Chapter 6: The Brother Who Knew Too Much
My laptop screen stayed frozen.
The image burned into my mind.
My brother.
Michael.
Standing beside Sarah.
Three years ago.
The night she died.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“No.””
The word escaped my mouth.
Olivia looked at me.
“You know him?””
I didn’t answer.
I couldn’t.
Michael wasn’t just my brother.
He was my best friend.
The person who stood beside me after Sarah’s death.
The person who helped arrange the funeral.
The person who told me:
“Daniel, you have to let go.””
I replayed the sentence in my head.
Let go.
Move on.
Stop asking questions.
How many times had he said those words?
Vanessa sat down on the bed.
Her face was empty.
“You finally know.””
I turned toward her.
“You knew?””
She looked at me.
“Yes.””
My anger exploded.
“You knew Michael was there?””
She didn’t respond.
“Answer me!””
“Yes.””
I grabbed the laptop.
“You knew my brother was involved and you said nothing?””
Vanessa looked down.
“He asked me not to.””
The room spun.
“What?””
Olivia stepped closer.
“Daniel, what is she saying?””
I stared at Vanessa.
“What did Michael ask you to hide?””
She wiped her tears.
“You don’t understand.””
“No.””
My voice became cold.
“You’re right.””
“I don’t understand how the woman who promised to love my daughter could hurt her.””
Vanessa flinched.
I continued.
“I don’t understand how you watched me bury my wife while knowing the truth.””
“Daniel—”
“Tell me.””
She looked toward the floor.
“Michael and I…”
She stopped.
The silence was enough.
My stomach turned.
“You and my brother?””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Before I married you.””
Olivia gasped.
I felt sick.
“Sarah knew?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
That was the answer.
I walked toward the window.
Three years.
Three years of believing my life collapsed because of a tragic accident.
But maybe it wasn’t an accident.
Maybe everyone around me knew except me.
“Why?””
Vanessa whispered:
“Because Sarah found out.””
“Found out what?””
“That Michael and I were together.””
The room became silent.
Emma was still downstairs with the neighbor Olivia called earlier.
I was grateful she wasn’t hearing this.
“She threatened to tell me.””
Vanessa continued.
“She said she would take Emma and leave.””
I turned around.
“And what did you do?””
Her face broke.
“I made mistakes.””
I laughed.
“Mistakes?””
I pointed toward the hallway.
“My daughter ate from a dog bowl.””
Vanessa started crying.
“I hated how much Sarah was still between us.””
I stared at her.
“You hated my dead wife.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
I shook my head.
“You didn’t want Emma because she was Sarah’s daughter.””
Vanessa looked away.
The truth was sitting right there.
Then Olivia picked up the laptop.
“Wait.””
She looked at the video timeline.
“There’s another file.””
I walked back.
A hidden folder appeared.
The title was:
*FINAL MESSAGE.*
My heart raced.
“Play it.””
The video loaded.
Sarah appeared again.
But this time she wasn’t crying.
She looked terrified.
“Daniel, if this video reaches you, it means I didn’t get the chance to tell you myself.””
I held my breath.
“Vanessa and Michael are not the only people involved.””
My blood ran cold.
Sarah looked directly into the camera.
“There is someone else.””
The video shook.
Sarah looked toward the door.
Then whispered:
“The person who started all of this is someone you would never suspect.””
A sound came from outside the room.
Everyone froze.
A voice came from downstairs.
“Daniel?””
My heart stopped.
Because I knew that voice.
Michael.
May you like
He was standing in my house.
And he had heard everything.
