Chapter 2: The Voice in the Phone
Dad took the phone from Ethan.
Nicole immediately stepped forward.
"Richard, don't listen to that. He's eight years old. Children record nonsense all the time.""
"Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about," Dad replied.
She froze.
I stood beside the kitchen counter, my hands trembling.
Ethan had always been quiet. He was the kind of child who apologized when someone bumped into him.
Why had he been recording people?
And why had Nicole been so desperate to stop him?
Dad examined the phone.
"Where did you get this?""
Ethan wiped his nose with his sleeve.
"It was in the drawer beside Mommy's bed. She said I could use it to play games, but I found the recording app.""
Nicole crossed her arms.
"That is my old phone. It contains private conversations.""
Dad pressed the screen.
A list of recordings appeared.
One was labeled Tuesday.
Another was labeled Sunday.
The most recent one was dated yesterday.
Dad selected it.
A few seconds of static filled the kitchen.
Then a man's voice emerged.
Daniel.
"Once Richard believes Maya is pregnant, he'll send her away. Then we can finally get the inheritance Isabelle left her.""
My stomach dropped.
Dad gripped the phone.
"What inheritance?""
Nicole rushed toward him.
"Richard, turn that off!""
But the recording continued.
Nicole's voice sounded different through the speaker. Colder. Sharper.
"Maya turns eighteen next year. If she finds those documents, everything we've done will come out.""
Daniel laughed.
"Relax. Richard still believes Isabelle's death was an accident.""
Dad stopped breathing.
I looked at him.
"Mom?""
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
"What are they talking about?""
Dad's eyes remained fixed on Nicole.
"Tell me what they mean.""
Nicole shook her head.
"This is being taken completely out of context.""
Dad played the recording again.
Daniel's voice came through.
"Once the girl is out of the house, we'll have access to everything.""
Nicole replied, "You promised me we wouldn't have to wait this long.""
"Patience, sweetheart. Richard trusts me. He always has.""
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
I felt like the kitchen had suddenly become too small.
My mother had died in a car accident when I was nine.
I'd been told that she lost control of her car on a rainy road while returning from a meeting.
Dad had cried for months.
Nicole had arrived in our lives a year later.
She always said my mother had been careless, that I needed to stop romanticizing someone who had abandoned me.
Now Daniel was laughing about her death.
Dad slowly lowered the phone.
"Nicole, what did my brother mean?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"Richard, I was lonely. You worked constantly. Daniel was helping me with the pregnancy situation.""
"What pregnancy situation?""
She hesitated.
I stared at her stomach.
The appointment confirmation.
The test.
The emergency contact.
"Are you pregnant?"" I asked.
Nicole snapped her head toward me.
"Stay out of this!""
Dad stepped closer.
"Don't speak to my daughter like that.""
Nicole's eyes widened.
For years, she had controlled every conversation in our house. She could silence me with a look.
But now Dad was standing between us.
"You're having a child with my brother?"" he asked.
She began shaking her head.
"Richard, I made mistakes. But you have to understand—"
"How long?""
"Please.""
"HOW LONG?""
Nicole finally whispered, "Almost six months.""
Dad staggered backward and grabbed the kitchen counter.
Six months.
Daniel had been sitting at our Thanksgiving table. He'd helped Ethan build a model airplane. He'd hugged Dad at Christmas.
And all that time, he had been sleeping with Nicole.
I looked at Ethan.
"Why did you record them?""
He lowered his eyes.
"Because they were talking about you.""
My throat tightened.
"What did they say?""
Ethan squeezed the straps of his backpack.
"Uncle Daniel said you had to leave before your birthday. Mommy said you were getting too curious about Grandma's papers.""
I turned toward Dad.
"Grandma's papers?""
He looked confused.
"My mother's things?""
Nicole shook her head violently.
"She's making things up. Ethan watches too many videos.""
Ethan's small voice trembled.
"I'm not making it up.""
He opened the phone again and selected another recording.
This one was older.
Daniel's voice came through first.
"Is the girl still asking questions?""
Nicole answered, "Every week. She keeps asking why Isabelle's jewelry disappeared.""
"Tell her the truth is that her mother wasted everything.""
"She doesn't believe me.""
"Then make Richard believe she's becoming a problem. A pregnant teenager is exactly the scandal we need.""
I covered my mouth.
They hadn't just been having an affair.
They had planned to destroy my reputation.
Dad turned toward Nicole.
"You bought that pregnancy test to frame Maya?""
Nicole's tears stopped.
She looked at him with an expression I'd never seen before.
"Do you know what it's like being married to a man who spends his entire life protecting another woman's child?""
Dad stared at her.
"She's my daughter.""
"Exactly!"" Nicole shouted.
"Everything has always been about Maya. Isabelle this, Isabelle that. Her memories.
Her inheritance. Her precious little daughter.""
"She was nine when her mother died!""
"And I was expected to raise her while getting nothing in return!""
The words landed like a slap.
I had spent eight years trying to make Nicole love me.
I'd cleaned the kitchen, helped with Ethan, and apologized even when I hadn't done anything wrong.
And she had hated me for being born.
Dad stepped away from her.
"Pack your things.""
Nicole blinked.
"What?""
"You're leaving this house.""
She laughed bitterly.
"You can't throw me out because of a child's recording.""
Dad held up the appointment confirmation.
"Then explain this. Explain the affair. Explain the recordings. Explain my daughter's inheritance.""
Nicole looked toward the front door.
Then she turned back with a chilling smile.
"You have no idea what you're accusing me of, Richard.""
She reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"Before you throw me out, perhaps you should read what Isabelle signed eight years ago.""
Dad took it.
His hands began shaking.
At the top was my mother's full name.
May you like
And beneath it was a date.
The date of her death.
