Chapter 6: The Choice My Father Made
I couldn’t speak.
The photograph shook in my hands.
My father standing behind my mother’s car.
On the night she almost died.
“No,” he whispered.
But he didn’t sound surprised.
He sounded caught.
My mother looked at him.
“Richard.””
He stood quickly.
“I can explain.””
Those four words.
Those terrible words.
They always came before someone admitted something they didn’t want to say.
I looked at him.
“Then explain.””
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Detective Harper watched him carefully.
“You were at the scene?””
Dad looked down.
“Yes.””
My mother stepped backward.
“Why?””
He closed his eyes.
“I followed you.””
The pain on my mother’s face was worse than anger.
It was betrayal.
“Why?””
He swallowed.
“Because I wanted to talk.””
“About what?””
He didn’t answer.
“About what, Richard?””
His voice was barely a whisper.
“Divorce.””
The word hit harder than I expected.
My mother stared at him.
“You followed me because you wanted a divorce?””
“Yes.””
“And then my brakes failed?””
He looked away.
“I didn’t do that.””
Nobody moved.
I believed him.
I didn’t know why.
Maybe because despite everything, some part of me still needed him not to be a monster.
Detective Harper stepped forward.
“Then why did you leave the scene?””
Dad looked destroyed.
“Because I panicked.””
My fists tightened.
“You saw her crash.””
“Yes.””
“And you left?””
“I thought she was dead.””
My mother’s eyes filled.
“You left me there.””
“I was terrified.””
“No.””
Her voice broke.
“You were protecting yourself.””
He had no response.
Because she was right.
Aunt Denise quietly spoke.
“That’s why Vanessa had control.””
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“Richard knew the truth about the accident, but he was afraid of what would happen if police investigated.””
My father looked ashamed.
“I didn’t know Vanessa caused it.””
Detective Harper nodded.
“That’s what we need to determine.””
She looked at Vanessa.
“Because someone else had access to the vehicle.””
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“This is ridiculous.””
Detective Harper opened another file.
“Your fingerprints were found on the brake assembly.””
The room went completely still.
Vanessa’s face changed.
“No.””
She laughed nervously.
“That’s impossible.””
“You repaired cars with your father growing up, correct?””
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Detective Harper continued.
“You knew how to damage a vehicle without making it obvious.””
My mother covered her mouth.
I looked at Vanessa.
The woman who sat in my mother’s chair.
The woman who told me I was abandoned.
The woman who erased six years of my life.
“You tried to kill my mother.””
Vanessa’s eyes turned toward me.
And something inside her broke.
“I never meant for it to go that far.””
The sentence destroyed any hope I had left.
Because it was a confession.
My father sat down.
“No…”
Vanessa looked at him.
“You were going to leave me.””
“You could have killed her.””
“I was trying to remove a problem.””
My stomach turned.
A problem.
That was what my mother was to her.
That was what I was.
A problem standing between her and the life she wanted.
Detective Harper moved closer.
“You’re under arrest.””
Vanessa didn’t fight.
She didn’t cry.
She just looked at me.
And strangely, that was worse.
Because there was no regret.
Only anger.
As she was taken away, my father remained sitting alone.
My mother stood beside me.
For the first time in six years, she was actually there.
But I still had questions.
Because one thing didn’t make sense.
I looked at Detective Harper.
“If Vanessa did this…”
She turned toward me.
“What?””
“Who sent the messages?””
The detective’s expression changed.
A worried look crossed her face.
“Those messages weren’t from Vanessa.””
My heart stopped.
“Then who?””
She looked at the phone in my hand.
“The number belongs to someone who was supposed to be dead.””
I stared at the screen.
And then another message appeared.
*Maya, I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.*
My hands went cold.
May you like
Because the sender’s name appeared above it.
*Angela Brooks.*
