Chapter 4 - The Child Vanessa Thought Lily Replaced
Before marrying Daniel, Vanessa had suffered two miscarriages.
Daniel knew that.
He had been with her through the second.
What he did not know was how Margaret talked about them afterward.
Rachel had heard it repeatedly.
Margaret blamed the stress of raising Lily.
“She told Vanessa you expected her to become a mother to another woman’s child before she had time to grieve her own.”
Daniel felt sick.
Lily’s biological mother, Megan, had died in a car accident when Lily was seven months old.
Daniel had been a widower when he met Vanessa.
He had never asked Vanessa to replace Megan.
He had asked whether she could love Lily.
Vanessa said yes.
For more than a year, Daniel believed her.
Rachel continued.
“Margaret kept telling her she gave up her chance at a ‘normal first family’ because of you.”
Daniel stood abruptly.
“That doesn’t explain abusing Lily.”
“I didn’t say it did.”
Rachel was right.
Pain explained resentment.
It did not excuse what Vanessa had chosen to do with it.
Daniel called Vanessa.
“Did your mother tell you Lily ruined your chance at having a family?”
Silence.
Then:
“She said things when I was hurting.”
“Did you believe her?”
Another silence.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel looked at Lily playing with plastic blocks across Aaron’s living room.
“I need an answer.”
Vanessa’s voice sharpened.
“You got to have your baby, Daniel. You got your family. I walked into a house where every picture reminded me somebody else already had my place.”
There it was.
May you like
Lily had not done anything.
Vanessa had been punishing a toddler for occupying a life Vanessa thought should have belonged to her.
