Chapter 5 - The Silver Bracelet
The boathouse was dead silent except for the sound of water lapping against the wooden pilings.
"Your uncle?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
Greg’s eyes were wide with horror. He looked from the photograph to my mother, then back to the photo.
"David died fifteen years ago," Greg whispered. "He left town when I was just a kid. He... he was a drifter. But I'd know that scar anywhere."
I looked at the baby in the picture. Madison. Then I looked at my mother.
"Madison isn't Dad's daughter," I said. It wasn't a question. It was a realization that settled over me like a heavy winter blanket.
My mother leaned against the doorframe, sobbing into her hands. "It was one mistake! Richard couldn't give me the lifestyle I wanted. David was wealthy back then. He promised me the world. But when he went bankrupt, Richard took me back. He raised Madison as his own!"
"And he made Grandpa pay for his silence," Clara said, stepping out from the shadows.
My mother flinched.
"That's why Walter took you in," Clara said to me softly. "Your father found out about the affair. He threatened to leave your mother and drag the family name through the mud. Walter—my father, your grandfather—was desperate to protect his reputation. He bought off your parents."
"He bought them off?" I repeated, nauseated.
"He gave them cash. He gave them cars. And he took you, the child they didn't care about, to raise you properly. In exchange, your parents pretended they were a perfect, happy family. But when Walter died, the money stopped. That's why your father had to forge the deed to this house. He owes half a million dollars to a loan shark because he couldn't maintain the lifestyle Walter used to fund."
"Lies!" a voice shrieked.
Madison stood in the doorway, her wedding dress dragging through the mud. She was clutching an old silver bracelet—the exact same one from the photograph.
"Mom gave this to me today," Madison cried, holding it up. "She said it was a family heirloom from Dad's side!"
Greg took a step away from his bride. He looked physically ill.
"Madison," Greg said, his voice shaking. "We can't get married."
"What? Greg, baby, it's just a stupid picture—"
"No!" Greg shouted. "Don't you get it? If your father is David... and David is my uncle..."
Madison froze. The silver bracelet slipped from her trembling fingers and clattered onto the wooden floorboards.
"We're cousins," Greg whispered.
Madison let out a blood-curdling scream and collapsed to her knees.
My mother rushed to her, but Madison slapped her away. The perfect wedding had become a nightmare.
I looked down at the metal lockbox. There was still a stack of papers inside.
I reached in and pulled out the top document. It was heavily notarized, stamped with a red seal.
As I read the first paragraph, the breath left my lungs.
"Valerie," I said, handing the paper to my attorney. "Is this legal?"
Valerie scanned the page, her professional demeanor cracking for a brief second. "Yes. It's a fully executed adoption decree."
My mother stopped trying to comfort Madison and slowly turned toward me, sheer terror in her eyes.
"I'm not their daughter either," I realized aloud.
I looked at Clara. She was crying softly, a sad smile on her lips.
May you like
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a worn, knitted baby bootie.
"No," Clara whispered, stepping toward me with her arms open. "You're mine."
