Chapter 6: The Person Who Knew Everything
Mia stood up quickly.
“I have to go.””
Dad looked at her.
“We’re not finished.””
“Yes, we are.””
Her voice was sharper than before.
She grabbed her bag.
Then she stopped.
Because her phone buzzed again.
This time, she couldn’t hide it.
The screen lit up.
And I saw the name.
A person I recognized.
Someone who had been around our family for years.
My heart stopped.
“Mia…”
She looked at me.
Too late.
I had already seen.
Dad noticed our expressions.
“What?””
I didn’t answer.
Mia grabbed her phone.
But Dad reached out.
“Give me that.””
She froze.
“No.””
That one word told us everything.
Dad stood.
“Mia.””
Her face hardened.
“You don’t trust me anyway.””
“That’s not true.””
“Yes, it is.””
Her eyes filled with frustration.
“You already decided I’m the villain.””
Dad shook his head.
“No.””
He looked at her phone.
“I decided I need the truth.””
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Mia slowly placed the phone on the table.
Dad picked it up.
I watched his face change as he read the messages.
One.
Then another.
Then another.
“What is it?”” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
He handed me the phone.
The conversation was between Mia and Vanessa.
My hands went cold.
Because the messages weren’t about money.
They were about me.
The first one was from Vanessa.
*“She cannot become the center of attention tomorrow.””*
The second was from Mia.
*“I know. That’s why I handled it.””*
I looked at Dad.
He looked destroyed.
There were more.
Messages from the night before graduation.
*“If her ceremony goes perfectly, everyone will forget about you.””*
Mia had replied:
*“Don’t worry. She won’t be walking in that dress.””*
My breathing became shallow.
The dress wasn’t random.
It wasn’t jealousy in a moment.
It was planned.
Dad slowly sat down.
“Mia.””
She looked away.
“I was angry.””
“No.””
His voice was different.
“You planned it.””
She didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
I stared at her.
“Why?””
Mia’s eyes met mine.
And for the first time, she looked less angry.
More broken.
“Because I was tired.””
“Tired of what?””
“Being invisible.””
I shook my head.
“You weren’t invisible.””
She laughed bitterly.
“Yes, I was.””
She looked at Dad.
“You looked at her like she could do anything.””
Then she looked back at me.
“And I felt like I could never be enough.””
I wanted to understand.
I really did.
But understanding someone’s pain didn’t erase what they did.
“You could have told me.””
She looked down.
“I thought you would judge me.””
“You never gave me a chance.””
The words hurt because they were true.
Nobody spoke.
Then Dad’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
Unknown number.
The same kind of number that had contacted me.
He answered.
“Hello?””
A voice came through.
A woman’s voice.
I couldn’t hear everything.
Only my father’s reactions.
“What?””
Pause.
“No, that’s impossible.””
Another pause.
Then his face became completely serious.
“Are you sure?””
He looked at Mia.
Then at me.
The woman on the phone said something else.
Dad stood slowly.
“I need to meet you.””
He ended the call.
“Mia.””
She looked nervous.
“Who was that?””
Dad picked up the folder.
“The person who sent Aaliyah those messages.””
My heart raced.
“Who is it?””
Dad looked toward the door.
And said a name I never expected.
“Your mother’s best friend.””
I froze.
Because my mother had been gone for years.
May you like
And the last person who knew the truth about our family…
was someone who had been silent the entire time.
