CHAPTER 4: THE DNA REPORT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Emma couldn't breathe.
"Because Lily is not his child."
The words echoed in her head as she stared at the glowing screen.
Impossible.
Daniel had been there the day Lily was born.
He had cut the umbilical cord.
He had cried harder than she did.
Or... had he been acting all along?
The bathroom door suddenly rattled.
"Emma?"
Daniel's voice.
Soft.
Gentle.
Dangerous.
"I know you're in there."
Emma quickly deleted the messages and slipped the phone into her pocket.
She opened the door just enough to face him.
His eyes were red, as if he had been crying.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I lost control."
Emma said nothing.
Then Daniel slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded envelope.
"I never wanted you to find out like this."
He handed it to her.
Inside...
A DNA test.
Emma unfolded the report with trembling hands.
Her vision blurred.
Probability of Paternity: 0.00%
Daniel was not Lily's biological father.
Tears filled Emma's eyes.
"This... this isn't possible."
Daniel nodded slowly.
"I found out three years ago."
Emma shook her head.
"No... I never cheated on you."
"I know."
His answer stunned her.
"You know?"
Daniel looked away.
"I had another test done."
"It proved the same thing."
Emma felt the room spinning.
"If I didn't cheat..."
"Then whose child is Lily?"
Daniel's face turned pale.
"I don't know."
Silence.
Then he whispered something that froze Emma's blood.
"The hospital called me one week after Lily was born."
"They said there had been... an incident."
Emma grabbed his arm.
"What incident?"
"They told me another baby had disappeared from the maternity ward."
Emma's heartbeat exploded.
"A newborn girl."
"No parents."
"No records."
"They asked if Lily had any unusual birthmarks."
Emma remembered.
The tiny crescent-shaped mark behind Lily's left ear.
Daniel continued.
"They told me never to speak about that phone call again."
Emma's knees gave out.
Her daughter...
Could have been switched at birth.
At that exact moment, Emma's phone buzzed once more.
Unknown Number.
She answered immediately.
The mysterious caller spoke only one sentence.
"Stop believing Daniel."
Emma frowned.
"What?"
The man's voice became ice cold.
"The DNA report is real..."
A long pause.
"...but Daniel already knew who Lily's real father was."
Click.
The line went dead.
Emma slowly turned toward her husband.
Daniel was no longer standing where she had left him.
He was gone.
On the hospital bed...
Lily's blanket was empty.
Her daughter had disappeared.
May you like
And taped to the pillow was a handwritten note.
"Phase Two Complete."
