Chapter 10 - The Truth My Daughter Was Afraid To Tell
I found Lily sitting on her bed.
Holding her stuffed rabbit.
She looked at me.
And immediately knew something was wrong.
“Daddy?”
I sat beside her.
“Sweetheart…”
“Mommy said something.”
Her face changed.
She looked down.
“What did she say?”
I took a deep breath.
“She said I should ask you about your real mother.”
Lily became completely still.
The fear in her eyes told me everything.
“Lily?”
She hugged her rabbit tighter.
“Daddy…”
“Please don’t be mad.”
My heart broke.
“I’m not mad.”
“I love you.”
She looked at me.
Then whispered:
“I heard Mommy talking.”
“When?”
“A long time ago.”
“What did she say?”
Lily’s eyes filled with tears.
“She said you didn’t know the truth about me.”
I held her hand.
“What truth?”
She looked toward the door.
Like she was afraid someone would hear.
Then she whispered:
“Daddy…”
“I’m scared.”
I pulled her into my arms.
“You’re safe.”
“No one will hurt you.”
She cried quietly.
Then finally said the words that changed my entire world.
“Mommy said…”
“You’re not my real father.”
I felt like the air disappeared.
I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t move.
Because the one thing I had always been certain about…
My children.
My family.
My life.
Was suddenly being questioned.
But then Lily grabbed my hand.
And said something else.
Something Vanessa never expected.
“Daddy…”
“She’s lying.”
I looked at her.
“How do you know?”
Lily wiped her tears.
“Because Mommy told Ethan the same thing.”
“And Ethan said…”
“He remembered you from when he was a baby.”
My heart softened.
Because my children knew the truth.
I was their father.
I always had been.
But someone wanted to destroy that bond.
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And now…
I was going to find out why.
