Chapter 7: The Promise My Mother Left Behind
I stared at Amanda.
For the first time in my life, I didn’t know whether to be afraid of her or believe her.
The woman who had given me instant noodles while she and Lily ate my favorite meals was now standing in my room, telling me she had once promised my mother something.
It didn’t make sense.
“You knew my mom?””
Amanda looked at the photograph in my hands.
“Yes.””
“How?””
She took a slow breath.
“Before I was your stepmother, I was your mother’s friend.””
I held the picture tighter.
“Dad never told me that.””
“I know.””
Her voice sounded different.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Almost regretful.
“Your father wanted to protect you from everything connected to the past.””
I looked at her.
“But you hurt me.””
The words came out before I could stop them.
Amanda’s face changed.
Because she knew I was right.
“I know.””
That was the first time she admitted it.
No excuses.
No blaming.
Just two words.
I stepped back.
“Then why?””
She looked down.
“I made a terrible choice.””
I waited.
“When your mother got sick, she asked me to watch over you.””
My chest tightened.
“She trusted you?””
Amanda nodded.
“She loved you more than anything.””
I looked at the photo again.
“Then why did you treat me like I wasn’t family?””
Amanda sat down slowly.
“Because I became jealous.””
I didn’t expect that answer.
She continued.
“When your father and I got married, everyone compared me to your mother.””
Her fingers twisted together.
“Your mother was kind. Everyone loved her. Even after she was gone, people talked about how amazing she was.””
I stayed quiet.
“And every time I looked at you, I saw her.””
The room felt heavy.
“That doesn’t make it okay,” I whispered.
Amanda closed her eyes.
“No. It doesn’t.””
For a moment, I saw something I had never seen before.
Regret.
Real regret.
Then she reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“I kept this because I didn’t know if I should give it to you.””
My heart started racing.
“What is it?””
“A letter from your mother.””
I froze.
“My mom wrote me a letter?””
Amanda nodded.
“She wrote it before she passed.””
I reached for it.
But Amanda didn’t let go immediately.
“Ethan.””
I looked at her.
“I need you to know something.””
“What?””
“Your mother never wanted you to hate anyone.””
I didn’t answer.
Because part of me wanted to hate Amanda.
For the lonely lunches.
For the moments I felt unwanted.
For making Lily cry.
But another part of me wanted to understand.
I took the letter.
That night, Dad found me sitting on my bed holding it.
His expression changed.
“Where did you get that?””
I looked up.
“Amanda gave it to me.””
Dad became silent.
“She said Mom wrote it.””
He sat beside me.
“Ethan…”
“Did you know?””
He looked away.
And I knew.
He did.
“You kept it from me?””
Dad swallowed.
“I thought you were too young.””
“I’m old enough to know why everyone keeps secrets.””
That hurt him.
I could see it.
Dad took the letter carefully.
“I wanted to give this to you when you were older.””
“But I found out because Amanda almost destroyed our family.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“That’s complicated.””
I looked at him.
“Everything is complicated when adults don’t tell kids the truth.””
He didn’t argue.
Slowly, he opened the envelope.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
Dad read silently.
Then his eyes filled with tears.
“What did she say?””
He handed it to me.
My hands trembled as I read my mother’s words.
“Ethan, if you are reading this, it means you are old enough to understand that love is not measured by who stays the longest, but by who protects your heart when nobody is watching.””
I swallowed.
The next line made me stop.
“Your father will love you forever. But there is someone else who promised me she would stand beside you.””
I looked at Amanda.
Then back at the letter.
“Her name is Amanda.””
I couldn’t breathe.
My mother had trusted her.
The woman who hurt me.
The woman who had failed me.
But also the woman my mother believed could protect me.
Then I saw the final sentence.
May you like
And my hands started shaking.
“Ethan, there is something your father doesn’t know about my last days…”
