Chapter 9 - SOPHIE’S MEMORY
Vivienne walked toward the lake in a long dark coat.
She looked exhausted.
No makeup.
Hair tied back.
For the first time Daniel could remember, she did not look glamorous.
She looked dangerous.
Margaret turned the gun toward her.
“You said no one would follow.”
Vivienne stopped.
“I didn’t bring them.”
Margaret laughed.
“You always say that.”
Daniel moved slightly in front of Elena.
Vivienne noticed.
Her mouth tightened.
“So that’s how it is now.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You kidnapped my son.”
“I removed him from a public scene.”
“You had no right.”
“I raised him.”
Elena stepped forward.
“You stole him.”
Vivienne looked at her.
“And yet he was healthy.”
“Loved.”
“Educated.”
“Safe.”
Elena’s face hardened.
“You want gratitude?”
“I want perspective.”
Daniel could barely believe what he was hearing.
“You lied to me for seven years.”
Vivienne turned toward him.
“You would never have chosen me if you knew.”
Daniel stared.
“Knew what?”
“That I could not have children.”
Silence.
For the first time, there was something vulnerable in her voice.
It lasted only a second.
Then the bitterness returned.
“Your father made sure I understood what mattered.”
Daniel glanced at Charles, who had arrived behind Marcus and two officers.
Charles looked away.
Vivienne laughed.
“There he is.”
“The architect.”
Charles stepped forward.
“Put the child down.”
Margaret shouted.
“Don’t come closer!”
The gun returned to Sophie’s side.
The girl flinched.
Elena’s face crumpled.
“Mom, please.”
Margaret stared at her daughter.
“You were always too soft.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
“You trusted people.”
“You trusted Rachel.”
“Rachel trusted the wrong people.”
Vivienne’s eyes narrowed.
“Be careful.”
Margaret laughed.
“You still think you can threaten me?”
Daniel looked at Sophie.
The girl’s eyes were moving constantly.
The road.
The boathouse.
The water.
Vivienne.
Margaret.
She was not only scared.
She was watching.
Remembering.
Daniel slowly crouched.
“Sophie.”
Vivienne snapped.
“Don’t speak to her.”
Daniel ignored her.
“Sophie, look at me.”
The girl hesitated.
Then she did.
“My name is Daniel.”
“I know.”
Her voice was tiny.
Daniel felt his chest tighten.
“How?”
Margaret shouted.
“Quiet.”
But Sophie kept looking at Daniel.
“I saw your picture.”
“Who showed you?”
The girl glanced at Vivienne.
Vivienne’s face changed.
Daniel noticed.
“Sophie.”
He kept his voice gentle.
“Did Vivienne show you?”
Margaret tightened her grip.
“I said enough.”
Sophie suddenly whispered.
“Aunt Vivi did.”
Daniel froze.
“Aunt Vivi.”
Vivienne closed her eyes.
Elena stared at her.
“You knew her.”
Vivienne said nothing.
Sophie continued.
“She said you were bad.”
Daniel’s heart cracked.
“What else did she say?”
“She said you made my mommy disappear.”
Elena gasped.
Daniel looked at Vivienne.
“You told her that?”
Vivienne’s jaw tightened.
“She needed an explanation.”
“For what?”
“For why she could never meet you.”
Daniel stepped forward.
Margaret raised the weapon.
“Stop.”
He stopped.
Sophie stared at Vivienne.
“Aunt Vivi lied.”
Vivienne went still.
Margaret whispered.
“Sophie.”
The girl’s voice trembled.
“I remember.”
Everyone froze.
Elena moved closer.
“What do you remember?”
Sophie looked toward the lake.
“My mommy.”
Margaret’s face changed.
“No.”
Sophie pointed toward the dock.
“She was here.”
Margaret shouted.
“Stop talking!”
Sophie began crying.
“I saw her.”
Daniel felt a chill.
“How old were you?”
Sophie looked confused.
“Little.”
Vivienne stepped forward.
“She doesn’t remember anything.”
Margaret swung the gun toward her.
“Stay back.”
Marcus watched from behind a tree line, waiting for an opening.
Daniel could see him but Vivienne and Margaret could not.
Sophie continued.
“My mommy was yelling.”
Elena covered her mouth.
“She said give me my baby.”
Daniel looked at Vivienne.
Vivienne’s face had gone white.
Sophie’s breathing quickened.
“There was a man.”
Charles stepped closer.
“What man?”
