Chapter 8 - The Son Nobody Was Allowed To Remember
Some secrets are buried because they are painful.
Others are buried because someone is guilty.
Ethan was the second kind.
Nathan sat across from me.
For the first time since everything began, he looked afraid.
Not of losing control.
Not of losing his reputation.
Afraid of the truth.
“My whole life, I believed I was an only child.”
I said nothing.
“I grew up hearing that my mother had complications during pregnancy.”
“She told everyone she could never have another baby.”
“Then suddenly, there was Ethan.”
I looked at him.
“Your brother.”
Nathan nodded.
“She said he was sick.”
“She said he died young.”
“But the records…”
“Show something different.”
Mae stepped forward.
“You knew?”
Nathan shook his head.
“Not until recently.”
“When?”
He looked down.
“Three months ago.”
My chest tightened.
“Three months ago?”
The same time everything changed.
The same time Doreen began controlling my pregnancy.
“What happened three months ago?”
Nathan took a deep breath.
“My mother received a letter.”
“What kind of letter?”
“One from someone claiming to be Ethan.”
The room froze.
Simone covered her mouth.
“Ethan is alive?”
Nathan nodded slowly.
“That is what the letter said.”
I stared at him.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then why hide this?”
Nathan looked ashamed.
“Because my mother told me it was a scam.”
“And you believed her.”
Again.
The same answer.
Again.
His mother.
I stood carefully.
“You let your mother manipulate you.”
“I know.”
“You let her convince you I was unstable.”
“I know.”
“You let her build a case against me.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“I know.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
“You don’t know.”
“Because if you did, you would understand what you almost destroyed.”
My voice broke.
“You almost helped her take my baby.”
Nathan looked at our son.
And for the first time, real fear appeared on his face.
“I know.”
But this time, he sounded different.
Because he finally understood.
A knock interrupted us.
Everyone froze.
Mae moved toward the door.
“Who is it?”
A voice answered.
“Hospital security.”
Nathan looked at me.
His face changed instantly.
“They found us.”
Mae locked the door.
“Everyone stay quiet.”
The handle moved.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
A voice came through.
“Mr. Carver is requesting access.”
Nathan looked confused.
“I didn’t request anyone.”
Then another voice spoke.
A woman.
Doreen.
“Open the door.”
My blood went cold.
She knew.
She knew Nathan was here.
She knew we were together.
Mae looked at me.
“There is another exit.”
“There is?”
She pointed toward a narrow hallway.
“Behind the supply closet.”
I looked at my baby.
Then at Nathan.
For the first time, we were on the same side.
We moved quickly.
But before we reached the exit, Nathan’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Then a recording played.
His own voice.
From weeks earlier.
A conversation between him and Doreen.
Nathan’s face turned white.
Because he heard himself say:
“I will do whatever it takes to make sure Leah never gets custody.”
He dropped the phone.
“That is not…”
He looked at me.
“I never said that.”
But the recording continued.
And the next voice was his mother.
“Good.”
“Because once the baby is ours, everything changes.”
The call ended.
Nathan stood frozen.
Because he finally heard what I had been hearing.
May you like
The truth.
His own betrayal.
