CHAPTER 2 THE SECRET THAT FELL OUT OF THE CAMERA
The first thing I heard was a heart monitor.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was.
Then the pain hit.
A sharp ache behind my left eye.
The smell of disinfectant.
The weight of a hospital blanket.
And suddenly everything came rushing back.
The wedding.
My father.
The camera.
My baby.
My hands flew to my stomach.
Panic exploded through me.
A nurse immediately stepped forward.
"Easy, Nora."
My voice cracked.
"My baby."
The nurse smiled gently.
"Your baby is fine."
I burst into tears.
Not graceful tears.
Not quiet tears.
The kind that come when fear finally releases its grip.
Hours later, the doctor explained that I had suffered a concussion.
A few stitches.
A minor fracture near my cheekbone.
But my daughter—yes, I already knew she was a girl—was healthy.
Against all odds.
When the doctor left, the room became silent.
Until I noticed someone sitting in the corner.
Clara.
Her wedding dress was still on.
Mascara streaked down her face.
The ceremony clearly never happened.
She looked up.
And immediately started crying.
"Nora."
I turned away.
For the first time in my life, I didn't want to comfort her.
She walked to the bed.
"I didn't know."
I laughed bitterly.
"Didn't know what?"
"The truth."
That got my attention.
Clara looked terrified.
Then she pulled something from her purse.
A memory card.
"The camera broke when Dad hit you."
I frowned.
"What?"
"The videographer gave this to me."
She swallowed hard.
"When the camera smashed into the floor, a hidden compartment opened."
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
"What compartment?"
Clara's hands trembled.
"There were documents inside."
The room went silent.
Then she handed me several folded papers.
My blood turned cold.
DNA reports.
Birth certificates.
Legal records.
Documents that should never have been inside a camera.
Then I saw the names.
My name.
My mother's name.
And another name I didn't recognize.
The color drained from my face.
May you like
Because according to the paperwork...
The man who raised me wasn't my biological father.
