Chapter 7: The Secret Inside The Car
For three years, I had believed Daniel’s death was the worst thing that had ever happened to me.
I was wrong.
The worst thing was discovering that everyone I loved had been standing around the truth while I buried it alone.
The garden outside the wedding venue felt frozen.
Nobody spoke.
Not Graham.
Not my mother.
Not Daniel.
Not even Vanessa.
She had finally found the one weapon that could silence everyone.
A secret.
I looked at Daniel.
“What did you find?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
That frightened me more than anything.
Daniel had always been the person who faced problems head-on. Even when we were struggling financially, he would smile and tell me, “We’ll figure it out.””
But now he looked like a man who had been carrying a weight too heavy for too long.
“Claire,” he said quietly, “the night of the crash, I wasn’t driving home from work.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What?””
“I was following someone.””
The words landed like a stone.
“Who?””
Daniel looked toward Vanessa.
“She knows.””
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Of course he blames me.””
“No,” Daniel said.
His voice was calm.
“That’s what you don’t understand. I’m not blaming you for everything.””
Everyone looked confused.
Even Vanessa.
Daniel continued.
“The person I was following was someone connected to your family.””
My mother immediately looked away.
My stomach tightened.
“Mom?””
She whispered, “Don’t.””
One word.
That was all it took.
Because innocent people ask questions.
Guilty people beg for silence.
I stepped closer.
“What were you following?””
Daniel reached into his jacket and pulled out another photograph.
He handed it to me.
It showed a warehouse.
A small, abandoned-looking building.
I looked at him.
“What is this?””
“The place where I found the original documents.””
“What documents?””
Daniel looked at my mother.
“The ones proving your father’s company was never supposed to go to Vanessa.””
I froze.
My father had died when I was young. His business had been sold years later.
Or at least, that was what I had been told.
Daniel continued.
“Your father left instructions that the company assets were supposed to be divided equally between you and Vanessa.””
I stared.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
Daniel shook his head.
“It’s true.””
My mother closed her eyes.
I turned toward her.
“You knew?””
She didn’t respond.
That was enough.
Vanessa laughed suddenly.
A bitter, angry laugh.
“You’re acting like Claire is some innocent princess.””
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
She stepped forward.
“Your whole life, everyone protected you.””
“Protected me?””
“Yes.””
Her voice cracked.
“You were always the favorite.””
I almost couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Mom chose you.””
Vanessa pointed at me.
“Dad trusted you.””
“That doesn’t justify what you did.””
Her face changed.
For a second, she looked less like a villain and more like a wounded child.
Then it disappeared.
“I spent my whole life watching people hand you things.””
She looked at Daniel.
“Then you came along and loved her too.””
Daniel stared at her.
“That’s what this was about?””
“No.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“It was about finally getting what I deserved.””
Graham stepped forward.
“You destroyed people’s lives because you felt overlooked?””
Vanessa looked at him.
“You have no idea what I lost.””
“You were willing to marry me for money.””
She didn’t answer.
Because she couldn’t deny it anymore.
I looked at Daniel.
“But the car…”
He nodded.
“The night of the crash, I found the documents at the warehouse.””
He paused.
“Someone followed me.””
My voice became smaller.
“Who?””
Daniel looked at my mother.
My heart dropped.
“No.””
He didn’t say anything.
He didn’t have to.
My mother began crying.
“I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.””
I stared at her.
“You followed him?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Then what happened?””
Her hands trembled.
“I called him.””
Daniel looked away.
“I told him I knew everything.””
My mother whispered.
“I told him to come home.””
I felt sick.
“Why?””
She looked at me.
“Because Vanessa threatened me.””
Vanessa shouted, “Stop lying!””
My mother flinched.
“You said you would destroy Claire’s life.””
“I said I would expose the truth!””
“You said Daniel had to disappear.””
The garden went silent.
I looked at Vanessa.
She looked terrified.
Not angry.
Terrified.
Daniel stepped closer.
“The crash wasn’t planned by one person.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“There were two cars.””
He looked at me.
“One forced me off the road.””
I covered my mouth.
“And the other?””
Daniel’s eyes darkened.
“The second car belonged to someone who was supposed to help me.””
A cold feeling spread through me.
“Who?””
Before Daniel could answer, Graham’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“What?””
Everyone watched him.
After a few seconds, he looked at me.
“It’s the police.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
Graham swallowed.
“They found the original crash report.””
Daniel went completely still.
“Where?””
Graham looked at him.
“They found it hidden in your old storage unit.””
I looked at Daniel.
But he looked just as shocked as I was.
Because if the report was hidden there…
Someone had placed it there after he disappeared.
Then Graham added the words that made my blood run cold.
“The report has a witness statement.””
May you like
He looked at me.
“And the witness was Lily’s father.””
