Chapter 10: The Child Before Zoria
I held the phone tighter.
The entire room seemed to stop moving.
Evelyn Brooks’ voice came through the speaker, calm but heavy.
“Daniel, are you still there?””
“Yes.””
I looked at Marianne.
Her face had changed.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Recognition.
She knew that name.
“Who is Evelyn?”” I asked.
Marianne stood up.
“Don’t talk to her.””
Everyone turned.
That reaction told me everything.
I moved away from the table.
“Why?””
Marianne’s lips parted.
No words came out.
“Why shouldn’t I talk to her?””
“She’s lying.””
“About what?””
“About my past.””
I almost smiled.
“Your past seems to have a lot of people telling the same story.””
Marianne looked at the floor.
I returned to the call.
“Evelyn, what happened?””
There was a long pause.
Then she said, “I was married to Marianne’s brother before you knew her.””
My eyes widened.
Victor.
“Wait. You’re connected to Victor?””
“Yes.””
Kendra stepped closer.
“What is she saying?””
I put the phone on speaker.
Evelyn continued.
“Marianne had a pattern. She would find people who trusted her. People with dreams, money, or opportunities. Then when she felt threatened, she would rewrite the story.””
Zoria looked confused.
“Rewrite?””
Evelyn sighed.
“She made people look responsible for things she did.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Who was the child?””
Evelyn went quiet.
“My son.””
Nobody spoke.
“What happened to him?””
“He received a scholarship offer when he was eighteen.””
My heart sank.
Another scholarship.
Another future.
Evelyn continued.
“Marianne told him he wasn’t ready. She convinced him to give it up.””
Zoria looked at me.
The similarities were impossible to ignore.
“Why?””
“Because she wanted him to work with Victor.””
“Work with Victor?””
“Yes. Victor was struggling financially. Marianne believed my son could help.””
I stared at Marianne.
“How many lives did you change because you thought you knew better?””
Marianne shook her head.
“That’s not what happened.””
I looked at her.
“Then explain.””
She looked desperate.
“I was trying to help people.””
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“You were deciding what people deserved.””
Nobody spoke.
Evelyn continued.
“Daniel, there’s something else.””
“What?””
“My son kept records.””
I sat down.
“What kind of records?””
“Messages. Documents. Conversations.””
My heart raced.
“Where are they?””
“Victor has them.””
Marianne suddenly stepped forward.
“Victor is manipulating you.””
I looked at her.
“You keep saying that.””
“Because it’s true.””
“Then why are you afraid of what he has?””
She didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
The next day, Victor met us at a quiet coffee shop outside town.
He looked older than I expected.
Tired.
Like someone who had carried a secret for too long.
“I’m sorry it took this long,” he said.
I sat across from him.
“You knew?””
“Yes.””
“You knew my wife was doing this?””
He looked down.
“I knew she was capable of it.””
“That’s not the same answer.””
Victor rubbed his hands together.
“When Marianne was younger, she believed every problem could be solved if she controlled enough pieces.””
Kendra frowned.
“So she just kept hurting people?””
Victor nodded.
“She always convinced herself the damage was temporary.””
Zoria looked away.
Temporary.
That word had already cost her months of her life.
Victor placed a folder on the table.
Inside were printed messages.
Old ones.
Dates going back years.
I read the first page.
A conversation between Marianne and someone named “Advisor.””
The message said:
“Once he signs, he won’t be able to fight it.””
My stomach turned.
“Who is he?””
Victor looked at me.
“You.””
I flipped through more pages.
There were plans.
Financial movements.
Fake documents.
But one page stopped me.
A handwritten note.
Marianne’s handwriting.
“If Daniel discovers the truth, use Zoria as the reason.””
I felt sick.
“She planned to use my daughter against me.””
Victor nodded.
“That was always the final step.””
Zoria covered her mouth.
“What does that mean?””
Victor looked at her sadly.
“It means she was preparing to make everyone believe your father ruined your future.””
Silence.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
From Detective Harris.
I opened it.
My heart dropped.
“We found the person who accessed the scholarship account.””
I read the next line.
The phone nearly slipped from my hand.
“It wasn’t Marianne.””
Everyone stared at me.
“What?”” Kendra asked.
I looked at Victor.
Then at Zoria.
The message continued.
“The account was accessed using a device registered to…”
I stopped.
May you like
Because the name appeared.
And it belonged to someone none of us expected.
