Chapter 6 - Margaret Comes to My Door
I told Ethan to leave.
He thought I meant for an hour.
I meant longer.
“How long?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“This is my home too.”
“And this is my body, my pregnancy and my trust you’ve been playing with.”
“I never meant to hurt you.”
“I’m tired of hearing about what you meant to do.”
He packed a duffel bag.
Before leaving, he stopped at the door.
“I love you.”
I almost said it back.
That scared me.
Because loving someone doesn’t automatically mean you should trust them.
After he left, I called Daniel.
My hands shook as I typed the number from the attorney’s letter.
He answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
His voice sounded disturbingly like Ethan’s.
Deeper.
Rougher.
But close enough that my stomach tightened.
“Daniel?”
Silence.
“Emily?”
“Yes.”
He exhaled.
“I’m sorry.”
Those were his first words.
Not hello.
Not thank you for calling.
I’m sorry.
“For what?”
“For agreeing to something without making sure you knew the truth.”
I closed my eyes.
“At least you’re admitting it.”
“I believed Ethan.”
“So did I.”
Another silence.
Then he said, “I don’t want anything from you or the baby.”
“Why did you contact Richard?”
“Because Ethan stopped answering.”
“Why did you need to reach him?”
Daniel hesitated.
“You should ask Ethan why he really wanted me specifically.”
“I am asking you.”
“I’d rather tell you in person.”
“Why?”
“Because I have proof.”
My pulse kicked.
“Proof of what?”
Before he could answer, someone pounded on my front door.
Not knocked.
Pounded.
“Emily!”
Margaret.
Of course.
I closed my eyes.
“Daniel, I have to call you back.”
“Is everything okay?”
“No.”
“Emily—”
I ended the call.
Margaret hit the door again.
“Open this door.”
I considered ignoring her.
Then she shouted, “I know Daniel is the donor.”
I opened it.
She stormed inside.
“You knew about him?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Your son did enough of that for both of us.”
She looked around.
“Where is Ethan?”
“Not here.”
“You threw him out?”
“I asked him to leave.”
“You are unbelievable.”
I laughed.
“I’m unbelievable?”
“You humiliated him in front of the family.”
“Your son deceived me during fertility treatment.”
“He was desperate.”
“That doesn’t excuse it.”
“He wanted a child connected to him.”
“And that gave him the right to lie to me?”
Margaret’s mouth tightened.
Then she said something that stopped me.
“You should be grateful.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Daniel has Hollis blood.”
I almost couldn’t process it.
“You shoved me yesterday because the baby was a girl.”
“I was upset.”
“You called her a failure without using the word.”
“I didn’t know she was Richard’s biological granddaughter.”
There it was.
The whole ugly truth.
To Margaret, my child suddenly mattered again because Daniel shared Richard’s DNA.
I opened the door.
“Get out.”
She didn’t move.
“Emily, think about what you’re doing.”
“I am.”
“This child still belongs to this family.”
“My daughter belongs to herself.”
“She has Hollis blood.”
“She is not an inheritance.”
Margaret stepped closer.
“You cannot cut us out.”
“Watch me.”
Her expression changed.
Fear.
Not anger.
Fear.
And I knew Margaret was never afraid unless she was about to lose control.
“You don’t know Daniel,” she whispered.
“Neither do you.”
“Oh, I know enough.”
I waited.
She looked toward the hallway as if afraid someone might hear.
Then she said, “If Daniel gets involved, he’ll destroy this family.”
“Why?”
Margaret went silent.
“Why, Margaret?”
She picked up her purse.
At the door, she stopped.
“Ask Richard why Daniel left Boston at eighteen.”
Then she walked away.
Ten minutes later, my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered immediately.
Before I could say anything, he spoke.
“Emily, there’s one more thing.”
“What?”
“I didn’t leave Boston willingly.”
My throat tightened.
“What happened?”
May you like
Daniel’s voice dropped.
“Margaret paid me to disappear.”
