For several seconds, nobody moved.
Vanessa stared at the security officer as though he had just announced that a ghost was standing outside.
My fiancé looked from her to me.
Then he asked quietly,
“Who is Daniel?”
Vanessa said nothing.
“Vanessa.”
Still nothing.
He stepped closer.
“Who is Daniel?”
Her lips trembled.
Finally, she whispered,
“The man I should have told you about a long time ago.”
My stomach dropped.
The security officer remained near the doorway.
“Sir, should I let him in?”
My fiancé looked at Vanessa.
She immediately shook her head.
“No.”
That one word told me everything.
Whoever Daniel was, Vanessa was terrified of him coming inside.
My fiancé noticed it too.
“Let him in.”
“No!”
Vanessa rushed forward.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can’t.”
He laughed bitterly.
“You walked into my engagement dinner carrying documents, announced that you were pregnant when I left you, nearly destroyed my relationship, and now you’re telling me you can’t explain?”
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
My fiancé pointed toward the door.
“Bring him in.”
The security officer disappeared.
I stood near the dining table, still trying to understand what was happening.
My engagement ring remained where I’d left it.
Part of me wanted to pick it up.
Another part of me was too angry.
Then footsteps came from the hallway.
A man entered.
He looked to be in his late thirties.
Tall.
Well dressed.
Calm.
But the moment he saw Vanessa, his expression hardened.
Vanessa whispered,
“Daniel.”
He didn’t answer her.
Instead, he looked at my fiancé.
“I’m sorry for coming here without an invitation.”
My fiancé folded his arms.
“Apparently, tonight is the night everyone does that.”
Nobody laughed.
Daniel looked at me.
Then at the ring sitting on the table.
“I assume I’m interrupting something important.”
“You’re interrupting my engagement dinner,” my fiancé replied.
Daniel nodded slowly.
“Then I’m even more sorry.”
Vanessa suddenly snapped,
“Why are you here?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Because you stopped answering my calls.”
“That doesn’t give you the right to come here.”
“No. But what you’re planning does.”
Vanessa went completely still.
I looked between them.
“What is she planning?”
Daniel didn’t answer immediately.
Vanessa rushed toward him.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her sadly.
“I gave you every opportunity to tell the truth yourself.”
“Daniel, please.”
“No.”
His voice wasn’t loud.
But it silenced the entire room.
My fiancé stepped forward.
“Somebody needs to start explaining this from the beginning.”
Daniel nodded.
“Fine.”
Vanessa grabbed his arm.
“Please.”
He gently removed her hand.
Then he looked directly at my fiancé.
“The child Vanessa is carrying isn’t yours.”
My fiancé stared at him.
“You’re certain?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Daniel swallowed.
“Because I’m the father.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
I actually heard the clock ticking on the wall.
My fiancé looked at Vanessa.
“Is that true?”
She started crying.
He repeated,
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
His eyes closed.
I could see his jaw tighten.
I expected him to shout.
Instead, he asked,
“How long?”
Vanessa wiped her face.
“Please don’t make me answer that.”
“How long have you been seeing him?”
She looked down.
“Almost two years.”
His eyes opened.
Two years.
They had still been together two years ago.
I felt sick.
Not because of what Vanessa had done to me.
Because I suddenly realized what she had done to him.
He stepped backward as if she’d physically struck him.
“You were with him while you were with me?”
Vanessa started sobbing.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
My fiancé laughed once.
But there was no humor in it.
“Two years isn’t an accident, Vanessa.”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“I didn’t know about him at first.”
My fiancé turned toward Daniel.
“What?”
“She told me she was single.”
Vanessa covered her face.
Daniel continued.
“By the time I discovered the truth, I was already in love with her.”
My fiancé stared at Vanessa.
“And you came here tonight accusing me of abandoning you while you were pregnant?”
“I was angry!”
“Angry?”
His voice finally rose.
“You were carrying another man’s child and you wanted my fiancée to believe I abandoned my own?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I didn’t come here to destroy you.”
I couldn’t stay silent anymore.
“Then why did you bring those documents?”
Everyone turned toward me.
Vanessa looked ashamed.
I pointed at the table.
