Chapter 4 - THE SECRET INSIDE THE MEDICAL BAG

I drove home faster than I should have.

Every red light felt like an insult.

Every second felt dangerous.

Because for the first time in my life, I wasn’t worried about what my family had done.

I was worried about what they might do next.

When I arrived, Willa was waiting outside my house.

Her face told me everything.

Something was wrong.

“What did you find?”

She looked around before answering.

“Not here.”

That scared me more than anything.

Willa followed me inside.

Juniper was asleep on the couch, her little inhaler pouch sitting beside her like a silent reminder of how close I came to losing her.

I lowered my voice.

“Tell me.”

Willa unlocked her phone.

“I went through the full recording.”

She pressed play.

The video showed Tabitha searching through Juniper’s medical bag.

At first, it looked like she was only taking the inhaler.

But then she opened another pocket.

A pocket I didn’t even know existed.

She pulled out a small envelope.

My stomach tightened.

“What is that?”

Willa paused the video.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you.”

“I’ve never seen it before.”

She continued.

On the recording, Tabitha looked at my father.

“Are you sure nobody knows?”

My father’s voice came from behind the camera.

“No one can know.”

My hands curled into fists.

My own father.

My own sister.

Whispering about my daughter.

Then Tabitha said something that made my blood freeze.

“If he finds out Juniper isn’t really his…”

I stopped breathing.

The video ended.

I stared at the blank screen.

“No.”

Willa looked at me carefully.

“I’m sorry.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“There has to be another explanation.”

But deep down…

I knew there wasn’t.

Because suddenly every strange moment from the past four years came rushing back.

The way my father avoided holding Juniper.

The way Tabitha always asked questions about her birth.

The way they reacted whenever I mentioned her mother.

My late wife.

Emily.

My voice became quiet.

“What are they hiding?”

Willa didn’t answer.

She didn’t need to.

Because my father answered for her.

The front door opened.

I turned.

Orson stood there.

And he looked terrified.

“You weren’t supposed to see that.”

My heart sank.

“You knew.”

He slowly closed the door.

“Son…”

“No.”

I stepped forward.

“Do not call me son right now.”

His face fell.

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain.”

Silence.

“Explain why my sister tried to take my daughter’s medicine.”

No answer.

“Explain why she searched through her things.”

Still nothing.

Then I asked the question I had been avoiding.

“Is Juniper my daughter?”

My father looked at me.

And the pain in his eyes was worse than any lie.

Because it meant there was an answer.

A terrible one.

Finally, he whispered:

“No.”

The room disappeared.

Everything went quiet.

I felt like the floor had vanished beneath me.

“No…”

My voice broke.

“No, that’s not possible.”

My father looked down.

“I found out before you did.”

“When?”

His silence lasted too long.

“When she was born.”

My chest tightened.

“You knew for four years?”

“I was trying to protect you.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Protect me?”

I pointed toward the room where Juniper slept.

“You let me love a child while hiding the truth?”

My father looked toward her.

And then he said something that made me realize this secret was much bigger than I imagined.

“Your wife didn’t cheat on you.”

I froze.

“What?”

He looked at me.

“Your mother-in-law changed the DNA results.”

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