Chapter 8: The Man Who Claimed My Daughter
I drove home with the court filing on the passenger seat and a question that refused to leave my mind.
Who had used my name to surrender rights I had never known were being challenged?
I had spent twelve years believing Danielle's final years were peaceful. I remembered her growing tired more easily, the appointments we attended, and the way she insisted that I keep taking Jasmine to the park even when she was too exhausted to join us.
I remembered the night before she died.
She had held my hand in the hospital and told me to take care of our little girl.
I had promised her.
Now I wondered whether she had been trying to tell me something else.
When I arrived home, Jasmine was waiting at the kitchen table.
She had prepared two cups of coffee, though neither of us had slept enough to need it.
“Did you find out?”” she asked.
I sat down opposite her.
“Yes.””
She looked at my face.
“It's bad, isn't it?””
I placed the court filing on the table.
“Your biological father was a man named Daniel Coleman.””
Jasmine stared at the name.
“Coleman?””
“Felicia's older brother.””
She covered her mouth.
For a moment, I thought she might faint.
“Does he know about me?””
“He knew before you were born.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Then why wasn't he there?””
“That's what we're going to find out.””
I explained what Dr. Porter had shown me: the DNA report, the petition for parental rights, and the forged withdrawal document bearing my name.
Jasmine listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she pushed her chair away from the table.
“So Felicia knew my biological father was her brother before she married you?””
“Yes.””
“And she pretended to be my mother?””
I hesitated.
“I don't know what she intended when we first met. But she concealed important information from us.””
Jasmine wiped her cheeks.
“Was she trying to get close to me because of him?””
“I don't know.””
She stood and walked toward the window.
“I want to see him.””
I looked up.
“Are you sure?””
“No. But I want answers.””
I reached for my phone.
Before I could call Dr. Porter, an unfamiliar number appeared on the screen.
I answered.
“Marcus Reed?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Daniel Coleman. I believe we need to speak.””
Every muscle in my body tightened.
“Where did you get this number?””
“Felicia gave it to me.””
I glanced at Jasmine.
She had turned around.
“Why are you calling me?”” I demanded.
“Because my daughter deserves to know the truth.””
“Your daughter?””
“Jasmine.””
I gripped the phone.
“You haven't earned the right to call her that.””
Daniel was silent for a moment.
Then he said, “I understand why you're angry.””
“No, you don't. You abandoned a pregnant woman, threatened her, and tried to claim a child you never raised.””
“I made mistakes.””
“You forged my identity?””
“No.””
“You filed for parental rights?””
“Yes.””
“Then you tell me why the petition was withdrawn.””
He exhaled.
“Because Danielle asked me to leave Jasmine alone.””
“And you agreed?””
“Eventually.””
“Why?””
“Because I was told Jasmine was better off without me.””
I almost laughed.
“Who told you that?””
“Felicia.””
The room seemed to grow colder.
“What exactly did she tell you?””
“That Danielle had married you. That you were raising the child. That if I came near her, you'd use your money to destroy me in court.””
I looked at Jasmine.
She was standing perfectly still, listening.
“You're telling me you abandoned your daughter because my wife threatened you?””
“No. I'm telling you I was a coward. I let someone else make my decision for me.””
For the first time, his voice sounded human.
Not defensive.
Not angry.
Just ashamed.
I hated that it made me want to listen.
“Where are you?”” I asked.
“Twenty minutes from your house.””
“Stay there.””
“Marcus—”
“If you want to meet Jasmine, you'll do it on her terms. Not yours.””
I ended the call.
Jasmine stared at me.
“That was him?””
“Yes.””
“What did he sound like?””
“Tired.””
She looked down at her hands.
“I don't know what I'm supposed to feel.””
“You don't have to feel anything on schedule.””
“What if I hate him?””
“Then you hate him.””
“What if I want to know him?””
“Then we'll figure out how to do that safely.””
She nodded.
After several minutes, she asked, “Will you stay with me when I meet him?””
“Every second.””
We arranged to meet Daniel at a public café the following afternoon. I contacted Dr. Porter and asked her to provide copies of the records for our attorney.
At two o'clock, Jasmine and I entered the café.
A man stood near the window.
He was tall, with gray threaded through his dark hair and a deep scar along his left cheek. He looked older than I had expected.
When he saw Jasmine, he froze.
For several seconds, he simply stared at her.
Then he approached slowly.
“Jasmine?””
She didn't answer.
He swallowed.
“I'm Daniel.””
“I know.””
He glanced at me.
“Thank you for coming.””
I pulled out a chair for Jasmine and sat beside her.
“Say what you came to say.””
Daniel lowered himself into the seat opposite us.
“I won't pretend I deserve your forgiveness,” he said.
“I don't.””
Jasmine watched him with an expression I couldn't read.
“Why did you leave my mother?””
Daniel looked down.
“Because I was young, selfish, and afraid of responsibility. When Danielle told me she was pregnant, I panicked. I thought I could disappear and start over.””
