Chapter 2: The Man Who Knew the Truth
Ethan had always been the kind of man who entered a room without demanding attention.
But that afternoon, every person at the baby shower turned toward him.
He wore a charcoal suit, his tie loosened, and his expression was so serious that even Victoria stopped smiling.
Daniel immediately moved toward him.
"Not now, Ethan.""
Ethan ignored him.
"Actually, Daniel. It's exactly now.""
My hands were trembling.
"What is in the envelope?""
Ethan looked at me.
"Proof.""
"Proof of what?""
He glanced at Victoria.
"That the story you're hearing isn't the whole story.""
Victoria folded her arms.
"Oh, here we go. The family hero.""
Ethan placed the envelope on the table.
"Don't start.""
"Why? Afraid I'll tell Claire what you did?""
Daniel grabbed his brother's arm.
"Can we talk outside?""
Ethan pulled away.
"No. You had eleven months to talk. You chose not to.""
I stared at both brothers.
"Would somebody please explain what's happening?""
Ethan opened the envelope.
Inside were printed photographs, several pages of text messages, and a copy of a hotel reservation.
He placed the first photograph in front of me.
It showed Daniel standing outside a hotel.
Beside him was a woman wearing a cream-colored coat.
Her back was turned toward the camera.
But I recognized the coat.
It belonged to me.
I had given it to Victoria two years earlier because she'd said she loved it.
My stomach tightened.
"That's her?""
Ethan nodded.
"Yes.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Those pictures don't prove anything.""
Ethan placed another photograph beside it.
This one showed the woman entering Daniel's hotel room.
The timestamp was visible.
11:18 p.m.
I looked at the date.
It was the night Daniel had told me he'd been too exhausted to call because of his conference.
I felt something inside me collapse.
"Why do you have these?""
Ethan took a breath.
"Because I followed Daniel.""
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"You followed me?""
"Yes.""
"That's insane.""
"No, Daniel. What's insane is telling your pregnant wife you're working late while sneaking around with her identical sister.""
Victoria stepped forward.
"Don't pretend you did this because you care about Claire.""
Ethan turned toward her.
"I care about Claire enough to tell her the truth.""
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"You should be careful about what you reveal.""
My heart began pounding.
"What does that mean?""
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he handed me the printed messages.
They were between Daniel and Victoria.
The first was dated eleven months earlier.
*Victoria:* She won't suspect anything. She never does.
*Daniel:* This isn't funny anymore.
*Victoria:* You said you wanted to see me.
*Daniel:* I said we needed to talk.
*Victoria:* Same thing, baby.
I stopped reading.
The next message was worse.
*Victoria:* She thinks you're in Chicago. We have the whole night.
*Daniel:* Don't wear her clothes again.
*Victoria:* Why? You liked it.
My vision blurred.
I put the papers down.
"How could you?""
Daniel stepped toward me.
"Claire, I can explain.""
"Then explain.""
He looked around at the guests.
"Not in front of everyone.""
I laughed.
It came out as a broken, unfamiliar sound.
"You had no problem humiliating me in front of everyone. Why are you suddenly worried about privacy?""
He lowered his voice.
"It started before you got pregnant.""
Victoria scoffed.
"That's not true.""
Daniel turned on her.
"Will you stop?""
"Don't blame me for your choices!""
My mother approached us, tears running down her cheeks.
"Victoria, how could you do this to your own sister?""
Victoria's expression hardened.
"Mom, you always chose Claire.""
The words fell like stones.
"What?"" I whispered.
"Claire was always the good one. The responsible one. The one who got everything.""
I stared at her.
"We're twins, Victoria.""
"Exactly. And somehow you always got to be the one everyone loved.""
My mother shook her head.
"That's not true.""
Victoria laughed.
"You remember Claire's graduation? You rented a hall. You bought her a car. When I graduated, you sent flowers.""
"Because you told us you didn't want a party," Mom whispered.
"Whatever.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
My sister had destroyed my marriage, and somehow she was still making herself the victim.
Ethan turned another page.
"There is more.""
He pulled out a hotel reservation.
The guest name was Daniel's.
But the second guest was listed as Claire Parker.
I stared at it.
"That's my name.""
"I know," Ethan said.
The reservation was for a weekend in September.
I remembered that weekend perfectly.
I had been visiting my mother after she underwent a minor operation.
Daniel had said he needed to stay home because of an important work project.
I looked at him.
"You used my name?""
He closed his eyes.
"Claire—"
"Why?""
Victoria answered before he could.
"Because I checked into the hotel as you.""
Silence.
She said it so casually.
As though she were admitting she'd borrowed my shoes.
I gripped the edge of the table.
"You pretended to be me?""
Victoria shrugged.
"At first.""
My mother gasped.
"At first?""
Victoria looked directly at me.
"You'd be surprised how easy it is when people already expect you to look the same.""
I felt sick.
"How many times?""
She didn't answer.
"How many times did you pretend to be me?""
Daniel rubbed his face.
"Claire, it wasn't supposed to become this complicated.""
I turned toward him.
"You let my sister use my identity to get into a hotel with you.""
He said nothing.
Ethan finally spoke.
"That's not the only thing they did.""
He took out a final sheet of paper.
It was a bank transfer confirmation.
A payment of $18,500 had been sent from Daniel's business account to Victoria.
I looked at the amount.
"What was this for?""
Daniel's face changed.
Victoria reached for the paper.
Ethan pulled it away.
"Don't.""
She glared at him.
"You have no right.""
"Actually, I do.""
I looked between them.
"Why did you pay her?""
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
"She needed money.""
"For what?""
Victoria stared at the ground.
Then she said, "I was going to tell you eventually.""
"Tell me what?""
She finally looked up.
"I didn't disappear because I was running away from some boyfriend, Claire.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Then why?""
Victoria pressed her lips together.
Ethan answered.
"Because she was pregnant.""
I looked at her stomach.
"Eleven months ago?""
She nodded slowly.
"Yes.""
"But you told me you were pregnant now.""
"I am.""
"You're saying you had another pregnancy?""
Victoria's face twisted.
"I lost the first one.""
For a moment, even I couldn't find words.
She continued.
"Daniel promised he would leave you. He said we would start a family. Then he changed his mind.""
Daniel snapped.
"That's not what happened.""
"You told me you needed time!""
"Because I didn't want to destroy my marriage!""
Victoria laughed bitterly.
"Funny. You managed to destroy it anyway.""
Ethan looked at me.
"There's a reason I brought those messages. I don't want you thinking this was some spontaneous affair. They planned things.
They used your identity. And there's something in those messages that Daniel doesn't want you to read.""
I looked down at the papers.
One message was highlighted in yellow.
It was dated two weeks before my pregnancy announcement.
*Victoria:* What if she finds out the baby isn't yours?
My breath stopped.
The reply was short.
*Daniel:* She'll never know.
I slowly raised my head.
"Daniel?""
He stared at the floor.
"What does this mean?""
He didn't answer.
Victoria's expression changed.
For the first time since she'd entered the garden, she looked genuinely afraid.
Ethan pulled another document from the envelope.
"This is why I wanted everyone here to hear the truth.""
I looked at the heading.
It was a laboratory report.
And before I could read the name at the top, Daniel lunged across the table and tried to snatch it.
Ethan shoved him back.
"Don't you dare!""
My mother screamed.
Rachel grabbed my arm.
May you like
And then Ethan said the words that made the entire garden go silent.
"Claire, the baby you're carrying may not be Daniel's.""
