Chapter 14: The Last Lie
I couldn't breathe.
My mother.
The woman I had buried five years ago.
The woman everyone told me was gone.
The woman whose death I had spent years accepting.
"No.""
The word came out quietly.
Detective Harris stayed silent.
"I checked the records myself," he said.
"That's impossible.""
"Mrs. Carter, the person connected to Olivia used your mother's old financial accounts.""
I looked at Linda.
She looked as shocked as I was.
My father.
I needed my father.
I called him immediately.
He answered after one ring.
"Emily?""
"Dad.""
My voice broke.
"Did Mom die five years ago?""
Silence.
A terrible silence.
The kind that reveals the truth before words do.
"Dad.""
He whispered:
"Emily...""
I closed my eyes.
"Tell me.""
He took a long breath.
"No.""
That one word shattered me.
"No, she didn't die.""
I grabbed the edge of the table.
"What?""
"Your mother disappeared.""
I felt dizzy.
"You told me she died.""
"I thought I was protecting you.""
The sentence again.
Everyone used the same excuse.
Protecting me.
While destroying my ability to choose.
"What happened?""
My father sounded exhausted.
"Your mother discovered something about Brandon.""
My eyes moved toward him.
Brandon went pale.
"What did she discover?""
My father answered:
"That he was planning to use you.""
I looked at Brandon.
He said nothing.
My father continued.
"Your mother tried to expose him.""
"And?""
"And she disappeared.""
I looked at Olivia.
She was watching me carefully.
"You knew.""
Olivia nodded.
"I knew part of it.""
"How?""
"My employer told me.""
"Who is your employer?""
She looked away.
"Your mother.""
The room went silent.
My mother.
Alive.
Somewhere.
Still controlling pieces of this nightmare.
"Why would she hire you?""
Olivia answered:
"Because she knew Brandon would eventually come for you.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
I couldn't accept it.
"My mother abandoned me?""
"No.""
Olivia's voice softened.
"She was trying to protect you.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Everyone says that.""
Then my phone rang again.
This time, it was my father.
I answered.
"Emily.""
His voice was different.
Scared.
"I found something.""
"What?""
"Your mother's old storage account.""
I frowned.
"How?""
"She left instructions.""
My heart raced.
"What instructions?""
"Only to be opened if Brandon ever attempted to access the trust.""
I looked at the room.
Everyone was frozen.
"Dad, what's inside?""
His voice lowered.
"Videos.""
My stomach dropped.
"Of what?""
"Brandon.""
I looked at him.
"Doing what?""
My father paused.
"Planning everything.""
The room went silent.
I turned toward Brandon.
For the first time, he looked completely defeated.
Not because he had been caught.
Because he knew what was coming.
The truth.
My father sent the files.
I opened the first video.
The image was grainy.
A younger Brandon sat at a table.
Across from him was another person.
A woman.
My mother.
Alive.
Brandon was saying:
"Once Emily is married, the trust will eventually unlock.""
My hands shook.
My younger self appeared in the memory.
Happy.
In love.
Completely unaware.
My mother looked at Brandon.
"You don't love her.""
Brandon smiled.
"I love what she gives me.""
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
I opened another.
Another conversation.
Another year.
Another plan.
Then the final video.
My mother looked directly into the camera.
Like she knew I would watch it one day.
"Emily.""
I froze.
Her voice.
After five years.
"If you're seeing this, then I failed to keep you away from him.""
Tears filled my eyes.
"But I need you to know something.""
She leaned closer.
"Brandon was never the beginning.""
The video flickered.
Then she said:
"He was only a piece.""
My heart stopped.
"Find the person who introduced him to our family.""
The screen went black.
Then one final message appeared.
A name.
A name I knew.
May you like
A name that made Linda gasp.
Because it belonged to her.
