Chapter 13: My Sister's Last Message From Our Mother
I pressed the call button.
One ring.
Two.
Then a woman's voice answered.
"Nia?""
I couldn't speak.
"Nia, are you there?""
I swallowed.
"Who are you?""
A quiet breath came through the speaker.
"My name is Simone Danielle Carter. I'm your sister.""
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I couldn't hear anything except my own heartbeat.
"You're Mom's daughter?""
"Yes.""
"And you've known about me?""
"Since before you were born.""
I looked at the photograph still clutched in my hand.
"Why didn't you ever contact me?""
Simone's voice trembled.
"Because Marcus told everyone that Danielle had abandoned me. He said she was sick, unstable, and didn't want me in her life. After she died, he told me you wanted nothing to do with me.""
I looked at Raymond.
He slowly shook his head.
"That's not true," I whispered.
"I know that now.""
There was a pause.
Then Simone said something that made the room feel suddenly smaller.
"Nia, there's something you need to understand about your mother's death.""
I gripped the phone.
"What?""
"She didn't die the way Marcus told you.""
My father immediately stepped forward.
"Hang up.""
I turned toward him.
"Don't you dare.""
Simone continued.
"Six years ago, I was eighteen. I was living with our uncle, but I still visited Mom whenever I could. The night she died, I was at her design studio.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What happened?""
"She had discovered that Marcus was moving money out of the trust. She confronted him. They argued. She told him she had evidence and that she was going to contact Elise and the trustee.""
Elise lowered her eyes.
Simone's voice cracked.
"Then Mom collapsed.""
I covered my mouth.
"Was she sick?""
"She had a serious heart condition. She was supposed to avoid stress. But she was still conscious after she fell.""
My father shook his head.
"That's not how it happened.""
Simone ignored him.
"I called for an ambulance. Marcus told me not to.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"He said we needed to find Mom's medical documents first. He was worried the argument would expose his financial problems. He kept insisting that we couldn't let anyone see the files.""
My father's face had become completely white.
"That's a lie.""
Simone continued.
"I remember Mom reaching toward me. She said, 'Call Elise. Get Nia somewhere safe.'' Then Marcus took her notebook and went into the office.""
I could barely breathe.
"How long did you wait?""
"Fourteen minutes.""
Raymond staggered backward.
"Fourteen minutes?""
Simone began crying.
"I called the second he left the room. I kept telling the dispatcher she wasn't breathing normally. But by the time the paramedics arrived, she was barely responding.""
I stared at my father.
"You told me Mom died peacefully at the hospital.""
He looked at the floor.
"I couldn't tell you what happened.""
"You said she had a sudden medical emergency.""
"She did!""
"But you waited fourteen minutes!""
He grabbed the back of a chair.
"I was terrified!""
The words came out of him like a confession.
"I didn't know what to do. I thought she was going to be fine. I thought I could find the medication.""
Simone's voice shook.
"You heard her asking for help, Marcus.""
He lowered his head.
I felt something inside me collapse.
All those years, I'd remembered my mother as a woman who had gone to sleep one night and never woken up.
I'd never imagined that she had been frightened.
That she'd been reaching for someone.
That she had called for help.
And my father had chosen to protect his secrets first.
Evelyn Brooks stepped forward.
"Simone, do you have evidence supporting this account?""
"Yes. I kept the emergency call recording. I also have the ambulance dispatch report.""
"Can you send it to us?""
"I already have.""
Evelyn checked her phone.
A moment later, she nodded.
"Received.""
My father looked up.
"That recording was supposed to be deleted.""
I turned toward him.
"Why would you want it deleted?""
He didn't answer.
Simone continued.
"There's another reason I contacted you. The payments you found under my name weren't sent by me. Patricia created an account using my identity when I was still a teenager. She routed money through it, then moved the funds into Brianna's design company.""
Vanessa suddenly shouted.
"That's impossible!""
Simone's voice became cold.
"Hello, Vanessa. I wondered how long it would take before you recognized my name.""
Vanessa went silent.
"Those payments weren't royalties," Simone continued.
"They were transfers used to disguise the sale of Mom's designs. I have copies of everything.""
Elise stepped closer to the phone.
"Simone, why did you tell Nia not to trust me?""
A pause followed.
"Because you knew Danielle was frightened.""
Elise closed her eyes.
Simone continued.
"Mom called you the week she died. She told you Marcus was taking the money. She asked you to come to the studio.""
Elise's eyes filled with tears.
"I received her message.""
"Why didn't you come?""
Elise looked down.
"I was in New York. I thought I had more time. I told Danielle I would speak to Marcus when I returned.""
Simone's voice broke.
"You never called her back.""
"I know.""
For the first time, Elise didn't look like the legendary designer who could silence an auditorium.
She looked like someone carrying six years of regret.
"I should have come," she whispered.
My father suddenly moved toward the exit.
Evelyn's colleague stepped in front of him.
"Mr. Carter, we need you to stay.""
He looked at me.
"Nia, please. Don't let them destroy me.""
I stared at the man who had once taught me to ride a bicycle, held my hand at my mother's funeral, and signed papers declaring me dead.
"You destroyed yourself, Dad.""
A few seconds later, the office door opened.
Simone walked inside.
She was taller than I expected, with my mother's eyes and the same small dimple in her left cheek.
She stopped when she saw me.
I stood.
Neither of us moved.
Then she whispered, "You really do look like her.""
I began crying.
She crossed the room and hugged me.
And for the first time in six years, I wasn't the only daughter missing Danielle Carter.
But while we held each other, Evelyn opened the emergency call recording.
A voice came through the speaker.
My mother's voice.
Weak, frightened, but unmistakably hers.
"Marcus... please. Just call the ambulance.""
Then my father's voice answered.
"Not until you tell me where you put the original trust agreement.""
I stopped breathing.
Because the recording continued.
May you like
And the next voice wasn't my father's.
It was Patricia Wells.