Sophie looked at him.
Then screamed.
“No!”
She tried to pull away from Margaret.
Everyone froze.
Sophie pointed at Charles.
“It was him!”
Daniel turned toward his father.
Charles looked stunned.
“What?”
Sophie cried harder.
“You were there!”
Charles shook his head.
“No.”
“You pushed Mommy!”
Elena made a broken sound.
Daniel stared at Charles.
“You said you arrived late.”
Charles looked at Sophie.
“She is confused.”
Vivienne laughed softly.
That laugh made Daniel turn.
“What is funny?”
Vivienne stared at Charles.
“She remembers more than I thought.”
Charles’s face hardened.
“Vivienne.”
Margaret shouted.
“Stop!”
But the story was already breaking open.
Sophie looked at Daniel.
“The old man was yelling.”
“What did he say?”
“I don’t know.”
“Try.”
Sophie squeezed her eyes shut.
“He said…”
She struggled.
“Give me the papers.”
Daniel slowly turned toward Charles.
Charles said nothing.
Sophie continued.
“Mommy said no.”
“She held me.”
“She ran.”
Elena was crying now.
“What happened?”
Sophie looked toward the water.
“She fell.”
Silence.
Daniel whispered.
“Did someone push her?”
Sophie began shaking.
Margaret pressed her face against Sophie’s hair.
“Enough.”
The girl suddenly shouted.
“Grandma pushed her!”
The entire dock went silent.
Elena stared at Margaret.
“No.”
Margaret’s face collapsed.
“No.”
Sophie cried.
“You did!”
Elena stepped backward.
“Mom?”
Margaret lowered the gun slightly.
“I was trying to save you.”
Elena’s eyes filled with horror.
“What did you do?”
Margaret looked at Sophie.
Then at the lake.
“Rachel had the files.”
Charles spoke.
“She was going to Reed.”
Margaret nodded.
“She would have exposed everything.”
Elena whispered.
“She should have.”
“You don’t understand.”
Margaret’s voice broke.
“Vivienne knew where you lived.”
“She knew you were pregnant too.”
Elena froze.
“What?”
Daniel looked at her.
Vivienne stared at the ground.
Elena turned.
“What does she mean?”
Margaret shook her head.
“You lost the pregnancy.”
Elena stared.
“What pregnancy?”
Charles closed his eyes.
Daniel felt dread.
“Elena.”
She looked at him.
Charles spoke.
“You were pregnant before Noah.”
Elena’s face went blank.
“No.”
“You miscarried.”
“I never…”
Her voice faded.
Then she remembered.
Her hand moved to her abdomen.
“The surgery.”
Charles nodded.
Elena staggered.
Daniel caught her.
Margaret cried.
“They told you it was a cyst.”
Elena stared at her mother.
“You knew.”
Margaret sobbed.
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You let them operate on me?”
“I had no choice.”
“You always had a choice!”
Sophie screamed suddenly.
Margaret’s grip had tightened painfully.
Daniel moved.
Marcus moved at the same moment.
“Police!”
Margaret spun.
The gun fired.
Elena screamed.
Sophie fell.
Daniel ran.
Vivienne lunged toward the girl.
Marcus fired into the dock railing beside Margaret.
She dropped the pistol.
Daniel reached Sophie.
Blood covered the side of her coat.
“No.”
He pulled the fabric aside.
The bullet had grazed her arm.
Not entered her body.
“She’s okay!”
Elena collapsed beside them.
Sophie cried into her arms.
Margaret stood frozen.
Marcus handcuffed her.
“You’re under arrest.”
Margaret did not resist.
She only stared at Elena.
“I did it for you.”
Elena looked at her mother.
“No.”
“You did it because you were afraid.”
Margaret began sobbing.
Vivienne slowly backed away.
Daniel saw her.
“Don’t.”
She stopped.
Marcus pointed his weapon.
“Hands where I can see them.”
Vivienne smiled faintly.
“You think Margaret is your ending.”
Daniel stared.
“What does that mean?”
Vivienne looked at Sophie.
Then at Charles.
“No one here has told you the worst part yet.”
Charles’s face changed.
Vivienne smiled.
Daniel felt a chill.
“What worst part?”
Vivienne spoke quietly.
“Sophie isn’t Rachel’s daughter.”
Silence.
Elena stared.
Daniel’s voice came out low.
“Then whose daughter is she?”
May you like
Vivienne looked directly at Elena.
“Yours.”
