Chapter 8: The Night I Never Talked About
Jason looked at me.
I felt the question before he even spoke.
“Sarah?””
My throat went dry.
Robert looked between us.
“You know what this means?””
I didn’t answer.
Because I did.
I knew exactly what night Jason’s father meant.
The night I had spent years trying not to remember.
Jason lowered the letter.
“What happened?””
I looked at the floor.
“I didn’t know your father wrote that.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
His voice wasn’t angry.
It was hurt.
And somehow that was worse.
I sat down.
“Ten years ago, before we got married, I worked for your father.””
Jason blinked.
“You never told me that.””
“I know.””
“Why?””
I took a breath.
“Because Diane made sure I never wanted to talk about it again.””
Robert’s expression changed.
“She threatened you?””
I nodded.
Jason looked shocked.
“What?””
I closed my eyes.
“Your father was investigating missing money. He asked me to organize some files because I was good with numbers.””
Jason listened silently.
“One night, I found something.””
“What?””
“Transfers.””
I looked at him.
“Money moved from the company into a private account.””
His face hardened.
“Diane?””
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t need to.
Robert spoke quietly.
“She was one of the people your father suspected.””
Jason looked overwhelmed.
“But why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because the night I found the records, Diane came to my apartment.””
Jason froze.
“What did she say?””
I remembered every word.
“She told me if I exposed her, she would destroy my reputation.””
Robert leaned forward.
“How?””
I swallowed.
“She had someone create documents saying I stole company information.””
Jason stared.
“That’s impossible.””
“It isn’t.””
I looked at him.
“She showed me fake evidence. She said nobody would believe me.””
Jason shook his head.
“My mother wouldn’t…”
He stopped.
Because he knew.
He couldn’t finish that sentence anymore.
Robert opened another folder.
“There’s more.””
Jason looked at him.
“What?””
“Your father kept investigating after Sarah disappeared.””
I looked up.
“Disappeared?””
Robert nodded.
“That’s the word he used.””
Jason looked confused.
“You left town.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
I looked at him.
“Because Diane scared me.””
Nobody spoke.
For years, I had carried that fear alone.
I had told myself it was in the past.
That building a family with Jason meant I had escaped it.
But now I realized Diane had never disappeared.
She had simply found a new way to control my life.
Jason picked up the letter again.
“Why would my father mention Sarah?””
Robert looked at the papers.
“Because he believed she was the only person who could prove what happened.””
A sound came from behind us.
A sharp breath.
We turned.
Diane was standing near the bank entrance.
Jason’s face changed.
“What are you doing here?””
She didn’t answer.
Her eyes were fixed on the documents.
“You opened the box.””
Jason stood.
“You followed us?””
Diane walked closer.
“You don’t understand what you’re doing.””
I laughed quietly.
“Neither did we when we trusted you.””
Her eyes moved to me.
“You always were a problem.””
Jason stepped forward.
“Stop.””
Diane looked at him.
“You think you know the truth?””
“Yes.””
“No.””
She pointed at the letter.
“You know one side.””
Robert frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
Diane smiled.
A cold, confident smile.
“The night Sarah disappeared…”
She looked directly at me.
“She wasn’t running from me.””
My stomach dropped.
Jason looked confused.
“Then who was she running from?””
Diane opened her purse.
And pulled out a photograph.
She placed it on the table.
Jason picked it up.
Then his entire expression changed.
Because the person standing beside me in the picture was someone he never expected to see.
May you like
His father.
And the date on the back was after everyone believed his father had already stopped working.
