CHAPTER 6 The Hospital Record That Was Erased
CHAPTER 6 The Hospital Record That Was Erased
The words kept repeating in my head.
The hospital records were changed.
Not stolen.
Not lost.
Changed.
Someone had deliberately altered the information connected to the most important day of my life.
The day Lily was born.
The day I held my daughter for the first time.
The day Jason cried while holding my hand and whispered:
“She’s perfect.”
Was that moment real?
Or had I been living inside a story someone else created?
I stood frozen in the hotel room.
Jason was still sitting on the chair.
Michael was watching both of us.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, I whispered:
“How do you know?”
Jason looked down.
“I found out six months ago.”
My entire body went cold.
“Six months?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
He closed his eyes.
“I was trying to fix it.”
A bitter laugh escaped my mouth.
“Fix it?”
I pointed toward the door.
“Your mother slapped our daughter.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
“No, Jason.”
My voice broke.
“You don’t get to say you know.”
I stepped closer.
“You knew there was a secret about Lily.”
“Yes.”
“You knew your mother was involved.”
“Yes.”
“And you still let me live every day believing everything was normal?”
His silence was painful.
Because it was an answer.
“I thought I could handle it.”
“You thought?”
I shook my head.
“You always think you can handle everything.”
Jason looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you keep making choices for everyone.”
I wiped my tears.
“You decided what I could know.”
“You decided what Lily could know.”
“You decided when your mother’s behavior was acceptable.”
My voice became quiet.
“And you never once asked what I wanted.”
Jason looked away.
Because he knew I was right.
Michael stepped forward.
“Jason.”
Jason looked at him.
“What?”
“You need to tell her everything.”
Jason’s jaw tightened.
“You don’t understand.”
Michael’s expression hardened.
“I understand exactly.”
“No, you don’t.”
Jason stood.
“You weren’t there.”
Michael laughed coldly.
“Neither were you.”
The room became silent.
Jason looked angry.
Michael looked hurt.
And suddenly, I realized something.
These two brothers weren’t just fighting.
They were carrying years of damage.
“What happened?” I asked.
Both men looked at me.
“What?”
“Between you two.”
Neither answered.
So I continued.
“Because this isn’t just about Diane.”
Jason looked down.
Michael spoke first.
“When I tried to expose our mother, Jason had a choice.”
Jason’s face changed.
“Michael—”
“No.”
Michael looked at him.
“She deserves the truth.”
I stayed quiet.
Michael continued.
“I gave Jason evidence.”
My eyes moved to Jason.
“You knew?”
Jason didn’t deny it.
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
His voice was barely audible.
“I gave it back to Diane.”
My heart sank.
“Why?”
He looked ashamed.
“Because I was scared.”
“Of your mother?”
“Yes.”
The answer was honest.
But it didn’t help.
“Jason.”
He looked at me.
“Fear doesn’t excuse everything.”
“I know.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You don’t.”
I looked at Lily.
“You were afraid of your mother.”
My voice cracked.
“But Lily was afraid of your mother too.”
Jason closed his eyes.
And that finally broke him.
“I know.”
An hour later, Jason left.
Not because I forgave him.
Because I needed answers.
Michael drove us to the hospital where Lily was born.
The same hospital.
The same building.
The same place where I became a mother.
I walked through the entrance carrying memories that suddenly felt uncertain.
The receptionist smiled politely.
“Can I help you?”
“I need access to my daughter’s birth records.”
She typed.
“Name?”
“Lily Parker Bennett.”
Her fingers stopped.
Only for a second.
But I noticed.
“Is there a problem?”
She looked at the screen.
“I’ll need identification.”
I handed everything over.
A few minutes later, her expression changed.
“Mrs. Bennett?”
“Parker.”
She looked embarrassed.
“Sorry.”
Then she lowered her voice.
“There appears to be a restriction on these records.”
“What kind of restriction?”
“Administrative.”
“Who placed it?”
She hesitated.
“I can’t tell you.”
My stomach tightened.
“Why not?”
“Because the request came from someone with authority.”
Michael stepped forward.
“Who?”
The receptionist looked uncomfortable.
“I shouldn’t say.”
Then she whispered:
“Bennett Holdings legal department.”
My heart dropped.
Bennett Holdings.
Again.
The family.
The company.
The control.
“Who signed the request?”
She looked at the screen.
Then back at me.
“I’m sorry.”
“Please.”
She hesitated.
Then:
“Diane Bennett.”
I felt numb.
Not angry.
Not shocked.
Numb.
Because every piece was connecting.
Diane didn’t just want control over Jason.
She wanted control over Lily.
She wanted control over the truth.
“Can we see the original record?”
The receptionist shook her head.
“It was sealed.”
“Can it be reopened?”
She looked at me.
“Only with a court order.”
Michael whispered:
“Or someone inside the hospital.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
“Someone helped her.”
The receptionist suddenly looked nervous.
“I shouldn’t be discussing this.”
Before she walked away, she stopped.
“Mrs. Parker?”
“Yes?”
She lowered her voice.
“There is one thing.”
“What?”
“Your daughter’s original record was accessed before it was sealed.”
“When?”
She looked at the date.
My heart stopped.
“The day after Lily was born.”
I froze.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody had access.”
The receptionist looked at me.
“Someone did.”
“Who?”
She swallowed.
Then said:
“A man.”
My heart raced.
“What man?”
She checked the record.
Then her face changed.
“I’m sorry.”
“Tell me.”
She looked at the screen.
“The name listed was…”
A pause.
“Michael Bennett.”
The room went silent.
I slowly turned.
To the man standing beside me.
Michael.
His face had lost all color.
“Emma…”
I stepped away.
“You accessed Lily’s records?”
“No.”
“Your name is there.”
“I know.”
“Then explain.”
Michael looked terrified.
Not defensive.
Terrified.
“I didn’t do it.”
“Then who did?”
He stared at the screen.
And whispered:
“My mother.”
I shook my head.
“That makes no sense.”
Michael looked at me.
“It does if Diane wanted everyone to think it was me.”
I stared at him.
Because now there were too many lies.
Too many secrets.
Too many people claiming they were innocent.
Then my phone rang.
Jason.
I answered.
“Emma?”
His voice was urgent.
“What happened?”
“How do you know I’m at the hospital?”
Silence.
Again.
A terrible silence.
“Jason.”
He finally spoke.
“Because someone told me.”
“Who?”
His breathing changed.
“Diane.”
My grip tightened.
“Why would she know where I am?”
Another silence.
Then Jason said:
“Because she has been tracking Lily for months.”
I felt sick.
“Tracking?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Jason’s voice dropped.
“Because she knows the truth about Lily.”
I closed my eyes.
“What truth?”
His answer was almost a whisper.
“The truth that could destroy the entire Bennett family.”
I looked at Michael.
Then at the hospital records.
And I finally understood.
The slap at the birthday party wasn’t the beginning of this war.
It was only the moment Diane realized…
May you like
she had lost control.
And now she was fighting to protect a secret that was bigger than all of us.
