Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I’m not sure how I made it home. I drove through the side streets, knowing the tears would obstruct my vision and the sobbing would slow down my reaction time. This is not a night to battle the freeways.
Parked safely in front of my house, I let my head fall on the steering wheel as I replay the meeting over and over.
He was thrilled to see me. I showed him the pictures, and he almost grinned. That wasn’t the response I’d expected. It wasn’t until I began yelling at him about integrity and infidelity that he finally responded.
I expected him to be angry about his lack of privacy. I expected him to rant about trust, but I didn’t expect him to tell me I was wrong and storm out. He never defended himself. He went as far as saying he was going to keep the girl in his life.
The saddest thing was how I had to tell him I might be carrying his child. His only response was that he had rights. I wish things could’ve been different.
The envelope he threw on the table has a red stamp on it that says, “Confidential.” I tossed it in my bag before I fled the restaurant. I’m sure the staff wondered where we went as both of us bolted from the dining room.
I lift my head to see a shadow cross the street. The silhouette of a man is outlined against the porch light of my neighbor. He stops and stares at me for a few minutes before he turns and disappears. A chill runs down my spine. With my bag in my hand and my keys laced through my fingers, I’m ready if someone attacks. I exit the car and quickly make my way into the house.
The envelope slips from my bag as I toss everything onto the couch. I wanted to rip it open at the table. What could be so important that, in the middle of everything, he needed to give me this? I look at the red stamp on the front, and my head spins. This is what he was doing. He wasn’t cheating on me. He was trying to help me. I know what I’ll find before I even open the envelope. I slip my finger under the flap and tear the closure free.
My hands are visibly shaking as I pull the thick packet out of the envelope. The front page is blank except for the words,
Taylor Collins
Private Investigator
Case # 1531
Emma Lloyd
I turn the page and read the story of my life.
Interview with Holly Maxwell – Friend of Adrianne Helms
Ms. Maxwell recalled Adrianne with clarity. They were best friends until the day Ms. Helms left for parts unknown. She indicated Ms. Helms had a long-term relationship with a boy named Tate Smith. School records show that Tate Smith attended Rockville High School at the same time as Adrianne Helms. Adrianne dropped out of school halfway through her senior year .
According to Ms. Maxwell, rumor had it, Adrianne was carrying Tate Smith’s child. She said the two had planned to run away together. When asked about Tate Smith’s whereabouts, Ms. Maxwell stated he was sent to a military academy to finish off his senior year of high school. Ms. Maxwell offered that it didn’t surprise her Tate disappeared. His family wouldn’t have been happy about an unexpected pregnancy. She was shocked Adrianne ended up marrying a stranger. No one had heard of Daniel Lloyd before what she describes as “the incident.”
The Incident – Adrianne Helms and Daniel Lloyd
After an extensive investigation into Adrianne and Daniel’s marriage, it is clear that the two had no prior relationship. There is no record of Daniel Lloyd living in or near Dallas at the time of his marriage to Ms. Helms. Most interesting is that there is no record of a Daniel Lloyd with the social security number given on the marriage license. I did an exhaustive search, and it seems as if Mr. Lloyd appeared out of thin air.
The ding of an incoming text draws me away from the report.
What’s happening? Anthony sent out an SOS to Damon. He left a few minutes ago. Kat
I can’t explain right now. I made a huge mistake, and I think I may have lost him forever. I’m glad Damon is going to him. Oh, Kat, I screwed up.
I’m on my way.
No other texts are exchanged. I pick up the report and keep reading.
Interviews with neighbors of Adrianne Helms—Sam Watson, Lorene Helberg
Interviews were conducted with two neighbors who lived in the neighborhood at the time. Both stories are the same. Adrianne was caught in bed with Daniel. Her screams alerted her family. The father walked in to see his daughter naked beneath the man. Once they caught them in a compromising situation, she was married off to Daniel in what can only be described as a shotgun wedding.
Oh, my God… my mom was raped and married off to a stranger. Who in the hell was Daniel Lloyd?
An investigation into Tate Smith?
