Chapter 13 - THE SISTER WHO WAS TAUGHT TO HATE ME
Olivia Hayes was twenty-one years old.
She worked as an administrative assistant at Hayes Medical Group.
She had no idea her real name was Lily Carter.
And according to the investigators, she believed I was the woman responsible for destroying her family.
I stared at the photograph.
"Why would she hate me?"
Rachel looked grim.
"Richard Hayes told her that Jonathan Carter betrayed the organization and caused the death of people she loved."
I felt sick.
My father had spent years trying to find her.
And Richard had spent years teaching her to hate him.
Then I remembered Derek.
He'd mentioned a younger cousin named Olivia.
Once.
Maybe twice.
He'd said she lived in Boston.
I'd never met her.
Now I understood why.
He'd kept us apart.
Deliberately.
I looked at Alexander.
"I want to see her."
He nodded.
"Then we'll arrange it safely."
Through Rachel and the investigators, Olivia received a request for an interview.
She refused.
Then she sent a message.
Tell Emily Carter I know what her father did.
I stared at the screen.
My hands trembled.
I typed a response.
I know what Richard told you. But there are things you deserve to hear from Jonathan himself.
For several minutes, nothing happened.
Then three dots appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
Finally:
Why should I believe you?
I swallowed.
Because I knew exactly what it felt like to discover that the people you trusted had lied.
I typed:
You don't have to believe me. Just give yourself the chance to hear the truth.
She didn't answer.
The next morning, Olivia agreed to meet at a neutral location with a victim-support specialist present.
When she entered the room, I forgot how to breathe.
She looked like my mother.
The same dark curls.
The same brown eyes.
The same slight dimple when she pressed her lips together.
She stared at me.
"You're Emily Carter?"
I nodded.
"And you're Olivia."
She crossed her arms.
"What do you want?"
I felt tears rising.
"To tell you something."
She looked irritated.
"Then say it."
I took a breath.
"Your birth name was Lily Carter."
Her expression hardened.
"That's a lie."
I placed the adoption documents on the table.
She didn't touch them.
I continued.
"Our father is Jonathan Carter."
Her face changed.
"No."
"He's alive."
Olivia stepped backward.
"No."
I could see the panic growing in her eyes.
I recognized it.
I'd felt the same thing when Alexander told me my father survived.
"Olivia, I know this is overwhelming."
"Stop talking."
I fell silent.
She looked toward the door.
Then whispered:
"Richard said Jonathan killed my mother."
My chest tightened.
"Our mother died three years ago."
Olivia stared.
"Three years?"
I nodded.
"She spent her life believing you'd died as a baby."
Tears filled Olivia's eyes.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she opened her handbag.
Inside was a small photograph.
A woman holding a newborn.
My mother.
Holding Lily.
I covered my mouth.
Olivia whispered:
"Richard told me this woman abandoned me."
I shook my head.
"She never would have."
Olivia began crying.
Then she looked at me.
"There's something you need to know about Derek."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
She swallowed.
"He knew I was your sister."
"I know."
"No," Olivia whispered. "You don't understand."
She reached into her handbag again.
This time, she removed a small flash drive.
"Derek asked me to copy files from the medical group."
I stared.
"What files?"
She looked terrified.
"Financial records. Patient records. Emails."
My heart pounded.
"Why are you giving them to me?"
Olivia began crying harder.
"Because I found something."
I reached for her hand.
She let me take it.
Then whispered the secret that would finally destroy Derek's lies.
"Emily, Derek wasn't planning to divorce you."
I froze.
"He was planning to have you declared mentally incompetent."
May you like
A pause.
"And after that, he was going to make you disappear."
