Chapter 7: The Mother Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
I stared at the message until the words stopped looking like words.
*Your mother is alive.*
For twenty years, I had lived with one painful certainty.
My mother was dead.
That was the story my father told me.
That was the story written in every family record.
That was the story I had built my entire life around.
I remembered the night my father sat beside me when I was twelve years old.
The rain had been hitting the windows so hard that I could barely hear him.
“James,” he said quietly, “your mother isn’t coming home.””
I had cried until my chest hurt.
I asked him where she was.
He told me there had been an accident.
He told me she was gone.
And now Michael was telling me she was alive.
I called him back immediately.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
I grabbed my keys.
I didn’t care where I was going.
I just knew I couldn’t stay inside that house another second.
As I walked toward the front door, Victoria appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Where are you going?””
I stopped.
The woman standing there was the same woman who had tucked me into bed when I had a fever.
The same woman who had promised forever.
But I no longer knew who she was.
“I need answers.””
Her face changed.
“James.””
“Did you know?””
She froze.
“Know what?””
“My mother.””
The color drained from her face.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
“You knew.””
Victoria grabbed the railing.
“James, please.””
“How long?””
She didn’t answer.
“How long did you know my mother was alive?””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I found out after we got married.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You found out?””
She walked downstairs slowly.
“I didn’t know what to do.””
“You could have told me.””
“It wasn’t that simple.””
“It never is with you.””
She flinched.
I hated that part of myself.
The part that still cared when I had every reason not to.
“Where is she?””
Victoria looked away.
“I don’t know.””
“Another lie.””
“It’s not.””
“Then tell me what you do know.””
She sat down.
“I know your father wasn’t the person everyone thought he was.””
The room became quiet.
I had heard that sentence too many times.
Every person who betrayed me seemed to have a new version of my father.
“What does my father have to do with my mother?””
Victoria swallowed.
“Your father told everyone she died because he wanted to erase her.””
“Why?””
“Because she found out about his financial crimes.””
I stared at her.
“My father?””
“He built the company using illegal deals. When your mother discovered it, she threatened to expose him.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“You don’t want to believe it.””
“Because it sounds impossible.””
“Because you loved him.””
That hurt because it was true.
My father had been my hero.
Even after his death.
Victoria continued.
“He made a deal with people who helped him disappear the evidence.””
“Who?””
She hesitated.
“Your uncle.””
My heart sank.
“Michael?””
She nodded.
“No.””
I stepped back.
“That’s impossible.””
“James.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“Michael was trying to protect me.””
Victoria looked at me.
“Was he?””
The question hung between us.
Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door.
I opened it.
A woman stood outside.
She looked older than I imagined.
Her hair was gray.
Her hands trembled.
But her eyes…
Her eyes looked exactly like mine.
She whispered:
“James.””
I couldn’t move.
The world seemed to stop.
The woman reached into her purse and pulled out a photograph.
A young woman holding a little boy.
Me.
“You were six years old when your father took you away from me.””
My throat tightened.
“Who are you?””
Tears rolled down her face.
“I’m your mother.””
I stared at her.
My entire life had been built on a lie.
And now the person I had mourned for twenty years was standing in front of me.
Alive.
But before I could say anything, she looked past me.
At Victoria.
Then her expression changed.
“Where are the babies?””
I frowned.
“What?””
Her voice became urgent.
“James, where are your children?””
I looked upstairs.
“They’re sleeping.””
My mother’s face turned pale.
“No.””
“What?””
She grabbed my arm.
“You need to get them out of this house.””
“Why?””
Her eyes filled with fear.
“Because this is exactly what your father did twenty years ago.””
I froze.
“What are you talking about?””
May you like
She whispered:
“He used children to control people.””
