Chapter 10
Daniel tried to apologize.
Not to Lily.
To me.
That told me everything.
“Claire, I made mistakes.”
I looked at him.
“Mistakes?”
“I trusted Mother.”
“You watched Lily go hungry.”
“I thought it was one meal.”
Lily whispered:
“Four.”
Silence.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Margaret snapped:
“She’s counting snacks as meals.”
I stared.
“She remembers hunger.”
Margaret shrugged.
“Then it worked.”
Mark turned away.
Even Victor looked uncomfortable.
I looked at Daniel.
“You knew she was being punished.”
“Yes.”
“You knew your mother called her illegitimate.”
“Yes.”
“You knew the DNA result.”
Pause.
“Yes.”
There.
Finally.
“How long?”
“Four months.”
Same as Margaret.
“You let your daughter believe you weren’t her father.”
He looked ashamed.
Not enough.
“Mother said it would make the transition easier.”
“For Lily?”
“For everyone.”
I almost laughed.
“Everyone except Lily.”
He said nothing.
Savannah stood in the doorway.
“Daniel told me the test was negative.”
I looked at her.
He closed his eyes.
She continued.
“He said Lily was another man’s child.”
Daniel snapped:
“Savannah.”
She laughed bitterly.
“You told me Claire cheated.”
I stared at him.
Not content with removing me.
He had rewritten me.
Unfaithful wife.
Illegitimate child.
Weak mother.
Clean story.
Savannah looked at Margaret.
“You knew too.”
Margaret shrugged.
“What difference did it make?”
Savannah’s face changed.
“My child was supposed to enter this family.”
“He still can.”
“No.”
Margaret frowned.
Savannah stepped backward.
“No.”
Victor snapped:
“Sit down.”
She looked at her father.
Another controlling man.
Another command.
Savannah shook her head.
“I’m leaving.”
Victor stepped toward her.
My guards moved.
He stopped.
Savannah looked at me.
“I didn’t know about Lily.”
I stared.
“You knew about me.”
“Yes.”
“That matters too.”
She lowered her eyes.
Good.
Accountability without absolution.
Then Mark spoke.
“Claire.”
I looked at him.
“There’s something else.”
He held Margaret’s phone.
Her face changed.
“I found messages from Daniel.”
Daniel went pale.
Mark swallowed.
“They weren’t planning to send Claire away temporarily.”
May you like
He looked at me.
“They were planning to make sure you could never come back.”
