Chapter 8: The Brother I Never Knew

I read the letter until the words stopped making sense.

My mother’s handwriting.

My mother’s confession.

My entire life collapsing sentence by sentence.

She had another child.

A son.

A brother I never knew existed.

Rachel sat across from me.

“I found this years ago.””

I looked up.

“You knew?””

“I didn’t know what to do.””

“So you lied to me?””

She looked away.

“Yes.””

The honesty hurt.

But it was different now.

Everyone around me had lied.

The question was why.

“Who was he?””

Rachel swallowed.

“His name was Daniel.””

The name felt unfamiliar.

But somehow…

Not completely.

A strange feeling moved through me.

Like hearing a song I forgot I knew.

“Where is he?””

Rachel didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

“He’s alive.””

She nodded.

I stood.

“No.””

“David…”

“No.””

I walked away.

Because I couldn’t accept another impossible truth.

But then I heard something.

A voice.

A memory.

A child’s voice.

“Don’t leave me here.””

I stopped.

Rachel noticed.

“What?””

I closed my eyes.

Another memory returned.

A basement.

Two children.

Me.

And a boy holding my hand.

Daniel.

My brother.

My father standing above us.

“You have to choose.””

I opened my eyes.

“He was there.””

Rachel looked confused.

“Who?””

“Daniel.””

I sat down.

“He was there when I was little.””

The memories came faster.

Daniel crying.

Daniel screaming.

My mother begging my father.

My father saying:

“One child can continue.””

I covered my face.

“Oh my God.””

Rachel moved closer.

“What do you remember?””

I whispered:

“He chose me.””

Silence.

“He left Daniel.””

The next morning, Detective Harris came with new information.

“We found Daniel Carter.””

My heart stopped.

“Where?””

“He’s been living under another name.””

“Why?””

Harris hesitated.

“Because he was hiding from your father.””

We met Daniel at a private location.

I expected a stranger.

I expected someone completely different.

But when he walked through the door…

I knew.

Same eyes.

Same expression.

Same scar above the eyebrow.

The scar I had.

He stared at me.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he laughed quietly.

“He really did it.””

I frowned.

“What?””

“He split us apart.””

I stepped closer.

“You’re Daniel.””

He nodded.

“And you’re David.””

My voice shook.

“Why didn’t I know about you?””

His smile disappeared.

“Because he made sure you forgot.””

I felt anger rise.

“How?””

Daniel looked at me.

“Because our father was obsessed with control.””

He sat down.

“He convinced everyone that you were the stronger child.””

My stomach turned.

“And you?””

“I was the failure.””

The words sounded familiar.

The photograph.

The message.

The first child failed.

“You wrote that?””

Daniel shook his head.

“No.””

“Then who did?””

He looked at me.

“Your mother.””

I froze.

“Why?””

Daniel looked toward the window.

“Because she regretted choosing you.””

I couldn’t breathe.

“She chose me?””

Daniel nodded.

“She was told one child would be taken.””

A tear ran down his face.

“She picked you.””

The room was silent.

Then my phone buzzed.

A message.

From an unknown number.

A photograph appeared.

It showed Mia and Leo asleep.

My blood turned cold.

Under the picture were five words.

*THE SECOND CHILD IS READY.*

I looked at Daniel.

He had gone pale.

“What?””

May you like

My Daughter Was Eating Half a Sandwich Outside in the Cold While My Wife...

“She does this whenever you’re gone.”” For a moment, I couldn't understand what my daughter had just said. The dining room was s...

My Wife Slapped My Sixteen-Year-Old Son and Called Him a Thief—But the S...

The sound of my wife slapping my sixteen-year-old son echoed through our marble foyer. “THIEF! TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT THIS MONEY!”...

DON'T MARRY HER! THE EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO EXPOSED MY BRIDE'S DARKEST...

“DON’T MARRY HER!”” The scream tore through the ballroom three seconds before I was supposed to become a married man. Two hundre...

He whispered:

“He found your daughter.””