Chapter 13: The Choice My Mother Made
I read the message three times.
*Your mother chose Marcus. Now you’ll find out why.*
The words sat on my screen like a threat.
I looked at Diane.
“Did you send this?””
She shook her head immediately.
“No.””
“Then who did?””
“I don’t know.””
But her face changed.
She knew something.
I had spent my entire life learning my mother’s expressions. The tiny movements. The way she avoided eye contact when she was afraid.
She was hiding something.
Again.
I stood up.
“I need to talk to her.””
Diane grabbed her bag.
“I’m coming with you.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because if Victor is involved, you shouldn’t go alone.””
The old Diane would never have said that.
The woman who had thrown me out of her house was now warning me about danger.
I didn’t know if that meant she had changed.
Or if she was simply scared.
Either way, I let her come.
When we arrived at my mother’s house, the front door was unlocked.
That immediately made my heart race.
“Mom?””
No answer.
I walked inside.
The living room was dark.
Then I heard crying.
From the kitchen.
I found her sitting at the table.
A document lay in front of her.
She looked up.
And the moment she saw Diane behind me, her face changed.
“You told her?””
Diane crossed her arms.
“No. Rachel found out.””
My mother closed her eyes.
“Of course she did.””
I stepped forward.
“What did you sign?””
She didn’t answer.
“Mom.””
Her shoulders shook.
“I didn’t have a choice.””
The sentence made my anger explode.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
I placed the document on the table.
“Marcus didn’t have a choice. Diane didn’t have a choice. You didn’t have a choice.””
My voice broke.
“Does anyone in this family ever choose me?””
My mother started crying.
“I was trying to protect you.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You were trying to protect yourself from admitting you were wrong.””
She looked down.
And that silence told me I was right.
“Tell me the truth.””
She wiped her face.
“Victor came to me.””
Diane went still.
“When?””
“Two weeks ago.””
My stomach tightened.
Two weeks.
The same time everything started collapsing.
“What did he want?””
My mother looked at the document.
“He said Marcus was in trouble.””
I laughed quietly.
“Of course.””
“He told me if I didn’t cooperate, Marcus would lose everything.””
I stared at her.
“And you cared?””
The question hurt her.
But I needed her to hear it.
“You cared more about saving the man who destroyed my life than protecting your own daughter.””
“No.””
She reached for my hand.
I pulled away.
“I thought I was saving you.””
“How?””
“He told me the company was dangerous.””
My eyebrows pulled together.
“What?””
“He said your father left you something that would put a target on your back.””
I looked at Diane.
She shook her head.
“Victor told you that?””
My mother nodded.
“He said Marcus was trying to take the burden away from you.””
I closed my eyes.
Another lie.
Another person believing him.
“What exactly did you sign?””
My mother pushed the document toward me.
“A temporary transfer.””
I read it.
My blood went cold.
Temporary transfer.
Of my voting rights.
Of my ownership.
Of my authority over the company.
“Mom.””
“I didn’t know.””
“You signed away my control.””
“I thought it was for protection.””
I looked at the date.
Yesterday.
“This can still be reversed.””
My mother looked terrified.
“Rachel…”
“What?””
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Victor said if I told you, he would release something.””
My heart sank.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“Something about your father.””
The room became silent.
“What about my father?””
My mother’s hands trembled.
“He said your father wasn’t the man you thought he was.””
I stared.
“What does that mean?””
Before she could answer, the lights suddenly went out.
Everyone froze.
Then we heard something.
A sound from upstairs.
A door opening.
May you like
Diane whispered:
“Someone is inside.””
