Chapter 11: The Secret About My Mother
Nobody spoke.
The room felt frozen.
My mother’s death had always been something we never questioned.
She was sick.
She passed away.
That was the story.
Simple.
Painful.
But simple.
Until now.
I looked at Vanessa.
“What truth?””
She wiped her eyes.
“I don’t know everything.””
Dad’s voice became sharp.
“You better start knowing.””
Vanessa nodded.
“When I met Thomas, he already knew about your family.””
“How?””
“He had managed your mother’s accounts.””
Dad leaned back.
“Of course.””
Vanessa continued.
“He told me your mother discovered he was moving money without permission.””
My hands tightened.
“So Mom knew.””
“Yes.””
“And you helped him?””
Vanessa looked ashamed.
“At first, I didn’t know what he was doing.””
I didn’t believe her completely.
But I kept listening.
“He came to me after your mother died.””
Dad went still.
“When?””
“Two months later.””
My heart raced.
Two months.
“He said your father was overwhelmed. He said he needed help organizing the finances.””
Dad laughed bitterly.
“And you believed him?””
“I did.””
Vanessa looked at me.
“I thought he was trying to protect the family.””
“And then?””
“Then he showed me documents.””
“What documents?””
She swallowed.
“Documents showing money your mother had moved before she died.””
Dad frowned.
“My wife never moved money.””
“That’s what I thought.””
Vanessa looked down.
“Until Thomas showed me proof.””
I felt frustrated.
“Why didn’t you tell Dad?””
She looked at him.
“Because Thomas said if I did, he would accuse me of being involved.””
The room became quiet.
Dad looked away.
I could see the conflict on his face.
Because some part of him wanted to believe she was manipulated.
But another part remembered everything she had done.
“You still stole from Emma.””
Vanessa nodded.
“I know.””
Her voice cracked.
“I was trying to fix what Thomas started.””
I looked at her.
“You used me.””
“Yes.””
The honesty surprised me.
She continued.
“I knew about the college fund because Thomas told me where to look.””
Dad stood.
“So he planned all of this.””
Vanessa nodded.
“He needed money.””
“How much?””
She hesitated.
“More than we knew.””
A chill ran through me.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa looked at me.
“Thomas wasn’t just stealing from your family.””
She lowered her voice.
“He was stealing from other clients.””
Dad immediately reached for his phone.
Rebecca needed to know.
But before he could call, Vanessa grabbed my arm.
“Emma.””
I pulled back.
“What?””
“There’s one more thing.””
I didn’t want to hear it.
But I needed to.
Vanessa reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“I found this in Thomas’s office.””
Dad looked at it.
“Why didn’t you give this to the police?””
“Because I was scared.””
Inside was a photograph.
An old photograph.
My mother.
Thomas.
And another person.
I stared at the image.
Because the third person was someone I recognized.
Someone who had been comforting me through all of this.
Someone who had claimed to want justice.
My hands started shaking.
“Rebecca.””
Dad took the photo.
His face changed.
“No.””
Vanessa whispered:
“She was involved too.””
I couldn’t breathe.
The person helping us find the truth…
was part of the reason we needed to find it.
That evening, Rebecca called.
I answered.
Her voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
“Emma, I need you to come to my office.””
I looked at Dad.
“Why?””
A pause.
Then Rebecca said:
“Because I found out who killed the evidence your mother left behind.””
My blood ran cold.
“Who?””
Another pause.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“It was your father.””
