Chapter 10: The Secret Behind My Mother's Final Night
My father held the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“What did you just say?””
Robert sighed.
“Michael, I think it's time we stopped pretending everything was fine before Sarah died.””
Dad looked at Margaret, then at the photograph in his hand.
“What happened that night?””
There was a long silence.
Then Robert answered.
“Come to my house. Alone. I'll show you something.””
“No,” Dad replied.
“I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what you know.””
Robert lowered his voice.
“Your wife knew about the money. She also knew someone had been accessing her personal documents.””
Dad stood straighter.
“Who?””
“I can't discuss that over the phone.””
“You've got thirty seconds.””
Robert hesitated.
Then he said something that made my father turn toward me.
“Sarah believed you had helped Peter move the money.””
Dad looked as if someone had punched him.
“That's a lie.””
“That's what she believed.””
“I never knowingly authorized anything!””
Robert sighed.
“Then perhaps you should look at the recording.””
The call ended.
I stared at Dad.
“What recording?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Margaret slowly stood.
“Michael, I think you should contact Daniel before doing anything.””
Dad nodded.
He called the solicitor and explained the conversation.
Daniel listened without interrupting.
Finally, he said, “Do not meet Robert alone. If he has evidence, ask him to provide it through the proper channels.””
Dad agreed.
But Robert had already sent a message.
It contained an address and a photograph of a small storage building.
Underneath it were seven words:
*THE ORIGINAL RECORDING IS STILL INSIDE.*
Daniel arranged for us to meet him at the location the following morning.
That evening, nobody ate dinner.
Vanessa remained upstairs, refusing to speak to anyone.
Kayla sat at the dining table, staring at her untouched plate.
I walked into the kitchen to get water.
She followed me.
“Emily?””
I didn't turn around.
“What?””
“I didn't know about the apartment money.””
I placed my glass on the counter.
“But you knew about the inheritance.””
She nodded.
“Mom told me you were going to get everything when you turned eighteen.””
“And that made you hate me?””
Kayla's eyes filled.
“I thought it wasn't fair.””
I looked at her.
“You had a room, clothes, vacations, everything Dad could provide. I never asked for your money.””
She wiped her face.
“I know.””
“No, Kayla. You don't know. You watched your mother slap me.
You watched Dad almost throw me out. And you still tried to make me look guilty.””
She looked down.
“I was angry.””
“So was I. But I didn't throw myself against a counter and accuse you of assault.””
She had no answer.
I picked up my glass.
“Don't ask me to forgive you just because things are falling apart.””
I left her standing there.
The following morning, Daniel arrived at our house with a colleague.
Dad drove us to the storage building.
It was a small brick structure behind an old commercial property. Robert was waiting beside the entrance.
He looked older than I remembered.
His expensive coat was unbuttoned, and he kept checking the road behind us.
“Michael,” he said.
Dad didn't shake his hand.
“Show me the recording.””
Robert unlocked the building.
Inside was a metal cabinet, several dusty boxes, and an old desktop computer.
He opened a drawer and removed a small USB drive.
“Sarah gave this to me before she died.””
My father stared.
“Why didn't you give it to me?””
Robert looked away.
“Because she asked me not to.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“What exactly is on it?””
Robert handed him the drive.
“A recording of a conversation between Sarah, Peter, and Vanessa.””
Dad's face tightened.
“Why was my wife meeting them?””
Robert looked at me.
“Because Sarah had discovered that the three of them had been discussing changes to Emily's inheritance.””
I felt my stomach drop.
“Three of them?””
Robert nodded.
“Your father wasn't there when the conversation happened.””
Dad took a step forward.
“Then why did you say Sarah didn't trust me?””
Robert looked at him.
“Because after that meeting, Sarah asked me to make sure you never signed another financial document without reading it.””
Daniel connected the USB drive to his laptop.
A video appeared.
The date was March 12.
My mother's voice came through the speakers.
“I'm giving you one last chance to return the money.””
Then Vanessa answered.
“You're making this unnecessarily difficult.””
Peter interrupted.
“We already discussed this. Michael signed the paperwork.””
My mother replied firmly.
“Michael didn't understand what he was signing.””
Dad closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
Then Vanessa said something that made me stop breathing.
“If Emily ever learns what happened to her biological father's money, she'll ask questions none of us can answer.””
I turned toward Dad.
“My biological father's money?””
Dad looked at me.
His face had gone completely pale.
May you like
Robert lowered his head.
And suddenly, I understood that the inheritance wasn't the only secret my mother had been trying to protect.