Tate Smith—son of Congressman Teague Smith of the 12th District and his wife, Heidi
The investigation shows Tate being transferred in the middle of his senior year to Melbin Military Academy in Boston, Massachusetts. There is no reason for the transfer listed. Tate was a good student academically but tried to leave the facility several times without permission. Melbin is a strict lockdown facility for rebellious youth. He disappeared on graduation day.
Congressman Smith passed away two years after his son’s graduation. I tracked down the mother. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona. I visited with her, and she broke her silence after twenty-five years. She indicated Tate had told them he was going to be a father. Teague was furious. He sent Tate to boarding school and hired an ex-convict on parole to compromise the Helms girl. In exchange for the deed, he would receive a new identity, a pretty wife, and a large sum of money to disappear. The Helms’ devout faith would allow for nothing less than a wedding. She doesn’t know what happened after the incident as the Helms girl was married off and disappeared.
The widow Smith indicated she has only seen her son one time since he left for the Military Academy. He was present at the reading of his father’s will, and he immediately donated the money he inherited to a local home for unwed mothers. She has never seen him again. Ironically, they live in the same town.
I located Tate Smith living in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a prominent businessman working in Cyber Security and is married and has a daughter. See the enclosed pictures.
I look through the papers and pull out the pictures at the very back. One is a handsome-looking man with auburn hair. His green eyes almost glow against his fair creamy complexion. The next image is of her, the girl in the photos. She looks like me, only younger. Her hair is a lighter red, but she has her father’s eyes—my father’s eyes. The information is almost overwhelming. I bury my head in my hands and sob. The front door opens, and Kat runs in.
“What is it?” she asks as she looks at the papers all around me.
I can’t say a word. I pick up the pages of the report I’ve read and hand them to her. She sits next to me and begins to read. We sit in silence as she reads the beginning of my story and I finish the end.
Meeting with Tate, Amy, and Layla Smith
I met with the Smith family at a local restaurant. After explaining my purpose, Mr. Smith broke down and cried. He indicated that he’d searched nonstop for four years, looking for Adrianne and their child. He married his wife, and they both continued their search for years. The new identity made it impossible for them to find Adrianne and the child. Daniel Lloyd technically doesn’t exist. Layla is the child of Amy and Tate Smith, and she is twenty years old. As requested, I have asked the family not to contact Emma until you talk to her. They have agreed not to make physical contact. They are looking forward to uniting their family.
Uniting their family. These people are my family. I have a sister and a father who wanted me and loved me. He searched for us. I was a love child. I think about how my mom loved to look into my eyes, and now I know why. It was because when she saw me—she saw him.
I look over at Kat and watch as she wipes a tear from her face. She looks up at me and cries. What a pair we are.
“Kat, I accused him of having an affair with my sister. I didn’t know she was my sister. I told him he had no integrity. I lost him because I’m young and stupid, and I always expect the worst from people. I didn’t give him a chance, and I didn’t give him all of me. I held back just enough so that if he hurt me like I expected him to, I wouldn’t be completely shattered. In the end, I ruined myself.”
Her arms fold around me, and we both cry ourselves to exhaustion .
“Don’t give up, Em. Fight for him. Show him he’s worth it. Prove to him only you can fill his life, his heart, and his bed.”
I pull out my phone and send Anthony a text.
I’m so sorry. I made the biggest mistake of my life. Please forgive me.
I wait for his reply, but nothing comes. I text the address for my doctor’s appointment and then send it.
Kat stays the night with me. I think she felt she needed to remain on suicide watch, but I couldn’t kill myself because I’m already dead. I died the minute he walked out of the restaurant and told me to leave him alone.
We’d climbed into my bed like we did when we were kids. My mind filled with the investigator’s findings. The rest of the report was just a summary. Daniel Lloyd disappeared after my mom’s death but left enough money in a trust to pay for the household expenses. When the house sold, he shuffled the money so many places, it was impossible to track. Daniel Lloyd vanished off the face of the earth. He probably emerged as his true identity and went his own way. The only contact anyone has had with him was a note I received years ago. My mind reels from all the information. I wonder who his sister was? Was she his sister? I’ll never know.
