Chapter 6: The Secret My Mother Left Behind
The next morning, Dad searched through everything Vanessa had left behind.
Her old papers.
Her boxes.
Her files.
Anything that could explain what Daniel meant.
I sat on the couch watching him.
A few weeks ago, my biggest fear was being kicked out of my own house.
Now I was afraid of something else.
I was afraid that the person who lived with us had never been who she claimed.
Dad found something around noon.
A small envelope hidden inside the back of Vanessa’s old desk drawer.
“Ethan.””
His voice made me stand up.
“What is it?””
He opened it carefully.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
But it wasn’t from Vanessa.
It was from my mother.
I froze.
“My mom wrote that?””
Dad nodded slowly.
The paper looked old.
The ink had faded.
He read the first line silently.
Then he handed it to me.
I didn’t understand every word, but I recognized my mother’s handwriting.
Michael, if you are reading this, something happened that I was afraid of.
My hands trembled.
Dad continued reading aloud.
I hope I am wrong about Vanessa. I hope my fears are only fears. But I found documents showing she has been searching for something connected to Ethan.
I looked up.
“Connected to me?””
Dad’s face was pale.
He kept reading.
It has something to do with Ethan’s mother’s inheritance.
I stopped breathing.
Inheritance?
I didn’t even know my mother had one.
Dad turned the page.
But the bottom half was missing.
Someone had torn it away.
“Where’s the rest?”” I asked.
Dad searched the envelope.
Nothing.
Someone had removed the most important part.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dad answered immediately.
“Hello?””
A woman’s voice came through.
I couldn’t hear everything.
But I saw Dad’s expression change.
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then Dad stood up.
“Wait. How do you know about that letter?””
My heart raced.
After a few seconds, Dad said:
“No. Tell me where you are.””
He grabbed his jacket.
“Dad?””
He looked at me.
“It’s someone who knew your mother.””
“Who?””
He hesitated.
Then he said a name.
“Your mother’s sister.””
I blinked.
“My aunt?””
Dad nodded.
“I thought she moved away years ago.””
“Why is she calling now?””
Dad looked at the torn letter.
“Because she says your mother left something behind.””
“What?””
He picked up his keys.
“A secret.””
Before we left, Dad looked back at the house.
At the cameras.
At the rooms where Vanessa had lived.
Then his phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, it wasn’t a warning.
It was a picture.
A picture of Vanessa standing outside our house.
Taken that morning.
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Under it were six words:
*“She knows you found the letter.””*
