Chapter 13: The Family Secret That Started Everything
I didn’t speak.
I couldn’t.
The words sat between us like a weight I couldn’t lift.
“My mother?””
Rachel nodded slowly.
“I know what you’re thinking.””
“No.””
My voice sounded strange.
“You don’t.””
She looked at me.
“You’re thinking she would never do that.””
I looked away.
Because she was right.
My mother had been gone for years.
But even after death, she had remained the person I trusted most.
The woman who raised me.
The woman who taught me right from wrong.
“She loved Emily,” I whispered.
Rachel’s eyes softened.
“She did.””
That confused me more than anything.
“Then why?””
Rachel took a deep breath.
“Because she loved Ethan too.””
I stared at her.
“My mother knew?””
“She knew everything.””
The room felt colder.
I remembered my mother’s behavior after Emily disappeared.
How she always avoided questions.
How she told me to stop searching.
How she would say:
“Some things are better left buried.””
I thought she was comforting me.
Now I wondered if she was protecting herself.
“How?””
Rachel looked down.
“Ethan was desperate. He believed Emily was his second chance.””
“Second chance?””
“He lost control of his life. He lost relationships. He lost everything. Then he found out he had a daughter.””
I shook my head.
“He didn’t want a daughter.””
Rachel looked at me.
“No.””
Her voice hardened.
“He wanted ownership.””
I closed my eyes.
The word hurt because it was true.
My mother had helped him.
But why?
Rachel continued.
“Your mother believed Ethan had been wronged.””
“She believed him?””
“Yes.””
I laughed quietly.
“My mother always said Ethan was misunderstood.””
Rachel nodded.
“She thought you were the one keeping Emily from him.””
I felt anger rise.
“I was protecting her.””
“I know.””
“Then why didn’t she tell me?””
Rachel looked at me.
“Because by the time she realized the truth, it was too late.””
I stared at her.
“What happened?””
Rachel hesitated.
“The night Emily disappeared, your mother brought Ethan to the house.””
My heart stopped.
“No.””
“She thought she could fix things.””
“She brought him there?””
“Yes.””
“And then?””
Rachel’s eyes filled with pain.
“Ethan lost control.””
I gripped the edge of the table.
“Where was Emily?””
“In the basement.””
I closed my eyes.
The memory returned.
The red door.
The crying.
My own voice.
“Stay with me, Emily.””
Then Ethan.
“You don’t get to take her away from me.””
I opened my eyes.
“I remember.””
Rachel leaned forward.
“What?””
“I remember my mother.””
The image came back.
Her standing at the top of the stairs.
Crying.
Saying:
“This was never supposed to happen.””
Rachel nodded.
“She regretted it.””
“But she never told me.””
“No.””
“Why?””
Rachel looked at me.
“Because Ethan threatened her.””
My blood ran cold.
“With what?””
“With you.””
The silence was unbearable.
“He told her if she confessed, you would lose everything.””
I shook my head.
“She chose him.””
Rachel looked at me sadly.
“She chose fear.””
I looked through the glass window.
For years, I blamed myself.
I thought I failed Emily.
I thought I wasn’t there when she needed me.
But now I knew.
Someone had taken those moments from me.
Someone had stolen my memories.
Someone had stolen my daughter.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
My heart dropped.
I opened it.
A photo.
Ethan.
Standing outside the police station.
The message underneath said:
*You’re looking in the wrong direction.*
Then another message appeared.
*Ask Rachel what happened after the basement.*
I looked up.
Rachel’s face had gone pale.
“What does he mean?””
She didn’t answer.
“Rachel?””
May you like
She whispered:
“Because I lied.””