I wake to the warmth of a body spooning mine. I almost believe it’s him until I roll over and see the long blonde hair spread across the pillow. Kat had stayed with me all night.
I crawl out of bed quietly. I have so much to do. I went to bed defeated but woke up ready to battle. Daniel Lloyd took everything from my mom because he wanted a new beginning. I’m not letting him take everything from me. My life has been molded out of fear, and I refuse to cower anymore. I messed up, and if I can win Anthony back, I will. He is worth the fight.
I think about Roxy and her family, how parents can ruin so many futures because they thought they knew best. Only your heart can decide whom to love. It’s too late for Anthony and Roseanne, but it’s not too late for Roxy, and if I can make it happen, I will.
The next several hours are spent calling every police station in Los Angeles County. I finally locate a detective named Bobby Anderson. To my relief, he is the one and only Bobby from Roxy’s past. He’s still single, and if he can find someone to cover his shift, he will come to prom to catch up with Roxy. He all but admitted he had a secret crush on her throughout high school, but she was out of his league.
I have no intention of telling her. I think prom should have a few surprises.
I wake Kat’s lazy butt up and tell her to get ready—we are having a spa day. If I am going to win my man back, it will not be with raggedy nails, frizzy hair, and sallow skin. I’m in desperate need of help.
The only appointment I could get us is at noon, so I hurry and change. I pull my hair back into a messy bun, throw on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals. I toss some clothes at Kat and tell her to put a fire under her ass. The day is wasting, and I have to prepare for the fight of my life.
I have one thing left to do before we head out. I sent the original prom invitation to Anthony, but I feel like I need to send him something more personal. I take out a beautiful black note card made of fine linen paper. I scrounge through my junk drawer and find the silver, acid-free marker and write.
Anthony,
You are cordially invited to join Emma at the event of the year. Formal attire is preferred, but I will take you dressed in anything.
Please understand that I’m young and learning.
Remember that you loved me once.
Only you matter to my heart .
My life will be empty without you.
I’m sorry––I would like to trade in my brownie points––can I have another chance?
Your Emma
I place the invitation in the envelope and put it in my purse. I will hand deliver it tomorrow.
Kat and I spend the next three hours getting everything done possible. We’ve been scrubbed and polished, painted, and patted until our skin glowed and our nails shimmered. I drop Kat off at the house. She jumps directly in her car and heads home to Damon. I race inside to plan my next move.
I read through the packet again and notice my family has left contact information. I sit in front of the computer and send an introductory message to Tate Smith.
Mr. Smith,
This is Emma. My mother was Adrianne Helms. I received the report from Anthony, and I wanted to reach out to you and say hello. I hope I have the opportunity to meet you and your daughter someday. I’d love to hear more about your family and the life you share. Please feel free to contact me.
Emma
I send it and move on to my next task. I need to pick out an outfit for tomorrow. I want to knock Anthony’s socks off. I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, but I plan to stalk Anthony at some point, and I want to look nice.
I rummage through my closet and find a sexy outfit that will be suitable for work and capable of making Anthony speechless. I settle on a black pencil skirt with a back slit. The emerald-green scoop neck T-shirt I chose will show off my cleavage without showing too much. It will show just enough to remind him of what the girls look and feel like. I pair the outfit with a cropped jacket that will show off my waist. A pair of tall black pumps will complete the ensemble. I choose several gold chains in varying lengths and a simple pair of gold hoops as accessories.
My next task is to compile a playlist that represents our time together. I’ll send him songs daily, reminding him of who we are and who we were. I download the song for today. I send it as a gift, having it delivered directly to him. The first song is Taylor Swift––“Back to December .” I’ve started the playlist off with an apology. I press send and hope he responds.
I get a text immediately, and my heart swells with hope.
What time is your appointment?
It’s not what I’d hoped for, but at least he texted.
My appointment is tomorrow at eight in the morning. Are you going to come?
I wait for his response and receive none. The hope I felt has plummeted to a new low. I brush my teeth and get ready for an early night. I spend the rest of the evening picking out flowers to have delivered to him every day this week. It’s how he wooed me, and I hope to turn the tables on him. I know he still loves me; I need to break through his angry shell to get to his heart again.