Thomas entered slowly.
Chapter 3
PART 3 - The Father I Never Knew Walked Through the Door
2,134 words
He looked nothing like the monster I had imagined.
That was somehow worse.
He was elegant, calm, almost gentle-looking. His hair was silver at the temples. His suit was immaculate. His expression was controlled.
But when he looked at me, something shifted in his eyes.
Recognition.
Possession.
“There she is,” he said.
Lucas immediately stepped in front of me.
Thomas smiled faintly.
“You must be the husband.”
“You need to leave,” Lucas said.
Thomas ignored him.
His attention stayed on me.
“Charlotte.”
My skin crawled hearing my name in his voice.
Stephen moved forward.
“You shouldn't be here.”
Thomas laughed.
“After twenty-nine years, that's your opening line?”
My mother stood.
“Get out.”
Thomas looked at her.
For the first time, the calm mask cracked.
“You still hate me.”
“I fear you.”
He smiled sadly.
“There was a time you didn't.”
Dad stepped forward.
“You're done.”
Thomas looked at him and
his expression hardened instantly.
“You always did like taking what belonged to me.”
Dad lunged.
Lucas and Brandon stopped him.
“No!” I shouted.
Everyone froze.
I stepped around Lucas.
“I want answers.”
Thomas studied me.
Then nodded.
“Ask.”
“Are you my biological father?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No shame.
I hated him for how easily he said it.
“Did you attack my mother?”
His expression changed.
“She has her version.”
I felt rage rising.
“No. There is no ‘version.’ Did she know it was you?”
Thomas said nothing.
That was answer enough.
My voice went cold.
“Then you don't get to call yourself my father.”
For the first time, I saw him flinch.
Good.
He reached inside his coat.
Half the room tensed.
He pulled out a small velvet box.
“I didn't come to claim you.”
He placed it on the table.
“I came to give you something.”
Inside was a
diamond necklace.
Old.
Beautiful.
My mother gasped.
“My mother's.”
Thomas nodded.
“It was meant for Charlotte.”
Stephen shook his head.
“You stole that.”
“No. Mother gave it to me before she died.”
My mother stared at the necklace.
Thomas turned back to me.
“I have nothing else to offer.”
I almost told him I wanted nothing.
Then he added:
“Except the truth about why Daniel took that DNA test.”
Dad's face changed.
Thomas smiled.
There it was.
Another knife.
“He didn't test you because he wanted to protect you.”
Dad shouted, “Enough.”
Thomas continued.
“He tested you because he needed proof.”
“Proof of what?”
Thomas looked toward Rebecca.
She went pale.
“Proof that Rebecca's child isn't his.”
Rebecca's mouth opened.
“What?”
Thomas's smile disappeared.
“Daniel is sterile.”
The reception exploded.
Dad looked like he'd been struck.
Rebecca stepped backward.
“No.”
Thomas reached into his coat again and removed a folded
medical report.
“After a procedure thirteen years ago, Daniel could no longer father children.”
Rebecca stared at Dad.
“You told me—”
“I know what I told you.”
My mother closed her eyes.
The humiliation on Rebecca's face was brutal.
“Then whose child am I carrying?”
Dad said nothing.
Thomas answered.
“Mine.”
For one horrifying second, nobody reacted.
Then Rebecca slapped him.
“Don't you dare.”
Thomas didn't move.
“You contacted me four months ago.”
Rebecca's face collapsed.
That was enough.
My mother stared at her best friend.
“You slept with him too?”
Rebecca began crying.
“I didn't know who he was.”
Thomas shrugged.
“I used another name.”
Stephen looked sick.
“You're still doing this.”
Thomas smiled.
“Still?”
The word echoed.
Rebecca clutched her stomach.
Dad stared at her as if she had become a stranger.
And suddenly the scandal surrounding Daphne looked almost ordinary.
Then Thomas looked at my father.
“You see, Daniel? This family was never yours.”
Something snapped in me.
I stepped forward.
“Wrong.”
Thomas looked at me.
I pointed toward Dad.
“He raised me.”
Then toward Stephen.
“He showed up for my birthdays.”
Toward Mom.
“She held me when I was sick.”
Toward Lucas.
“He chose me.”
I looked back at Thomas.
“Blood doesn't make this family yours.”
His face hardened.
For the first time, his charm disappeared completely.
“You sound like her.”
“Good.”
He stared at me.
Then laughed softly.
“You have no idea what's coming.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Thomas looked toward Daphne.
