Chapter 6: The Woman at the Door
My father didn’t tell me about the message.
At least, not at first.
But children notice things adults think they hide.
I noticed his hands shaking.
I noticed Grandma whispering on the phone.
I noticed the way every time a car passed the house, Dad looked toward the window.
Something had changed.
Before, my father looked guilty.
Now he looked afraid.
That scared me more.
“Dad?””
He looked at me.
“Yeah?””
“Is Karen coming back?””
He was quiet.
Then he knelt beside me.
“I don’t know.””
That was the first time my father admitted he didn’t have an answer.
Grandma came over and sat beside us.
“We are going to be careful.””
I looked at her.
“Because she’s mad?””
Grandma took my hand.
“Because sometimes people do dangerous things when they think they’re losing control.””
That night, I slept with the old phone beside my pillow.
Not because I expected something bad to happen.
But because my mother gave it to me for a reason.
The next morning, there was a knock at the door.
Everyone froze.
My father walked slowly toward the entrance.
Grandma followed.
I stayed behind the hallway wall.
Dad looked through the window.
Then his face changed.
“Who is it?”” Grandma asked.
He didn’t answer.
The person outside knocked again.
A woman’s voice called out.
“Daniel?””
My father opened the door slightly.
A woman stood outside.
She looked older.
Tired.
Like someone who had been carrying a secret for years.
“Who are you?”” Dad asked.
The woman looked past him.
Then her eyes landed on me.
My heart started beating faster.
“I knew Emily,” she said.
My father stiffened.
“What?””
The woman swallowed.
“My name is Laura Bennett.””
Grandma stepped forward.
“Why are you here?””
Laura reached into her bag.
Slowly.
Carefully.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“I should have given this to Emily’s family a long time ago.””
My father stared at it.
“What is that?””
Laura looked directly at him.
“It belonged to your wife.””
Nobody moved.
Dad took the envelope.
His hands trembled as he opened it.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
He read the first line.
And immediately turned pale.
“What does it say?”” Grandma asked.
My father looked up.
His voice was barely a whisper.
“It says Emily knew Karen before I did.””
My stomach dropped.
Dad continued reading.
Then Laura spoke softly.
“Your wife was trying to warn you.””
“Warn me about what?””
Laura looked toward the house.
Then at me.
“About the woman you married.””
Before anyone could ask another question, a car engine suddenly roared outside.
Everyone turned.
A black SUV stopped in front of the house.
The same car that had been following my father earlier.
Laura’s face lost all color.
“No.””
My father looked at her.
“What?””
She stepped backward.
“She found me.””
Then the front door handle slowly moved.
Someone was trying to open it.
May you like
And my father realized the person standing outside wasn’t there to talk.
They were there to make sure the truth never came out.
