Chapter 3 - The Secret Payout
Chloe slammed the canceled check down on the wooden desk right in front of her father.
"You paid her to leave," Chloe accused, her voice trembling with pure disgust.
David poured himself a glass of whiskey and took a very long sip.
"You do not understand how complicated things were back then," he said quietly.
"Make me understand why you would abandon your own child," Chloe fired back.
David sighed heavily and sat down in his leather chair.
He explained that his wealthy father, Arthur, had absolutely despised Sarah.
Arthur believed Sarah was nothing but a gold digger trying to steal the family fortune.
When Arthur found out Sarah was pregnant, he threatened to completely disinherit David.
Arthur forced David to write the check and drove Sarah out of town himself.
"I thought she got an abortion," David confessed, tears welling in his eyes.
"I never knew she actually kept the baby."
Chloe felt utterly sick to her stomach listening to the dark history of her family.
She had always believed her grandfather Arthur was a respectable, honorable businessman.
Now she realized her entire life of luxury was built on lies and cruelty.
Her phone suddenly vibrated in the small pocket of her prom dress.
It was an urgent text message from Marcus.
"Meet me at the diner on 4th Street in twenty minutes," the message read.
"My mom is packing our bags right now, and she says we have to leave the state tonight."
Chloe typed back immediately, promising she would be there.
She looked at her father, who was staring blankly at the bottom of his empty glass.
Chloe quietly slipped out the back door and ran toward her car.
When she arrived at the diner, Marcus was already sitting in a corner booth.
He looked terrified and exhausted.
"She is booking a flight to Mexico," Marcus whispered as Chloe sat down.
"But while she was in the shower, I managed to open the small safe in her closet."
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded, official-looking document.
"It is my birth certificate," he explained, sliding it across the sticky table.
Chloe opened the document and scanned down to the father's name.
She gasped out loud and covered her mouth in absolute shock.
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The name listed on the birth certificate was not David.
The father's name was printed clearly as Richard, David's older brother.