“Ask your sister why she really announced her pregnancy tonight.”
Daphne froze.
I turned.
“What?”
Thomas smiled.
“She didn't come here just to steal your wedding.”
Daphne shook her head.
“Don't.”
Thomas continued.
“She came because someone was blackmailing her.”
Wyatt, still near the doorway, stepped back into the room.
“What?”
Daphne started crying again.
“I was going to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
She looked at me.
And suddenly I realized she wasn't angry anymore.
She was terrified.
“The pregnancy announcement wasn't my idea.”
My blood ran cold.
“Whose was it?”
Daphne looked toward Thomas.
“He told me to do it.”
Thomas's smile vanished.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
She reached into her purse.
“I kept the messages.”
She pulled out a second phone.
A cheap burner.
“I knew someone was threatening me. I thought it was Brandon at first.”
Brandon stared at her.
“What messages?”
Daphne handed the phone to Wyatt.
He read silently.
Then his face changed.
“‘Announce the pregnancy at Charlotte's wedding or Wyatt receives everything.’”
I looked at Thomas.
He laughed.
“You think I sent that?”
Daphne nodded.
“I did.”
Thomas looked genuinely amused.
“Then you still don't understand.”
He turned toward me.
“Charlotte, I didn't send those messages.”
And strangely—
I believed him.
Because someone near the back of the reception had just dropped a glass.
We all turned.
A woman in a server's uniform stood beside the catering entrance.
Hailey.
The baker.
The woman who had warned me about Daphne's pregnancy cake.
She looked at the burner phone.
Then at me.
And ran.
I chased Hailey through the kitchen.
I didn't think.
I simply ran.
Lucas followed.
Behind us came Brandon, then Wyatt.
Hailey slammed through the service door and reached the parking lot before Lucas caught up.
“Hailey!”
She stopped beside a black sedan.
Her shoulders collapsed.
I approached slowly.
“You sent the messages.”
She didn't deny it.
“Why?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Because Daphne ruined my life.”
Daphne appeared behind us.
“What?”
Hailey turned on her.
“You don't remember me?”
Daphne stared.
“No.”
Hailey laughed bitterly.
“Of course you don't.”
She pulled off her catering cap.
Without it, with her hair falling loose, something about her face changed.
Daphne went still.
“Haley Morris?”
“Now you remember.”
Wyatt frowned.
“Who is she?”
Hailey looked at him.
“The girl your wife accused of cheating on an exam in college.”
Daphne shook her head.
“That was years ago.”
“Yes. And I lost my scholarship.”
Hailey's voice cracked.
“My father got sick that semester. I was working two jobs. That scholarship was the only reason I could stay enrolled.”
Daphne's face changed.
“I didn't know.”
“You didn't care.”
Hailey looked at me.
“I knew Daphne would try to hijack your wedding. She's done things like that forever.”
“So you encouraged her?”
“No. I gave her enough rope.”
“You blackmailed her.”
“I wanted Wyatt to learn the truth.”
Wyatt looked at her.
“How did you know she was seeing Brandon?”
Hailey smiled without humor.
“Because Daphne used my bakery's upstairs apartment.”
Daphne closed her eyes.
Brandon looked shocked.
Hailey continued.
“I caught them there twice.”
I turned to Brandon.
“You knew?”
He looked ashamed.
“I thought Daphne had rented the place.”
Hailey shook her head.
“She stole the spare key.”
Daphne whispered, “I was going to return it.”
Hailey stared at her.
“You always have an excuse.”
Then she looked at me.
“But I didn't know about Thomas. Or your father. Or the DNA test.”
“Then why send the clinic receipt to Brandon?”
“I didn't.”
Everything stopped.
Daphne frowned.
“You didn't?”
“No.”
Hailey held up her hands.
“I sent only the threat about announcing the pregnancy.”
Wyatt looked at the burner phone.
“There are messages about the clinic.”
Hailey frowned.
“What?”
He showed her.
Her face drained.
“I didn't send those.”
Someone else had been using the burner.
I felt sick.
“Who had access?”
Hailey hesitated.
“One person.”
“Who?”
She looked back toward the estate.
“Rebecca.”
My mother's best friend.
We returned to the reception.
Rebecca was gone.
So was Thomas.
And so was my father.
My mother stood alone beside the ruined cake table.
“Where did they go?”
She looked toward me.
“I don't know.”
Then Stephen emerged from the hallway.
“I do.”
He held a folded note.
