Chapter 10: The Name On The Screen
The words stayed on the screen.
*The truth is Mark.*
I stared at them until my eyes started hurting.
A few minutes earlier, I thought I finally understood everything.
Amanda was hiding something.
Mark knew something.
Dad had been trying to protect me.
But now everything changed.
Because Dad’s own message had named Mark.
Lily slowly shook her head.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She wiped her tears.
“Mark helped us.””
I looked back at the screen.
“But Dad said…”
“I know what Dad said.””
Her voice broke.
“But Mark gave you the envelope.””
That was true.
If Mark was the person Dad warned me about, why would he help me?
Unless…
He was pretending.
My stomach twisted.
Adults were too complicated.
I missed when problems were simple.
When my biggest worry was finishing my homework before dinner.
The bedroom door suddenly shook.
“Ethan.””
Amanda’s voice came from outside.
“Open the door.””
Neither of us answered.
“I know you watched it.””
My heart jumped.
How did she know?
Lily whispered:
“She saw us.””
Amanda knocked again.
“Please.””
Please.
That word sounded strange coming from her.
I had never heard Amanda ask for anything.
“Ethan, I need to explain.””
I looked at Lily.
She looked scared.
But she nodded.
I slowly moved the desk away.
The door opened.
Amanda stood there.
Her face looked different.
Not angry.
Not cold.
Just tired.
“I’m not here to take the chip.””
I held it tighter.
“Then why are you here?””
She looked at the tablet.
“You saw the message.””
I didn’t answer.
Amanda walked into the room.
“Your father was trying to protect you.””
“From Mark?””
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
Lily looked shocked.
“Then why did you act scared when he came?””
Amanda looked at her daughter.
“Because Mark is dangerous.””
I stared at her.
“You said he was nobody.””
“I lied.””
The honesty surprised me.
Maybe because it was the first time she admitted it.
Amanda sat on the edge of the bed.
“Your father and Mark were partners for years.””
“Then why did Dad trust him?””
“Because your father believed people could change.””
She looked down.
“But he was wrong.””
I wanted to believe her.
I wanted to believe that finally someone was telling the truth.
But then I remembered the noodles.
The chicken.
The way she looked at me when Dad was gone.
“Why did you treat me like I wasn’t family?””
Amanda became quiet.
The question hurt her.
Or maybe she pretended it did.
“I was angry.””
“At me?””
“No.””
She looked away.
“At your father.””
I didn’t understand.
“You took it out on me.””
Her eyes filled slightly.
“I know.””
Lily stared at her.
“Mom…”
Amanda looked at both of us.
“I made mistakes.””
The word sounded too small.
Mistakes weren’t forgetting someone’s birthday.
Mistakes weren’t giving one child everything and another child leftovers.
But before I could answer, we heard something.
A sound downstairs.
The front door opening.
Amanda stood immediately.
Her face changed.
“What is it?””
She whispered:
“Mark.””
The three of us froze.
Amanda grabbed my hand.
“Where is the chip?””
I showed it to her.
“Hide it.””
“Why?””
“Because if Mark knows you have it, he’ll come after you.””
That sentence scared me.
Not because of what she said.
Because I believed her.
We rushed toward the closet.
Then Mark’s voice echoed through the house.
“Amanda.””
He sounded calm.
Too calm.
“I know you’re here.””
Amanda looked at me.
“Stay quiet.””
She stepped outside.
Lily stayed beside me.
We listened.
Mark laughed softly.
“You really thought you could hide the backup?””
Amanda answered:
“You’re not getting it.””
“You still don’t understand.””
“I understand everything.””
“No.””
A pause.
Then Mark said something that made my blood run cold.
“You understand what Ethan’s father wanted you to understand.””
Amanda went silent.
“What does that mean?””
Mark replied:
“Ask yourself why he left the video for Ethan…”
The house became completely quiet.
Then Mark said:
“…and not for you.””
Lily looked at me.
Something was wrong.
Because Amanda wasn’t answering.
May you like
And for the first time…
I wondered if Mark was telling the truth.
