Chapter 10: The Night My Father Disappeared
“Your father didn't die in that garage the way I told you.””
My mother's confession hung in the air.
I stared at her, waiting for her to explain.
She didn't.
Instead, she looked toward Arthur.
“You have no right to be here.””
Arthur crossed his arms.
“Daniel was my friend. I have every right to know what happened to him.””
Patricia shook her head.
“You don't know anything.””
“Then tell us.””
She looked at me.
“Olivia, your father was going to leave me.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Why?””
“Because of the studio. Because of your grandmother. Because he thought I had betrayed him.””
“Had you?””
My mother looked down.
That silence told me more than any answer could have.
I held up the letter.
“He discovered the fraudulent transfer. He knew you and Richard were involved.””
“Richard manipulated me.””
“You signed the agreement.””
“I was young!””
“You were an adult, Mom.””
She flinched.
Arthur stepped closer.
“Patricia, what happened the night Daniel died?””
My mother pressed her lips together.
Then she began speaking.
“Your father came home that evening carrying a folder. He told me he'd found the original contracts and was taking them to Eleanor the next morning.””
I gripped the document case.
“What did you do?””
“I asked him to wait. I told him we could fix everything without involving the police.””
“And?””
“He refused.””
Her voice cracked.
“He said he couldn't keep lying to his mother-in-law. He said he couldn't raise two children in a house built on stolen work.””
I stared at her.
“You were already planning to take Grandma's designs?””
Patricia nodded faintly.
“Richard promised me we'd become partners. He said Eleanor would eventually retire and leave the business to us.””
“But Grandma had already chosen me.””
My mother looked up sharply.
“That was the problem!””
Her voice echoed through the empty studio.
“She always chose you. Even when you were little. She gave you her sewing lessons, her patterns, her attention. Maya and I were supposed to inherit something, too.””
Arthur shook his head.
“Eleanor offered you a partnership. You refused the conditions.””
“She wanted me to work beneath her forever!””
“She wanted you to earn what you claimed was yours.””
My mother turned back toward me.
“Your father said he was going to tell Eleanor everything. I begged him not to.””
“What happened in the garage?””
She began crying.
“We argued. He was packing his things. He said he would take you and Maya to his sister's house until everything was settled.””
My chest tightened.
“He was going to take us?””
“He said he couldn't leave you in a home where people were constantly lying.””
I couldn't breathe properly.
My father had been planning to protect me.
And I'd spent fourteen years believing he'd simply been taken by a heart attack.
“Did you hurt him?”” I whispered.
My mother immediately shook her head.
“No. Olivia, I swear I didn't kill your father.””
“Then what happened?””
“He collapsed while we were arguing. He had complained about chest pain earlier, but he refused to see a doctor. I called the ambulance.””
“Why did you lie?””
Patricia covered her face.
“Because Richard came to the house afterward. He told me Daniel had been investigating him for months. He said if the police discovered the documents, both of us could lose everything.””
Arthur's voice turned cold.
“So you helped him hide the evidence.””
“I was terrified!””
“You destroyed the original report,” Arthur said.
My mother shook her head.
“I didn't destroy everything.””
I stepped closer.
“What does that mean?””
She looked toward the document case.
“Your father had made a recording.””
The room went silent.
Arthur straightened.
“Where?””
“In the old studio office. He kept a small tape recorder inside the bottom drawer of his desk.””
I remembered the desk.
It was still there, covered by a dusty sheet.
I walked over and pulled open the drawer.
Inside was an old cassette recorder.
Beside it sat a tape labeled in my father's handwriting.
*For Eleanor — If I Can't Deliver This Myself.*
My hands trembled as I picked it up.
Arthur found an old player in a storage cabinet.
He connected the cables and pressed play.
At first, there was only static.
Then my father's voice filled the room.
“If you're hearing this, something has gone wrong.””
I closed my eyes.
I hadn't heard his voice in fourteen years.
“Eleanor, I have copies of the transfer agreements. Richard and Patricia signed them without your permission. I've also discovered that the original butterfly design was registered under the wrong ownership category.””
Arthur leaned closer.
My father's voice continued.
“Patricia believes the archive belongs to her because she worked on several collections. But the original designs were created by you and me. The documents prove it.””
There was a pause.
Then his voice became quieter.
“There's another reason I'm recording this. Richard told me that Patricia has already arranged a sale. He said if I interfere, he'll make sure Olivia never receives her inheritance.””
My mother began sobbing.
The recording continued.
“If something happens to me, please protect my girls. Especially Olivia. She's the one who still believes this family can be good.””
The tape clicked.
Silence.
I couldn't stop crying.
Arthur placed a hand on my shoulder.
Then the recorder crackled again.
There was a second recording.
A different voice.
Richard.
“Patricia, the transfer is ready. Once Daniel is out of the way, nobody can challenge us.””
My mother screamed.
“Turn it off!””
Arthur froze.
The recording continued.
Richard's voice became clearer.
“You just need to keep the original records hidden until the sale is complete.””
Then Patricia's younger voice answered.
“What if Eleanor finds out?””
Richard laughed.
“She won't. And neither will the girls.””
The tape ended.
Nobody moved.
I looked at my mother.
“Was that why you kept me away from Grandma's studio?””
She covered her mouth.
“Olivia, please.””
“Was that why you stole my dress?””
She began shaking her head.
“I wanted Maya to win. I wanted the money to solve everything.””
“Everything?””
She looked at me.
“The debt. The company. Richard's demands. All of it.””
I stepped backward.
“You were willing to sacrifice my surgery to save yourself?””
My mother had no answer.
Then Arthur's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds before his expression changed.
“What do you mean the sale is happening today?””
He ended the call and looked at me.
“Richard has moved the transaction forward. He's meeting a private buyer in less than two hours.””
“But the trust froze the assets.””
“He's using a different set of documents. He intends to claim the original designs were never part of Eleanor's estate.””
Arthur picked up the leather case.
“We need to stop him before those papers are signed.””
My mother suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Don't go after Richard.””
I pulled free.
“Why?””
Her eyes filled with terror.
“Because he has something else. Something your father left behind.””
“What?””
May you like
She swallowed.
“The original will.””
