Enough."
Everyone turned.
His voice was different.
Not guilty.
Desperate.
"Daniel?"
He looked at me.
"There are things you don't understand."
I laughed softly.
"You're right."
I looked at him.
"I don't understand how my husband knew my entire family was lying to me."
He stepped closer.
"I was trying to fix it."
"By leaving me?"
He had no answer.
Rebecca picked up the envelope.
"Emma."
I looked at her.
"There's something inside that envelope you haven't seen."
I looked down.
The envelope had been opened.
But there was another paper folded behind the first note.
My hands trembled as I pulled it out.
It was a hospital document.
Old.
Yellowed.
At the top was a date.
The date Lily was born.
Below it were two names.
One was Lily.
The other was mine.
I looked closer.
Then my blood ran cold.
Because beside my name was written:
"Biological mother: Rebecca Collins."
I dropped the paper.
"No."
Rebecca picked it up.
Her face changed.
"That's impossible."
Dr. Morgan grabbed the document.
She read it carefully.
Then she looked at me.
"Emma..."
My voice shook.
"What?"
The doctor didn't answer immediately.
And that scared me.
Finally, she whispered:
"This record says you were not adopted."
I stared at her.
"What?"
She turned the page.
"It says you were the mother listed on Lily's original birth file."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then the hospital monitor beside my bed started beeping faster.
Because my body reacted before my mind could.
Daniel stepped backward.
Claire started crying.
My mother whispered:
"No one was supposed to find this."
I looked at her.
"Find what?"
She didn't answer.
The lights above us flickered.
Then someone knocked on the hospital door.
Everyone turned.
A nurse opened it slightly.
"Excuse me..."
She looked nervous.
"There is someone outside asking to see Emma."
Rebecca frowned.
"Who?"
The nurse looked down at a small card in her hand.
Then she looked at me.
"The person says she is the woman who was with Lily the night she disappeared."
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The door slowly opened.
And standing outside was a woman holding a photograph of a baby with my name written on the back...
