Chapter 3 - “You Gave Me Away”“Avery, listen to me.”
“Why?”
Her voice was sharper than Damian remembered.
Of course it was.
She was not eight anymore.
“You had twelve years.”
“I thought you were dead.”
Avery went silent.
Then exploded.
“STOP SAYING THAT!”
Damian flinched.
Lucille stared at the floor.
Avery’s breathing became ragged.
“I spent half my life hearing that you signed me away.”
“I signed temporary guardianship to Grandpa.”
“You signed papers.”
“For three months.”
“You stopped coming.”
“No.”
Damian stood straighter.
“No. I came back.”
“Then where were you?”
“I went to Victor’s house after rehab.”
Silence.
“I demanded you back.”
Avery laughed bitterly.
“Grandpa said rehab didn’t work.”
“He lied.”
“Lucille said the same thing.”
Damian looked at her.
Lucille’s face crumpled.
Avery continued.
“I was told you didn’t want contact until you were better.”
“I wanted you every day.”
“Then Grandpa told me you signed permanent custody.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then you got married again.”
Years later.
“Yes.”
“And had Tessa.”
Damian looked toward the locked bedroom.
Avery’s voice cracked.
“That was when it finally made sense.”
“What?”
“You replaced me.”
“No.”
“You got another daughter.”
“That is not replacing you.”
“It felt like it.”
Damian almost defended himself.
Then stopped.
Her feeling did not need correction.
“I understand why.”
Avery went quiet.
That answer seemed to surprise her.
Then she said:
“Lucille told me you were happier after I was gone.”
Damian stared at Lucille.
“Did you tell her that?”
Lucille whispered:
“I repeated what Victor said.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Yes.”
Damian shut his eyes.
Avery continued:
“Do you know what it’s like to find pictures online of your father holding another little girl?”
Damian had no answer.
“To see birthday posts?”
Nothing.
“To know he can smile?”
Avery’s voice broke.
“I thought I was the thing you had to remove before your life could get good again.”
Damian sat.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For every reason you had to believe that.”
Avery went silent.
Then:
“I don’t want to do this tonight.”
“Okay.”
He hated saying it.
But forcing her to remain would repeat every adult who had decided for her.
“Okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not going to beg?”
“I want to.”
“Then why aren’t you?”
“Because you said you’re done.”
Silence.
Then Damian asked:
“Can I ask one question?”
“What?”
“Are you safe?”
Avery hesitated.
“Yes.”
Damian breathed.
“Good.”
“That’s all?”
“For tonight.”
The line went quiet.
Then:
“Goodbye, Damian.”
Not Dad.
She hung up.
Damian lowered the phone.
Lucille whispered:
“You pushed too hard.”
His head turned.
“You do not get to advise me about Avery.”
Police arrived downstairs minutes later.
Damian first told them about what happened to Tessa.
Then about Avery.
The false death.
Lucille’s admission that she drove Avery to Virginia.
The old crash.
A detective began requesting the twelve-year-old file.
Damian also called Rachel Boone, an attorney he trusted precisely because she had never worked for Victor.
Rachel arrived before midnight.
She listened without interrupting.
Then asked Damian:
“What exactly did you sign after Paige died?”
“A temporary guardianship.”
“Did you read it?”
Damian looked down.
“Not properly.”
“Were you sober?”
Silence.
“Damian.”
“No.”
Rachel nodded.
“What was your drinking like?”
“Bad.”
“Did you ever physically hurt Avery?”
“No.”
“Scare her?”
Damian closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Lucille looked at him.
He continued.
“I was unreliable. Angry. Sad. Once I drove after drinking.”
Rachel nodded.
“Good.”
Damian looked offended.
“Good?”
“Good that you’re not building your defense around being perfect.”
She leaned forward.
“If Avery was told you were dangerous, Victor may have used real failures to support a larger lie.”
Damian understood.
That was more dangerous than fabrication.
Truth made manipulation believable.
Rachel turned to Lucille.
“Who gave Avery the name she used in Virginia?”
Lucille froze.
“What?”
“Did she live as Avery Cross?”
“No.”
Damian’s stomach tightened.
“What name?”
“Anna Hart.”
Damian stared.
“You changed her identity.”
“Victor’s attorney handled it.”
“Who?”
“Charles Wynn.”
Damian knew the name.
Charles had attended Victor’s funeral.
Shaken Damian’s hand.
Spoken about Avery’s “tragic death.”
Damian felt sick.
Rachel asked:
“Did you personally tell police Avery was in the vehicle?”
Lucille began crying.
“Yes.”
The old report arrived electronically thirty minutes later.
Rachel read.
Witness statement:
I personally saw Avery Cross enter Eleanor Cross’s vehicle at approximately 6:42 p.m.
Signed:
Lucille Hart.
Damian looked at her.
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“Not stayed silent.”
“No.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
Rachel continued reading.
Then stopped.
“There’s a detective note.”
“What?”
“Traffic camera near the property appeared to show Eleanor leaving alone.”
Damian’s pulse changed.
“What happened?”
“Private security footage was later provided placing Avery inside the vehicle.”
“Provided by whom?”
Rachel scrolled.
Charles Wynn.
Damian stared.
A false witness statement.
A suspicious private video.
A lawyer controlling the evidence.
Then Rachel clicked another attachment.
A supplementary police log.
Three weeks before the crash.
Disturbance at Victor Cross residence.
Caller:
Damian Cross.
Reason:
Father refusing to return minor child after temporary guardianship period.
Damian closed his eyes.
There it was.
Proof.
He had gone back.
He had fought for Avery.
Rachel sent the report to the number Avery used.
Minutes passed.
Then Damian’s phone rang.
He answered.
Avery was crying.
“You really went.”
“Yes.”
“Grandpa said you never came.”
“I came.”
“Lucille said you didn’t.”
Damian looked at Lucille.
She whispered:
“Victor told me he never showed.”
Avery went quiet.
Then:
“Someone is lying about more than one thing.”
Damian stared at the old report.
May you like
She was right.
And the most frightening possibility was that Lucille herself did not know where Victor’s lies ended.
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