Chapter 713

"Vanessa, I'm sorry."

The nurse helped Vanessa settle into her hospital room, with Evelyn trailing closely behind.

Evelyn proceeded to recount the shocking encounter that had just occurred in the hallway.

Vanessa's face twisted in horror as the truth sank in.

Her biological mother had once been Vincent's mistress.

The revelation was too much to bear.

Vanessa felt her world crumbling around her.

She could already picture Eleanor exacting revenge on her in the days to come.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Vanessa demanded, her voice trembling.

Evelyn hesitated. "I—"

It was a truth too shameful to admit.

Vanessa's tears spilled over. "You knew I was giving birth today. You knew Alexander and Eleanor would be here. Why did you have to show up and let them see you?"

Her voice rose in accusation. "Was this deliberate? Do you want to ruin me?"

Evelyn's hands fluttered helplessly. "Vanessa, you're my daughter. Of course I want you to be happy. I came because I was worried about you."

"Worried?" Vanessa let out a bitter laugh. "Because of you, everything is ruined! How am I supposed to face the Whitmores now?"

Her voice cracked. "What will people say when they find out my mother was a gold-digger who slept with married men?"

Evelyn's face burned with humiliation. "Vanessa, how can you speak to me like that? I only wanted a better life. I was terrified of poverty growing up—I had no choice!"

"But I'm the one who has to suffer for it!" Vanessa cried. "Ethan never loved me to begin with. Now, how can I ever face him again? You've destroyed my marriage!"

She buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

Evelyn tried to console her. "But you just gave birth to a son, didn't you?"

The nurse had informed them earlier—Vanessa had delivered a premature baby boy, now in the neonatal unit for urgent care.

"A son?" Vanessa's laugh was hollow. "A son with a congenital heart defect. The doctors warned me he might not survive past infancy. Even if he does, he'll need multiple surgeries—each one life-threatening."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you understand? He’s sick. The Whitmores won’t want a child like this."

Evelyn paled. She had assumed the baby was simply premature—not critically ill.

Vanessa had risked her life for this child, yet no one would celebrate his birth.

The weight of despair crushed her.

She curled into herself, weeping until her body shook.

Evelyn reached out, her own heart breaking. "Vanessa, you’ve just given birth. Crying like this will harm your health—"

Vanessa jerked away.

In her grief, she blamed Evelyn for everything.

"You’re not my mother. Get out! I never want to see you again!"

Evelyn gasped. "I gave birth to you! How can you say that?"

"I never asked to be born to you," Vanessa spat. "What makes me any less than Evelyn? Just because I’m not Margaret’s real daughter, everyone looks down on me!"

Her voice rose to a scream. "You’ve ruined everything! Even the Whitmores will despise me now. What am I supposed to do?"

Evelyn’s tears fell freely. This wasn’t how she imagined their reunion.

Vanessa pointed to the door. "Leave! Get out of my room! From today, we’re strangers!"

The deception of Vanessa’s false identity had haunted her for years.

Since Evelyn Carter had been reclaimed by the Hayes family at fourteen, Vanessa had lived in constant fear—all because of the lie Evelyn had orchestrated.

When Evelyn switched them as infants, Vanessa had been too young to understand.

Evelyn first approached Vanessa when she was nine—a third-grader confronted by a stranger claiming to be her mother.

At first, Vanessa ignored her.

But Evelyn kept returning, disrupting her life.

Vanessa wanted to tell Margaret, but she was terrified the truth would destroy her.

Then the DNA test confirmed it.

Vanessa thought the secret would die with them—until Evelyn Carter was found.

For years, Vanessa had tormented Evelyn, afraid she’d steal everything from her.

She schemed to turn the Hayes family against Evelyn, isolating her completely.

Only Oliver remained beyond her reach.

Now, Vanessa’s life was in shambles.

She had escaped her past, married the man she loved—only for Evelyn to ruin everything.

Ethan’s family had made their disdain clear.

When Vanessa left the operating room, no one had waited for her.

Not even Ethan.

Evelyn watched her daughter unravel, her own heart breaking.

"Vanessa," she pleaded, "what can I do to make this right? Please don’t cut me out of your life. You’re all I have left."

After her affair with Richard was exposed, he had abandoned Evelyn to win Margaret back.

The flower shop he’d funded was gone.

At fifty, if Vanessa disowned her, Evelyn would have nothing.

Vanessa’s tears slowed.

She looked up, her gaze sharpening.

"Fine. Then do something for me. If you succeed, I’ll forgive you."

Evelyn leaned forward eagerly. "Anything."

Vanessa’s voice dropped to a whisper.

"Switch Evelyn’s baby with mine."

Evelyn recoiled.

Vanessa’s eyes gleamed with desperation. "It shouldn’t be hard for you. You did it once before, didn’t you?"

Her fingers dug into the sheets.

"A healthy child is my only hope now."