Chapter 5: The Woman Who Tried to Erase Her
I couldn’t move.
The envelope stayed in Leo’s small hands.
A seven-year-old holding proof that could destroy everything I believed.
I carefully took it from him.
“Where did you find this?””
Leo pointed inside the box.
“There were lots.””
I looked at Martha.
“Why?””
She wiped her face.
“Daniel, you don’t understand.””
“Then help me.””
She stepped closer.
“I was protecting you.””
I laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because I didn’t know what else to do.
“Everyone who hurts someone says that.””
Her expression broke.
“I watched Sarah destroy you.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You watched Sarah make me happy.””
Martha looked away.
And that reaction answered a question I never wanted to ask.
My mother didn’t hate Sarah because Sarah hurt me.
She hated Sarah because Sarah mattered to me.
I opened another letter.
Daniel,
I saw Leo today.
He asked me why you don’t call anymore.
I told him his daddy loves him.
I told him adults sometimes make mistakes.
Please don’t let him believe you forgot him.
My vision blurred.
I remembered that day.
The day I sat at my office thinking Sarah was keeping my son away.
Meanwhile, my son was asking where I was.
I closed my eyes.
“Mom…”
Martha looked at me.
“Please.””
I opened the envelope fully.
Inside was a printed email.
From Sarah.
To Martha.
My hands tightened.
I read it.
Martha,
I know you’re angry with me, but please stop telling Daniel that I left.
I never left.
You came to my house and told me Daniel wanted a clean start.
You said he already chose you over me.
You told me if I fought, Leo would suffer.
I looked up.
The room felt colder.
“Martha?””
She didn’t answer.
“You told her I chose you?””
Her voice cracked.
“I was trying to make things easier.””
“For who?””
She started crying.
“For you.””
“No.””
My voice became sharp.
“For yourself.””
Leo stood near the doorway.
He was listening.
I immediately softened.
“Leo, go sit in the living room, okay?””
He nodded.
Before leaving, he looked at Martha.
“Why did you make Daddy forget Mom?””
The question destroyed her.
She covered her face.
But I didn’t comfort her.
Not this time.
Because I had spent two years comforting the wrong person.
I continued reading.
The next letter was different.
It wasn’t from Sarah.
It was from a lawyer.
Attached was a statement saying Sarah had attempted to contact me repeatedly.
Calls.
Emails.
Letters.
Every attempt had been blocked.
By someone using my accounts.
My stomach turned.
“What is this?””
Martha stayed silent.
I looked at her.
“Did you access my email?””
She whispered:
“I knew your passwords.””
The room went completely quiet.
I felt sick.
“You deleted her messages?””
“I didn’t delete everything.””
“Everything?””
She looked away.
“I only removed things that would confuse you.””
I stared at her.
“You erased my son’s mother from my life.””
“No.””
She stepped forward.
“I protected you from a woman who was leaving anyway.””
“Then why did she keep writing?””
No answer.
I looked through the box faster.
Dozens of letters.
Years of memories.
A life I never knew existed.
Then I found something strange.
A letter that wasn’t opened.
The envelope was addressed to me.
But the return address made my heart stop.
Sarah’s mother.
My ex-wife’s family.
I opened it.
Inside was a single page.
Daniel,
If you are reading this, it means Martha finally lost control.
There is something you need to know about the night Sarah disappeared.
She didn’t leave because of money.
She left because she was afraid.
Afraid of what Martha told her she would do.
I read the final line again.
Then again.
My hands went cold.
Because underneath the letter was a photograph.
May you like
A photograph of Sarah being taken away in an ambulance.
And standing beside her was my mother.