“You knew exactly what you were doing.”
She didn’t answer.
“You wanted me to leave him.”
Her silence was the answer.
I felt anger rising inside me.
“You walked into this house and watched me remove my engagement ring.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You’re sorry because Daniel came here.”
Her face changed.
I continued.
“If he hadn’t appeared, would you have told us the truth?”
She looked away.
That hurt more than I expected.
My fiancé’s mother stood beside me.
She gently touched my shoulder.
Vanessa whispered,
“I just wanted my old life back.”
My fiancé stared at her.
“You cheated on me for two years.”
“I know.”
“You lied about your pregnancy.”
“I know.”
“And you still wanted me back?”
Tears ran down her face.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Vanessa looked around the room.
Then she said something I never expected.
“Because Daniel can’t give me the life you gave me.”
Even Daniel looked shocked.
I stared at her.
There it was.
The truth.
Money.
Status.
Comfort.
The exact things my fiancé had told me people always wanted from him.
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“So that’s what this is about?”
Vanessa turned toward him.
“Daniel—”
“No.”
He stepped backward.
“You told me you loved me.”
“I do.”
“You love him too?”
She couldn’t answer.
Daniel shook his head.
“You don’t love either of us.”
He turned toward the door.
Vanessa panicked.
“Where are you going?”
“Away from you.”
“But the baby—”
“I’ll take responsibility for my child.”
He stopped and looked back at her.
“But don’t confuse being a father with being your partner.”
Then he walked out.
Vanessa stood frozen.
For the first time since she’d arrived, she looked completely defeated.
My fiancé walked to the table.
He picked up my engagement ring.
My heart started pounding.
He walked toward me.
“I should have told you about the pregnancy claim.”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That you would think I was the kind of man who abandoned his child.”
I swallowed.
“So instead you said nothing.”
“Yes.”
“That was wrong.”
“I know.”
He held the ring in his palm.
“But there’s something else you need to know.”
My stomach tightened again.
“Another secret?”
He nodded.
I almost laughed.
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
His mother suddenly interrupted.
“Son.”
He looked at her.
She shook her head slightly.
My heart sank.
“You know too?”
Neither of them answered.
I looked at his mother.
“Mummy?”
She sighed.
“It’s not my secret to tell.”
I couldn’t believe it.
I grabbed my handbag.
“I’m going home.”
My fiancé stepped in front of me.
“Please give me five minutes.”
“No.”
“Five minutes.”
“You’ve had months.”
That stopped him.
I walked around him.
Then he said,
“The first time we met wasn’t at the supermarket.”
I froze.
Slowly, I turned around.
“What?”
He looked at me.
“You think the supermarket was the first time I saw you.”
“Yes.”
“It wasn’t.”
I stared at him.
“I don’t understand.”
He placed the ring on the table again.
“I had seen you before.”
“Where?”
He hesitated.
“Your mother’s house.”
My entire body went cold.
“My mother’s house?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“About three months before the supermarket.”
I shook my head.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I was there.”
“For what?”
He looked at his mother.
She lowered her eyes.
Suddenly, this wasn’t about Vanessa anymore.
This was about me.
I stepped closer.
“Why were you at my mother’s house?”
He didn’t answer.
“Tell me.”
He inhaled slowly.
“Because my father sent me there.”
I frowned.
“Why would your father know my mother?”
His mother closed her eyes.
My fiancé said nothing.
Then a terrifying thought entered my mind.
I whispered,
“Does my mother know your family?”
His expression gave me the answer before his mouth did.
“Yes.”
My knees almost weakened.
“How?”
His mother finally spoke.
“Perhaps you should sit down.”
“I don’t want to sit down!”
My voice cracked.
“I want somebody to tell me what’s happening!”
My fiancé reached for me.
I stepped away.
“Don’t.”
He lowered his hand.
Then he said,
“There’s something your mother has hidden from you your entire life.”
I stared at him.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Before he could answer, my phone rang.
Everyone looked at it.
MUMMY.
I stared at the screen.
My hands suddenly felt cold.
I answered.
“Mummy?”
Her voice came quickly.
“Where are you?”
“At the engagement dinner.”
There was silence.
