He sat down.
“I met your mother before she met William. We were young. Stupid. We thought we had time to figure out what we wanted.”
Vivian whispered: “Richard…”
He continued.
“But then she met William.”
He looked at the photograph of his father.
“He had money. Stability. A family name. And she knew William wanted children.”
Alyssa looked ill.
“Did you marry him for his money?”
Vivian shook her head.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“So, how was it?”
Vivian did
not reply.
Richard did it.
“She became pregnant.”
Alyssa’s eyes widened.
“From me?”
” Yes. “
Richard’s voice trembled.
“She told me the baby was mine.”
“So why did Dad think you were his?”
“Because Vivian told William she was pregnant with his child.”
Alyssa turned to her mother.
“You lied to him.”
Vivian began to cry.
“I was terrified.”
“You lied to my father.”
“I was terrified of losing everything.”
Alyssa laughed bitterly.
“So you kept me.”
Vivian looked at her.
“You were my daughter.”
“But you let Dad raise me.”
” Yes. “
“You let him love me.”
” Yes. “
“You let him pay for everything.”
” Yes. “
“And then you spent thirty years telling Candace she wasn’t really her daughter.”
