Chapter 12: The Last Secret
Sterling gathered all of us together.
My father.
Wesley.
Me.
And eventually, my mother.
The four people whose lives had been connected by years of lies.
The meeting took place in Sterling’s office.
The same place where everything had started.
Only this time, nobody was hiding.
Sterling placed a folder on the table.
“This ends today.””
My mother looked nervous.
“You don’t understand.””
Sterling looked at her.
“No.””
His voice was calm.
“I understand everything.””
My father stood beside me.
I noticed something.
They weren’t enemies.
They were two people who had both lost years because of the same person.
Wesley opened the folder.
Inside were legal documents.
“What is this?””
Sterling answered.
“Your mother’s agreement with her attorney.””
My mother immediately stood.
“Stop.””
Everyone looked at her.
For the first time, she looked afraid.
“What?””
She swallowed.
“You don’t need to do this.””
My father stared at her.
“You destroyed my relationship with my daughter.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I made mistakes.””
“No.””
His voice was quiet.
“You made choices.””
The room went silent.
Wesley read the document.
Then his expression changed.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“What is it?””
He handed me the paper.
I read the highlighted section.
My mother had signed an agreement.
An agreement stating that if my father attempted contact with me, she would report him for harassment.
My hands shook.
“You threatened him legally?””
She cried.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I looked at her.
“From my father?””
She didn’t answer.
“Or from the truth?””
She sat down.
“I was scared.””
My father looked away.
“So was I.””
That sentence broke something in her expression.
Because maybe for the first time, she understood.
She wasn’t the only person who had been afraid.
Sterling closed the folder.
“There is one more thing.””
Everyone looked at him.
“What?””
He looked at Wesley.
Then me.
“The accident wasn’t only about money.””
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean?””
Sterling took out another photograph.
It was old.
A picture of my mother.
And another man.
I recognized him.
My mother’s former business associate.
“What does he have to do with this?””
Sterling answered:
“He helped her.””
My mother looked down.
The room went cold.
“Who is he?””
Sterling looked at me.
“The person who convinced your mother she could get away with everything.””
I stared at the photograph.
Then I noticed something.
A date.
The picture was taken after my father supposedly left.
My breath caught.
“That’s impossible.””
Wesley looked closer.
“What?””
I pointed.
“The date.””
Everyone stared.
The photo had been taken three months after my father disappeared.
Meaning one thing.
My mother wasn’t just hiding the truth.
She was still working with the person who started it.
Sterling slowly said:
“And now we know why she was so desperate to keep Richard silent.””
My mother covered her face.
I looked at her.
“Who was he?””
She whispered.
May you like
And the name that came out changed everything.
“Your uncle.””