It had been left beside Rebecca's chair.
Three words were written across it.
COME TO THE CABIN.
Stephen went pale.
“There is only one cabin that means.”
Mom stared at him.
“The old Mercer property.”
He nodded.
The property where Thomas had supposedly died.
My skin prickled.
“Why would Dad go there?”
Stephen looked at the note.
“Because that's where everything started.”
The cabin stood forty minutes outside Asheville.
By the time we arrived, rain had begun falling.
Lucas insisted I stay behind him.
I ignored him.
The front door was open.
Inside, Dad sat at a wooden table.
Rebecca stood near the fireplace.
Thomas leaned against the wall.
Nobody looked surprised to see us.
“You brought everyone,” Thomas said.
I stared at Dad.
“Why are you here?”
He looked exhausted.
“Because Rebecca called.”
Rebecca cried.
“I needed the truth.”
Thomas laughed.
“You all keep using that word as though it belongs to you.”
Stephen stepped forward.
“Stop playing games.”
Thomas looked at his twin.
Then something unexpected happened.
He softened.
“I never hated you.”
Stephen's jaw tightened.
“I hated you enough for both of us.”
Thomas nodded.
“I know.”
Then Rebecca held up an envelope.
“I did send the clinic record to Brandon.”
Dad closed his eyes.
“Why?”
“Because I discovered Daniel had been lying about being fertile.”
Her voice shook.
“I thought if Daphne's pregnancy exploded publicly, Daniel would finally admit why he was so obsessed with DNA tests.”
I stared at Dad.
“Obsessed?”
Rebecca looked at me.
“He tested all of you.”
My blood chilled.
“Who?”
“You. Daphne. Even Lucas.”
Lucas stared at her.
“What?”
Dad covered his face.
Rebecca continued.
“Daniel had become convinced Thomas was going to return and claim every child in the family.”
Mom looked horrified.
“You tested Lucas?”
Dad whispered, “From a coffee cup.”
I almost laughed.
“This is insane.”
“Yes,” Dad said.
We all stopped.
He looked at me.
“It is.”
For the first time all night, my father didn't defend himself.
“I became paranoid. I spent thirty years afraid Thomas would come back. When he finally did, I lost control.”
Thomas watched silently.
Dad continued.
“I manipulated the clinic records. I sent Brandon information. I knew Daphne's affair could cause a scandal big enough to distract everyone.”
Daphne stared at him.
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
She flinched.
Then Dad said something I never expected.
“And I'm sorry.”
Daphne looked almost angry at the apology.
Maybe because it came too late.
Maybe because she had spent her life protected from consequences by the same man now admitting he had weaponized her.
Dad looked at me.
“I failed both of you.”
Mom began crying.
Then Thomas laughed softly.
“All very touching.”
I turned on him.
“What do you want?”
He looked at me.
“Nothing.”
“That's a lie.”
“No.”
He walked toward the fireplace.
“I came because I'm dying.”
The room went still.
Stephen stared at him.
“What?”
“Cardiomyopathy. Same as our father.”
Brandon went pale.
Thomas nodded toward him.
“You should get tested.”
Brandon swallowed.
Thomas looked at me.
“So should you.”
I felt Lucas squeeze my hand.
Thomas continued.
“I had months left. Maybe less. I wanted to see the daughter I never knew.”
“You don't get to rewrite what happened.”
“I know.”
It was the first decent thing he had said.
Then he reached into a drawer.
Inside were dozens of letters.
“All addressed to you.”
I stared.
“I wrote one every birthday.”
Mom looked stunned.
“You knew where we were?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't you come?”
Thomas looked at her.
“Because even I knew I had no right.”
The admission broke something inside me.
Not forgiveness.
Something quieter.
The certainty that monsters never recognize themselves.
Sometimes they do.
Sometimes recognition simply comes too late.
Then Rebecca cried out.
She doubled over.
Dad rushed toward her.
“Rebecca?”
Her hand moved to her stomach.
Blood appeared on her dress.
Everything changed instantly.
Lucas called emergency services.
Dad caught Rebecca as she collapsed.
And in that terrible, surreal cabin where our family's lies had begun—
Dad held the woman who had betrayed my mother while my mother knelt beside them and helped save her life.
Because whatever else we were, nobody wanted the baby to die.
Click the blue “PART 4” below to read the final part: 👉 PART 4 👈
Chapter complete
You have reached the end of this chapter.
Continue reading
Find your next story
A few more worlds to get lost in after this chapter.