“And when you found out she married my dad?””
“I tried to convince myself it was better for you.””
“Did you love her?””
He closed his eyes.
“I thought I did. But I didn't know how to love someone without hurting them.””
Jasmine swallowed hard.
“Why did you try to take me away from my dad?””
Daniel looked at me, then back at her.
“Because I found out Danielle had been telling people I was dead.””
I stiffened.
“What?””
“She told people I had died in an accident. I discovered it years later, when I tried to contact her.””
Jasmine looked at him in disbelief.
“Mom told people you were dead?””
Daniel nodded.
“By then, she had built a life with your father. She didn't want me returning and confusing you.””
I wanted to reject every word he said.
But the court documents showed that he had filed for parental rights.
There was a history here neither Jasmine nor I understood.
“Why did you withdraw the petition?”” I asked.
Daniel's expression darkened.
“Because Felicia came to see me. She told me Danielle was dying. She said Danielle had asked her to make sure Jasmine stayed with you.””
I stared at him.
“And you believed her?””
“She showed me documents. One was a letter with Danielle's signature. Another was a medical report saying Jasmine had a serious inherited condition.””
Jasmine went pale.
“What condition?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know. Felicia said it was something that required expensive treatment. She told me you were already paying for it.””
I looked at him sharply.
“That never happened.””
“I know that now.””
“How?””
“Because the report was false.””
He reached into his jacket and produced a folded paper.
“My attorney hired an independent medical examiner. The condition listed in the report wasn't even consistent with the laboratory results.””
I read the document.
It was a formal assessment identifying multiple inconsistencies in the medical report Felicia had provided.
Jasmine's hands trembled.
“So she lied to you, too?””
Daniel nodded.
“She said that if I loved you, I'd leave you alone.””
He looked at Jasmine.
“I thought I was doing the right thing. I wasn't.””
She stared at him.
“Why did you come back now?””
Daniel hesitated.
“Because I received a letter three weeks ago.””
“From whom?””
“Felicia.””
He pulled an envelope from his pocket.
It contained a single page.
The message was brief.
Jasmine is eighteen now. The agreement has expired. If you want your daughter, act quickly. Marcus has no legal claim to stop you.
My stomach turned.
“She sent this to you?””
Daniel nodded.
“Then she contacted me again last week. She said Jasmine's car could be used as collateral to settle a debt.””
Jasmine gripped the edge of the table.
“She sold my car to you?””
“No,” Daniel said quickly.
“I never bought it.””
“Then why did Felicia tell you it could be collateral?””
“Because she said Derrick had already arranged a transfer.””
I felt a terrible realization forming.
Felicia hadn't simply been helping Derrick.
She had been moving pieces into place, using Jasmine's identity, my money, and Daniel's guilt to create a situation in which everyone believed someone else was responsible.
But why?
“What did you do with the letter?”” I asked.
“I gave it to my attorney.””
“Good. Keep it safe.””
Daniel leaned forward.
“Marcus, I need to tell you something else.””
I waited.
“Felicia said the money she took from your household was supposed to fund a legal case. She claimed she was preparing to establish my parental rights.””
I stared at him.
“You were going to sue me?””
“No. I never authorized a lawsuit.””
“Then who was the money for?””
Daniel looked away.
“I think Felicia was using my name to scare Derrick's creditors. She told him that if he could produce enough money, she could arrange for me to receive custody of Jasmine. Derrick believed it.””
Jasmine shook her head.
“Why would Uncle Derrick care about custody?””
Daniel looked directly at her.
“Because Felicia told him your father would pay anything to keep you.””
The truth settled over the table.
Derrick hadn't stolen the Mercedes because he thought Jasmine didn't deserve it.
He had stolen it because he believed he could turn my love for my daughter into money.
And Felicia had helped him.
As we stood to leave, Daniel reached toward Jasmine, then stopped himself.
“I won't ask you to call me Dad,” he said.
“I haven't earned that. But if you ever want to know more about where you came from, I'll answer your questions.””
Jasmine looked at him for a long moment.
Then she said, “I need time.””
He nodded.
“I understand.””
Outside the café, Jasmine slipped her hand into mine.
“Dad?””
“Yes, sweetheart?””
“Can we go home?””
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
“Of course.””
But as we walked toward the car, my phone vibrated.
It was a message from our attorney.
*URGENT: We found an additional account linked to Felicia and Derrick. The account contains a deposit of $75,000 made three days before Jasmine's Mercedes disappeared.*
A second message followed.
*The deposit came from a life insurance policy opened in Danielle's name.*
I stopped walking.
Jasmine looked up at me.
“What is it?””
I showed her the message.
Her face went white.
“My mother had life insurance?””
“Yes.””
“Who received the money?””
I stared at the screen.
The beneficiary name was clearly visible.
It wasn't me.
May you like
It wasn't Jasmine.
It was Felicia.