Then she asked,
“Is his mother there?”
I looked across the room.
“Yes.”
Another silence.
Longer this time.
“Mummy, what’s going on?”
She didn’t answer.
“Mummy?”
Then I heard her crying.
My heart nearly stopped.
“Why are you crying?”
“My daughter…”
“What?”
“I should have told you years ago.”
My fiancé closed his eyes.
His mother sat down.
I gripped the phone tighter.
“Told me what?”
My mother sobbed.
“The man you’re planning to marry… his family didn’t meet you by accident.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“What does that mean?”
“Come home.”
“No. Tell me now.”
“I can’t explain this over the phone.”
“Mummy!”
“Please.”
Then the call ended.
I stared at my phone.
My fiancé said my name.
I looked at him.
“Take me to my mother’s house.”
“I can explain—”
“No.”
I pointed toward the door.
“Take me there.”
Twenty minutes later, we were in the car.
Nobody spoke.
His mother came with us.
Every possible explanation ran through my head.
Had our parents been friends?
Had our families done business together?
Had they arranged something without telling us?
But none of those explanations matched the fear I’d seen on their faces.
When we arrived, my mother was standing outside.
My sister was beside her.
My sister looked confused.
“Mummy won’t tell me anything,” she whispered.
My mother looked at my fiancé.
Then at his mother.
“You should have told her.”
His mother replied,
“So should you.”
I felt like screaming.
“TOLD ME WHAT?”
My mother started crying again.
Then she walked inside.
“Come.”
We followed her into the living room.
She went to an old cabinet.
From the bottom drawer, she removed a wooden box I’d seen hundreds of times growing up.
She placed it on the table.
Her hands shook as she opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Letters.
Old documents.
She removed one photograph and handed it to me.
I looked at it.
My mother was much younger.
Standing beside her was a man.
I had never seen him before.
But my fiancé had.
I knew because the moment he saw the photograph, he looked away.
“Who is this?” I asked.
My mother couldn’t answer.
My fiancé’s mother whispered,
“My husband.”
My stomach dropped.
I stared at her.
“Your husband?”
She nodded.
“My fiancé’s father?”
“Yes.”
I looked at my mother.
“Why do you have a photograph with his father?”
She covered her mouth and began crying.
My sister stepped closer.
“Mummy, what is happening?”
My mother finally looked at me.
“There is something I never told either of you.”
I suddenly felt afraid to hear it.
She removed another document from the box.
A birth certificate.
Mine.
I recognized my name immediately.
But there was something strange.
The section for FATHER wasn’t blank like the copy I’d seen years ago.
There was a name written there.
I read it once.
Then again.
My hands started trembling.
I looked at my fiancé.
He was staring at me.
“No,” I whispered.
My mother grabbed my arm.
“Please let me explain.”
I pulled away.
“No.”
My sister took the document from me.
The moment she read the name, her mouth fell open.
I couldn’t breathe.
The name listed as my father was the same name as my fiancé’s father.
I looked at the man I loved.
Then at his mother.
Then at my own mother.
My voice came out as barely a whisper.
“Are you telling me…”
Nobody moved.
“…that the man I’m supposed to marry is my brother?”
My mother immediately shouted,
“NO!”
I froze.
She grabbed another envelope from the wooden box.
“No. That’s exactly why I should have told you sooner.”
She ripped it open and pulled out a DNA report.
I stared at her.
“What is that?”
She looked at my fiancé.
Then at his mother.
And finally at me.
Her next words made the entire room go silent.
“The man named on your birth certificate is not your biological father.”
I stared at her.
“Then who is?”
She started crying harder.
And my fiancé’s mother suddenly stood up.
Because outside the house, headlights appeared through the window.
A black car stopped at our gate.
My mother looked outside.
The color drained from her face.
My fiancé whispered,
“Who is that?”
My mother clutched the DNA report against her chest.
Then came three slow knocks at the front door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
My mother looked at me with tears streaming down her face.
“The only man who can tell you the whole truth.”
My heart pounded.
“Who?”
She whispered,
“Your real father.”
TO BE CONTINUED…………………
One Comment on “PART 3 — THE MAN AT THE GATE KNEW EVERYTHING”