vian has chosen to tell only a fraction of the truth, as she has so many times before, so I will tell the whole story, documented, verified, and witnessed, so that those who loved me will know who my daughter truly is. ” The murmurs that had started when Vivian first spoke were gone. Every sound, every breath, was swallowed by the weight of my father’s voice echoing through the lawyer’s steady tone. “I have known since Noel was 8 years old that she is, without question, my biological daughter. What Vivian does not know is that I had already confirmed this. The matter of blood types is meaningless without context, and I have the medical records to prove it.” My throat tightened. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath. Vivian tried to interject, “You expect us to believe this?” But Mr. Holbrook didn’t look at her. “Let me finish, Mrs. Caldwell,” he said calmly, his eyes fixed on the page. “Because your turn to speak is coming, and I suspect it will be less comfortable than you think.” A ripple of quiet amusement, grim, restrained, passed through the mourners. Even Dexter flinched. “3 years before I met Vivian,” the letter went on, “I had a vasectomy. My late wife, Angela, nearly lost her life giving birth to Noel, and we both agreed one child was enough.
Xhbakhi