Chapter 9: The Truth About My Mother
Vanessa hung up.
Nobody moved.
The sentence stayed in the room.
*You can’t tell Emily that.*
I felt like I had heard those words before.
Not exactly.
But the meaning was familiar.
Another secret.
Another thing Vanessa decided I wasn’t allowed to know.
“Who was that?”” I asked.
She looked away.
“Nothing.””
I laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because I was finally tired of that answer.
“Nothing?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Emily—”
“No.””
I stood.
“Not this time.””
Daniel watched me carefully.
I could feel my shoulder aching, but I ignored it.
“I spent years thinking I was crazy because every time something happened, you told me I misunderstood.””
Vanessa’s expression softened.
“Emily…”
“You don’t get to protect me from the truth anymore.””
The words surprised both of us.
Because they were true.
I didn’t need protection.
I needed honesty.
Vanessa sat down.
Her anger disappeared.
For the first time, she looked exhausted.
“The hospital called about Mom.””
My stomach tightened.
“Our mom?””
She nodded.
“She collapsed this morning.””
I froze.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
Vanessa looked guilty.
“Because she asked me not to.””
“Why?””
Silence.
Daniel looked at her.
“Vanessa.””
She rubbed her forehead.
“She knows.””
I frowned.
“Knows what?””
Vanessa looked at me.
And the fear returned.
“She remembers.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Remembers what?””
Vanessa looked down.
“The accident.””
I stopped breathing.
Rachel whispered:
“Oh my God.””
Daniel looked confused.
“What accident?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“The night Emily got hurt.””
Everything inside me went still.
“My mom knew?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
She didn’t have to.
I felt something break.
All these years, I thought one person had betrayed me.
My sister.
But maybe it was more than one.
“You told Mom?””
Vanessa’s voice cracked.
“She saw.””
“What?””
“She saw us arguing.””
My hands started shaking.
“What did she see?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“She saw me push you.””
The room became silent.
Even though I already knew.
Hearing it from her was different.
Because this was the first time she said it.
No excuse.
No joke.
No pretending.
She admitted it.
“My whole life…”
My voice failed.
Daniel stepped closer.
I looked at Vanessa.
“My whole life, I thought everyone believed I was careless.””
She cried quietly.
“Emily…”
“Did Mom know?””
Vanessa nodded.
“Yes.””
I felt dizzy.
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
Vanessa whispered:
“Because she was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
Vanessa looked at the floor.
“Of losing both of us.””
I laughed bitterly.
“She lost me anyway.””
Nobody argued.
Because nobody could.
The next morning, I went to the hospital.
I didn’t know what I expected.
An apology?
An explanation?
Maybe nothing.
My mother looked smaller than I remembered.
She held my hand when I walked in.
And immediately started crying.
“I’m sorry.””
Those two words were enough to hurt.
Because I had waited years to hear them.
“Why?””
She closed her eyes.
“Because I knew.””
I sat beside her.
“Tell me everything.””
She looked toward the window.
“I saw Vanessa push you.””
My chest tightened.
“Then why?””
She cried harder.
“Because Vanessa was already falling apart.””
I pulled my hand away.
“And I wasn’t?””
She looked at me.
“You were.””
That answer hurt.
Because it was honest.
She wiped her face.
“I thought if I protected Vanessa, I could fix what happened.””
“You protected the person who hurt me.””
“Yes.””
Her voice broke.
“And I regret it every day.””
For the first time in years, my mother wasn’t giving excuses.
She was admitting failure.
But before I could respond, her expression changed.
She looked scared.
“There’s something else.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“What?””
She squeezed my hand.
“Vanessa didn’t just hide the accident.””
A pause.
“She hid why she was angry that night.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
My mother looked toward the door.
Then back at me.
“Emily…”
Her voice became a whisper.
“Your sister found out something about your father.””
I froze.
“My father?””
My mother nodded slowly.
“And that’s why she pushed you.””
I stared at her.
Because suddenly, the story I thought I knew wasn’t just missing a piece.
May you like
The entire foundation was wrong.
And my father’s secret was the reason Vanessa had hated me all these years.
