Chapter 2

After doing this, I went to Tyler's room and collected a few strands of his hair.

Once I sent the hair to the testing center, I texted a private investigator to look into Carter's bank statements and financial transactions.

Twelve hours later, the report from the DNA center arrived in my inbox.

I sat in the study, staring at the file for a long time before opening it.

I scrolled straight to the very end.

"Chloe Sterling is excluded as the biological mother of Tyler Vance."

Even though I already knew the truth in my heart, my hands couldn't stop shaking when I saw it in black and white.

Eighteen years.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. The world was spinning around me. I closed the file, stood up, and walked to the window.

Outside, the autumn leaves were starting to turn yellow.

In the distance, the ferris wheel of the amusement park turned slowly. I could almost see the happy times when we were a family of three.

I once thought they were the two people I would spend my entire life protecting.

My phone buzzed. It was the preliminary report from the investigator.

A few screenshots of bank statements and transfer records.

Carter's personal account had been sending monthly wire transfers to an offshore account for at least ten years.

And the owner of that offshore account was Melanie.

The amounts weren't small—more than enough for someone to live a highly luxurious life abroad.

On the last page, the investigator added a note.

"Ms. Melanie Sterling owns a property abroad, purchased nineteen years ago, paid in full."

That was the year I found out I was pregnant. That same year, Melanie went abroad.

Suddenly, a horrifying theory bloomed in my mind.

Over the weekend, my parents arrived with bags of groceries.

Melanie followed behind them, wearing an off-white designer suit and holding an elegant gift box.

"Chloe," she smiled, walking over to hug me. I slightly turned my body and dodged her.

Her smile froze for a split second, but she quickly recovered.

"It's been so long. I brought you a gift."

The dining table was packed with food. My mother was busy in the kitchen, while my father and Carter chatted about business in the living room.

Melanie naturally took the seat right next to Carter. I frowned but said nothing.

During dinner, an exquisite emerald jade bangle slid down Melanie's wrist.

My gaze locked onto it.

I had seen that exact emerald bangle at an auction two years ago.

It was stunningly translucent. I loved it back then, but when I saw the price tag, I couldn't bring myself to buy it.

At the time, Carter had said, "If you like it, bid on it. Money is no object."

I said, "It's too expensive. Forget it."

When I asked about it later, he told me someone else had bought it.

Now, it was sitting on Melanie's wrist.

"Chloe, what are you looking at?"

Melanie noticed my stare and smiled, twirling her wrist. "Is this bracelet pretty? Carter bought it for me. He said it suits me perfectly."

Carter, who was drinking soup, choked slightly and looked up at me.

"It's a welcome gift for Melanie joining the company."

"Yes, exactly," my mother quickly chimed in. "We're all family. What's wrong with a welcome gift? Chloe, don't tell me you're being petty about this?"

I said nothing, just kept my eyes on Carter.

He avoided my gaze.

Melanie smiled again, her voice soft and sweet.

"Don't misunderstand, Chloe. I just think some things look best on the right person. Like this bracelet—doesn't it look even more radiant on my wrist than it did at the auction?"

As she spoke, her eyes were locked onto Carter.

I was all too familiar with that look.

It was smug, filled with the possessiveness of a woman looking at her own man.

After dinner, Melanie volunteered to wash the dishes.

Carter stood up to help, and they went into the kitchen one after the other.

I sat in the living room, listening to the running water and low murmurs from the kitchen.

I couldn't hear the words, but I could hear Melanie's occasional giggles.

My mother sat down next to me.

"Chloe, look at how sweet Melanie is, always helping out. She came back this time to help Carter with the company. Don't always keep a cold face. Talk to her more."

My father also spoke up:

"It wasn't easy for Carter to build the company this big. Having family help is a good thing. You need to show some grace."

I turned to look at my father.

"Dad, Carter is your son-in-law, and Melanie is your daughter. Don't you think they're a little too close?"

My father's face darkened.

"What nonsense are you talking? We watched Melanie grow up. She's your sister. What's wrong with her helping Carter?"

"My sister?" I repeated softly. "What if I told you Tyler might not be my biological son?"

Both of my parents froze.

My mother reacted first, grabbing my hand tightly.

"Chloe! You can't say things like that! How could Tyler not be your child? Are you losing your mind again?"

My father slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! I think you really have a mental problem! Carter was right, you need to see a psychiatrist!"

Their reactions completely extinguished the last spark of hope in my heart.

In their eyes, only someone like Carter, who could bring them direct benefits, mattered.

But they didn't know that Carter only got to where he was today because of me.

At night, after everyone left, I told Carter:

"I'm going to stay at our old family house for a few days next week to sort through some old things."

He didn't ask questions and just nodded. "Do you need me to drive you?"

"No need."

Our old family house was where I lived before marriage. My parents had moved to a new condo years ago, leaving it empty.

I went up to the attic to dig through old belongings.

In an old leather suitcase, I found the things Melanie had left behind years ago.

A few diaries, some photos, and a small metal box.

I opened the metal box to find a stack of letters.

The top envelope was yellowed, with "To Carter" written on it.

The handwriting was neat and elegant—Melanie's handwriting.

I pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

"Carter, you came to see Chloe again today. The way you look at her when you smile makes my heart ache so much. I know I shouldn't think this way, but I really love you."

There was another one beneath it.

"Carter, I heard you two are getting married. Chloe is so lucky. If I had met you first, would things be different?"

My hands began to shake as I kept flipping through.

The last item wasn't a letter, but a photo.

In the photo, Melanie and Carter stood side-by-side under a cherry blossom tree. Melanie's head was resting slightly on his shoulder, and her hand was cradling her belly.

On the back of the photo, there was a small line of text: *The unloved one is the real intruder.*

Holding the photo, my fingertips went ice cold.

It had started that early. And I, like an absolute fool, had been kept in the dark for all these years.

Then where on earth did my real child go?

I pulled out my phone, took a deep breath, and texted the investigator:

"Help me check the birth records and surveillance footage of the Seattle Maternity Hospital on the afternoon of June 21st, eighteen years ago."

"Also, check all of Melanie's records from eighteen years ago when she was abroad. Focus on whether she has any birth records."