Chapter 9: The Person My Mother Feared
My father came home two hours later.
I knew something was wrong before he even opened the door.
He didn’t look angry.
He looked defeated.
Rebecca stood up immediately.
“What happened?””
My father removed his jacket.
“She admitted part of it.””
My heart started racing.
“Admitted what?””
He looked at me.
“That she knew about the necklace before she married me.””
The room went silent.
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“I knew it.””
My father sat down.
“She said she wasn’t trying to steal it.””
“Then what was she doing?””
He looked at the hidden necklace.
“She was looking for the second pendant.””
I frowned.
“But why?””
My father looked at Rebecca.
“Because Vanessa believes it contains information about her.””
My stomach dropped.
“About her?””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your mother discovered something.””
“What?””
Rebecca looked at my father.
“Before Vanessa met Daniel, she had another identity.””
My father frowned.
“What are you talking about?””
Rebecca opened the leather folder.
Inside was an old newspaper clipping.
A woman’s photograph.
I looked at it.
She looked younger.
But I recognized her.
It was Vanessa.
My father stared.
“No.””
Rebecca placed the paper down.
“She changed her name.””
“Why?””
Nobody answered.
Then Rebecca said:
“Because she wanted to start over.””
My father stood.
“Start over from what?””
Rebecca looked at him.
“From what your wife discovered.””
I looked at my father.
“Did Mom know?””
Rebecca nodded.
“She found out months before she died.””
My father covered his face.
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
Rebecca’s voice became softer.
“Because she thought you wouldn’t believe her.””
That hurt.
Because I knew my father.
He would have believed my mom.
Wouldn’t he?
Then Rebecca handed him another paper.
“This was hidden behind the second compartment.””
My father unfolded it.
His eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
“What is it?””
He didn’t answer.
“Dad?””
Finally, he whispered:
“It’s a legal document.””
Rebecca nodded.
“Your mother prepared it.””
“What kind of document?””
My father looked at me.
And I saw something I had never seen before.
Fear.
“It says Vanessa cannot claim anything from our family.””
I blinked.
“Why would Mom need that?””
My father looked at the document again.
“Because she believed Vanessa was planning to.””
A noise came from outside.
A car door closing.
We all turned.
Someone was standing at the front door.
My father slowly walked toward it.
“Who is it?””
Nobody answered.
Then the doorbell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Rebecca stepped backward.
“No.””
My father looked at her.
“What?””
She whispered:
“That’s impossible.””
The doorbell rang again.
My father opened the door.
And standing there was a woman with tears in her eyes.
A woman who looked exactly like the picture from my mother’s letter.
My father froze.
“Sophie…”
I walked closer.
“Who is she?””
Rebecca stared at the woman.
Then whispered:
“Your mother’s sister.””
The woman looked at me.
And the first words she said made my whole world change.
“I’m sorry, Sophie.””
She looked at the necklace in my father’s hand.
“I should have come back sooner.””
A pause.
Then she said:
“Your mother didn’t die without telling someone the truth.””
My father stepped forward.
“What truth?””
The woman looked directly at him.
“The truth about why Vanessa wanted to join this family.””
She took a shaky breath.
“Because she wasn’t after the necklace.””
May you like
Her eyes moved to me.
“She was after Sophie.””
