Chapter 2
Mark read the report twice.
Then a third time.
Daniel pushed himself out of the collapsed buffet.
“Give me that.”
Mark didn’t move.
Margaret climbed from beneath balloons and gift boxes.
Her face was red.
“Stop making a spectacle.”
I almost laughed.
“My daughter was chained to your porch.”
“She was being disciplined.”
“For what?”
Margaret looked at Lily.
“She refused to apologize.”
Lily pressed closer to me.
“For what?”
No answer.
I crouched.
“Baby?”
Lily looked at Margaret first.
Fear.
Then Daniel.
More fear.
“She said I’m not Daddy’s.”
My stomach tightened.
Margaret smiled.
“Children misunderstand.”
Lily shook her head.
“She said Mommy lied.”
Daniel snapped:
“Enough.”
Lily flinched.
I stood.
“You told her that too?”
Daniel looked away.
That was enough.
Mark stared at him.
“You knew the report existed?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
“You just tried to destroy it.”
“It’s private.”
Mark looked at Margaret.
“Mom.”
Her expression hardened.
“What?”
“I drove you to the Bellamy clinic four months ago.”
Silence.
I turned.
Margaret’s face changed.
Mark continued.
“You said the test was for a family medical issue.”
Daniel whispered:
“Mark.”
Too late.
My brother-in-law looked sick.
“You already tested Lily.”
Margaret straightened.
“Of course I did.”
My hands went cold.
“And?”
She looked directly at me.
“And blood doesn’t make someone family.”
Lily heard every word.
Margaret continued.
“She came from you.”
There it was.
Not doubt.
Hatred.
She had known Lily was Daniel’s daughter.
She had called her illegitimate anyway.
I stepped closer.
“Why?”
Margaret smiled.
“Because truth is whatever people are willing to act on.”
Mark stared.
“Mom…”
She ignored him.
I looked at Daniel.
“You let her do this.”
He finally met my eyes.
“You made everything difficult.”
“What?”
“You never knew your place.”
That sentence mattered more than the DNA report.
Because Lily had never been the real target.
May you like
I was.
And my daughter had simply been the easiest way to hurt me.
