Chapter 13: The Voice From My Past
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Not Daniel.
Not Rachel.
Not me.
The voice coming from the phone belonged to the one person I never expected to hear.
My father.
“Daniel,” he said again.
My hands went cold.
I hadn’t heard that voice in months.
Not since the argument that ended with him walking out of my life.
Daniel looked at me.
“Your father?””
I couldn’t answer.
Because I didn’t understand.
Why would my father call now?
Why would he be connected to Margaret?
Daniel put the phone on speaker.
“Where are you?””
My father sighed.
“Somewhere I should have gone a long time ago.””
I felt tears forming.
“Dad?””
There was silence.
Then his voice softened.
“Sweetheart.””
That one word broke something inside me.
Because no matter how angry I had been, he was still my father.
“Why are you calling Daniel?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Because Margaret is going to hurt you again.””
The room became silent.
Daniel stepped closer to the phone.
“What do you mean again?””
My father exhaled.
“Because I know what she did.””
My heart pounded.
“How?””
“I was there.””
I closed my eyes.
The memories from that night kept coming back in pieces.
The hospital.
The waiting room.
Margaret.
My phone.
My fear.
“What happened?”” Daniel asked.
My father’s voice became heavy.
“Three months ago, when your wife went to the hospital, Margaret followed her.””
I looked at Daniel.
“I told you.””
My father continued.
“She found your daughter sitting there alone.””
Daniel looked confused.
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
“Because Margaret told her not to.””
My breathing stopped.
“What?””
“She said if you knew she was scared and went to the hospital alone, you would blame yourself.””
Daniel looked down.
That was exactly the kind of lie Margaret would create.
My father continued.
“She took your phone while you were sleeping.””
I froze.
“What?””
“She deleted messages.””
Rachel immediately looked at the documents.
Daniel asked:
“How do you know?””
My father answered quietly.
“Because I saw her.””
The room went still.
“You saw her taking my phone?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn’t you stop her?””
That question came from me.
Not Daniel.
My father went silent.
And that silence hurt.
“I was afraid.””
I stared at the phone.
“My father was afraid of Margaret?””
“She had something against me.””
“What?””
“A mistake from my past.””
My stomach tightened.
“What mistake?””
Before he could answer, another sound came through the phone.
A door closing.
My father lowered his voice.
“I don’t have much time.””
Daniel grabbed the phone.
“Where are you?””
“I found the original files.””
Rachel’s face changed.
“What files?””
“The ones Margaret destroyed.””
My father continued.
“The financial records. The recordings. Everything.””
Daniel looked at Rachel.
“Where?””
My father hesitated.
Then said:
“In Margaret’s storage unit.””
I felt a chill.
“She kept evidence?””
“She thought nobody would find it.””
Daniel stood.
“Give us the location.””
My father started giving the address.
Then suddenly his voice changed.
“She knows I have them.””
Everyone froze.
“What?””
My father whispered:
“She’s here.””
A loud noise came from his end.
Something falling.
Then silence.
“Dad?””
No answer.
“Dad!””
Only static remained.
Daniel immediately called back.
No response.
Rachel grabbed her coat.
“We need to go.””
Daniel looked at me.
“No.””
“I’m coming.””
“You’re not.””
“I’m involved.””
He shook his head.
“You’re eight months pregnant.””
“And Margaret already tried to destroy my life.””
I held his gaze.
“I’m not sitting here waiting for someone else to decide my future.””
Daniel looked at me.
Then nodded.
Because he finally understood.
I wasn’t helpless.
I never had been.
An hour later, we arrived at the storage facility.
The police were already on their way.
Daniel found the unit number.
The lock was broken.
Inside were boxes.
Hundreds of papers.
Old phones.
Hard drives.
And photographs.
Rachel picked up one folder.
Then went pale.
“What?””
She handed it to Daniel.
Inside was a list.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
And at the bottom…
Margaret’s signature.
Daniel stared.
“This can’t be real.””
Then a voice came from behind us.
“Yes, it is.””
We turned.
Margaret stood at the entrance.
May you like
And she was holding something in her hand.
A lighter.
