Chapter 12: What My Father Recorded Before He Died
I drove to my mother's house alone.
Richard wanted to send security, but I refused.
I needed to see Emily.
And I needed to find the recording before Mom could destroy it.
When I arrived, Emily was waiting on the porch.
Her eyes were swollen.
She held a small velvet box.
“Is that it?”” I asked.
She nodded.
“I found it in Mom's bedroom. She kept it inside a locked drawer.””
I opened the box.
Inside was Emily's engagement ring.
A small compartment beneath the velvet lining had been carefully cut open.
There was a tiny digital recorder inside.
My fingers trembled.
“Did you listen to it?””
Emily shook her head.
“No. I was afraid Mom would come back.””
I looked at the recorder.
There was a small button on the side.
I pressed it.
Static filled the air.
Then a familiar voice emerged.
My father's voice.
“Sarah, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry.””
My knees weakened.
I sat on the porch steps.
Emily lowered herself beside me.
The recording continued.
“I don't have much time. The doctors say my condition is getting worse, but that's not the only reason I'm recording this.””
There was a long pause.
Then Dad spoke again.
“Patricia has been meeting with Edward Lawson. They've been moving money out of the trust without authorization. I confronted them yesterday.””
I closed my eyes.
Dad had known.
He'd known everything.
“I told Patricia that the money belonged to my daughters. I told her I would report the transfers and restore the original trust.””
A faint noise came through the recording.
Then Dad's voice became quieter.
“She told me I was too sick to understand what was happening.””
Emily covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
“Sarah, I know you've spent your life protecting your sister. I know you've given up things you deserved because you believed the family needed you. But I need you to understand something.””
I felt tears running down my face.
“You are not responsible for fixing everything. You are not responsible for keeping everyone happy. And you are not responsible for protecting people who deliberately hurt you.””
I pressed the recorder closer.
Then came a sentence that made my entire body freeze.
“Michael is alive. He has the original records. If he reaches you, believe him.””
Emily looked at me.
Dad continued.
“There's another person involved. Someone I trusted. Someone who has been signing the transfers using my name.””
A sharp sound interrupted the recording.
Then a woman's voice appeared.
Mom's voice.
“Robert, give me that.””
Dad answered weakly.
“Patricia, stay away from me.””
“You're making this worse.””
“You stole from our daughters.””
“I was protecting Emily!””
“You were protecting yourself.””
There was a struggle.
A loud thud.
Then silence.
I stared at the recorder.
Emily was trembling.
“Oh my God.””
The recording resumed several seconds later.
Dad was breathing heavily.
“Sarah, listen carefully. If anything happens to me, do not let Patricia control the estate. Do not trust Edward Lawson.””
A pause.
Then his final words.
“And don't let Emily marry into the Bennett family until you know what Michael did.””
The recording ended.
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Emily was crying openly.
“Dad knew,” she whispered.
“He knew everything.””
I nodded.
“Apparently.””
She looked at the ring box.
“Does that mean Daniel was involved?””
“I don't know.””
“Sarah, I love him.””
I turned toward her.
“I know.””
“He's never hurt me.””
“Then we need to find out whether he knew anything.””
Emily looked down at her engagement ring.
“I don't even know if I can look at him the same way.””
Before I could answer, a car pulled into the driveway.
Mom stepped out.
She saw us sitting on the porch.
Then she noticed the velvet box.
Her expression changed immediately.
“Where did you get that?””
Emily stood.
“From your bedroom.””
Mom hurried toward us.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
“Emily, give me the box.””
“You knew Dad was recording!””
Mom stopped.
For a moment, she looked genuinely frightened.
Then her face hardened.
“You don't understand what that recording means.””
“It means Dad knew you were stealing from us!””
Mom shook her head.
“Your father was sick. He was paranoid. He believed everyone was against him.””
I stood.
“He asked for me before he died.””
Mom looked away.
“He was confused.””
“He asked for me, Mom!””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Sarah, please. You don't know what happened that night.””
“Then tell me.””
She stepped closer.
“I loved your father.””
“Then why did you take his money?””
“I needed it.””
“For what?””
She swallowed.
Then she looked at Emily.
“For your sister.””
Emily shook her head.
“Stop saying that.””
Mom's voice cracked.
“I was trying to secure your future.””
“By forging my signature?””
“By making sure you would never be left with nothing!””
I held up the recorder.
“Did you give Dad that medication?””
Mom went completely still.
“Sarah—”
“Did you?””
She looked at the driveway.
Then back at me.
“I didn't know what would happen.””
The words came out so quietly I almost didn't hear them.
Emily stepped backward.
“What did you just say?””
Mom covered her mouth.
“I never wanted him to die.””
I felt something inside me collapse.
“Then why did you do it?””
She began crying.
“Edward said it would calm him down. He said your father was becoming dangerous. He was going to report everything, and I would lose the house.
I would lose the money. I would lose Emily.””
Emily stared at her.
“You let Dad die because you were afraid of losing money?””
Mom reached for her.
“Sweetheart—”
Emily moved away.
“Don't touch me.””
I picked up my phone.
“I recorded that.””
Mom's crying stopped.
“What?””
“I recorded everything you just said.””
She looked at the phone in my hand.
Then her expression changed completely.
“You have no idea what you've done.””
A car door slammed behind us.
We turned.
Daniel was standing near the driveway.
He had heard everything.
“Patricia,” he said quietly.
Mom looked at him.
“Daniel, I can explain.””
He shook his head.
“I heard enough.””
Emily rushed toward him.
“Daniel, I swear I didn't know anything about the money.””
He looked at her with an expression I couldn't read.
“I know.””
Then he turned toward me.
“Sarah, there's something I need to tell you.””
I held the recorder tightly.
“What?””
Daniel glanced at his father, who had just arrived behind him.
Then he looked directly at Emily.
“The reason your father warned you not to marry me wasn't because of my family.””
Emily's face went pale.
“Then why?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Because twelve years ago, before your father died, he discovered that I was the person who accidentally helped Michael Bennett steal the original trust records.””
Emily stared at him.
“What?””
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“And I've spent the last twelve years trying to find those records because I know where the missing $4.6 million actually went.””
He reached into his jacket.
Pulled out a folded document.
And placed it in my hand.
At the top was the name of a company I'd never seen before.
*MITCHELL FAMILY HOLDINGS — BENEFICIAL OWNER: SARAH MITCHELL.*
I stared at the document.
Daniel looked at me.
“Sarah, your father didn't leave you a fortune in the bank.””
He paused.
“He left you something worth much more.””
May you like
And then he revealed the one thing that could destroy every person involved in the betrayal.
“Your father secretly transferred ownership of Bennett Industrial Holdings to you twelve years ago. The company your mother has been trying to steal from you belongs to you already.””
