Chapter 4: The Truth That Destroyed the Wedding
Victoria sank into a nearby chair, her legs no longer able to hold her up.
Alexander looked at her, his face pale.
“You had a daughter?” he asked quietly. “Before me?”
Victoria nodded, tears streaming down her face.
“I was seventeen. I didn’t know what to do. My mother helped me. We told everyone the baby didn’t survive. But she did. My mother took her and raised her in secret. I thought it was the only way to protect her… and to protect my future.”
She looked at Lily, who was watching her with wide, innocent eyes.
“I didn’t know my mother was still alive,” Victoria whispered. “I thought she really died in that accident. I mourned her for three years.”
Eleanor stepped forward.
“I had to fake my death to keep both of you safe. Your father found out about the baby. He was furious. I knew if he discovered Lily was alive, he would come after her. So I disappeared with her. I changed our names. I stayed hidden.”
She looked at Victoria with tears in her eyes.
“I gave her the locket so that one day, if anything happened to me, she could find you. I never expected her to wear it to your wedding.”
Alexander ran a hand through his hair, trying to process everything.
“So this little girl…” he said slowly. “She’s your daughter. Which means she’s my stepdaughter now.”
Victoria looked at him, terrified of what he would say next.
But Alexander didn’t look angry. He looked stunned, but there was no hatred in his eyes.
He turned to Lily and knelt down in front of her.
“Hey,” he said gently. “I’m Alexander. I’m… I’m going to be your stepdad, I guess. Is that okay with you?”
May you like
Lily studied him for a moment, then nodded shyly.
Victoria felt fresh tears fall. She had expected Alexander to be furious, to call off the wedding, to hate her for lying. Instead, he was being kind to her daughter — the daughter she had hidden from everyone, including him.
