Chapter 13: The Day Everyone Lied About
I stared at the photograph.
My hands went numb.
The date on the back was impossible.
Impossible.
I knew the day my mother died.
Everyone knew.
The funeral.
The flowers.
The endless people telling me how sorry they were.
But this photograph had been taken afterward.
Much later.
My father was standing beside my mother.
And I was there too.
A younger version of myself.
Holding my mother’s hand.
I looked up.
“No.””
Nobody spoke.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Explain this.””
She didn’t look away.
“Your mother survived that night.””
The room disappeared.
The words didn’t make sense.
“She survived?””
My father closed his eyes.
And that was when I knew.
He knew.
“You knew.””
My father’s face collapsed.
“Yes.””
The pain that came next wasn’t anger.
It was something worse.
It was grief all over again.
Because for years, I had mourned someone who might have still been fighting.
“Why?””
My voice broke.
“Why would you let me believe she was gone?””
My father couldn’t answer.
Evelyn looked at him.
“You tell her.””
He swallowed.
“After the accident, your mother was alive.””
I stepped back.
“Accident?””
“Yes.””
“What accident?””
He looked destroyed.
“The night everyone thought she died.””
I felt my heartbeat in my ears.
“What happened?””
My father sat down.
“Your mother discovered the final piece of evidence. She knew who was behind everything.””
“Who?””
His eyes moved toward Evelyn.
Then away.
“She was going to expose them.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“Not them.””
Everyone looked at her.
“She was going to expose him.””
She pointed at Victor.
The room froze.
Victor looked down.
My grandfather.
Again.
The person who started everything.
My mother had found the truth.
And someone tried to stop her.
I looked at Victor.
“Did you hurt her?””
His face changed.
“No.””
His voice cracked.
“I was responsible for many things, Emily. But not that.””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“Your mother knew Victor was dangerous. But she also knew he was being controlled.””
“By who?””
Silence.
Then Evelyn looked at me.
“Me.””
I froze.
The room went still.
“You?””
She nodded.
“I manipulated everyone.””
My father looked away.
“I trusted my sister.””
Evelyn continued.
“I convinced your father to make decisions that destroyed the company. I convinced Claire to stay quiet. I convinced Victor he could control the damage.””
Claire looked at her.
“You ruined all of us.””
Evelyn’s face showed regret.
“Yes.””
I stared at her.
“Why?””
Her eyes lowered.
“Because I wanted power.””
The honesty shocked me.
No excuse.
No defense.
Just the truth.
“But your mother found out.””
I looked at the photograph.
“She survived.””
Evelyn nodded.
“Yes.””
“Then where is she?””
Nobody answered.
That silence terrified me.
I stepped forward.
“Where is my mother?””
My father began crying.
A sound I had never heard from him.
“She made me promise.””
My heart stopped.
“Promise what?””
“That if anything happened…”
He looked at me.
“That I would protect you.””
I shook my head.
“You didn’t.””
“I know.””
The room became painfully quiet.
Then Evelyn reached into her bag again.
She pulled out a small envelope.
“This is why I came.””
I looked at it.
My name.
Again.
But this time, the handwriting made my heart stop.
Because I recognized it.
“Mom?””
Evelyn nodded.
“She wrote this recently.””
My fingers trembled.
“Recently?””
Before I could open it, there was a sound outside.
A car.
Then another.
Natalie looked through the window.
Her face changed.
“We need to leave.””
I looked outside.
Several vehicles had stopped near the house.
My father stood.
“He found us.””
I held the letter tighter.
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
Then my phone rang.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
May you like
One sentence.
*Emily, if you want to see your mother alive, come alone.*
