Chapter 13: The Memory I Didn’t Remember
I stared at the photograph until my eyes burned.
Me.
Standing beside Emily.
Outside the hospital.
The date was printed at the bottom.
Three days before she died.
I wanted to throw the phone across the room.
I wanted to scream that it wasn’t possible.
But the worst part was this:
I recognized the jacket I was wearing.
I recognized the hospital entrance.
I recognized the way Emily was holding my arm.
It wasn’t a fake memory.
It was a memory I had lost.
“Daniel?””
My father’s voice sounded distant.
I looked up.
“What is this?””
Nobody answered.
My mother looked terrified.
My father looked defeated.
And Vanessa looked like she had been waiting for this moment.
“You don’t remember,” she whispered.
I turned toward her.
“Remember what?””
She took a breath.
“The week before Emily died.””
My hands tightened around the phone.
“I remember.””
“No.””
Her voice was gentle.
“You remember what your mind allowed you to remember.””
The words made no sense.
“What are you talking about?””
My father stepped closer.
“Daniel, after the accident, you had memory problems.””
I stared at him.
“What accident?””
Nobody spoke.
Then my mother sat down.
“The accident Emily wrote about.””
My heart started pounding.
The room felt smaller.
“Tell me.””
My father looked at my mother.
Then at me.
“You were driving home from the hospital.””
I frowned.
“I don’t remember.””
“Because you were unconscious for three days.””
The silence was unbearable.
I looked at Vanessa.
“You knew?””
She nodded.
“Emily told me.””
My father continued.
“Your car crashed after someone tampered with the brakes.””
I felt cold.
“And Emily?””
“She was in the passenger seat.””
I covered my mouth.
“No.””
My father’s eyes filled with tears.
“She survived.””
The room stopped.
“What?””
“She survived the crash.””
My mind couldn’t process it.
“She died from cancer.””
My father looked away.
“She was already sick. The crash made everything worse.””
I looked at the photograph again.
Emily.
Me.
The hospital.
The missing memory.
“What happened after?””
My mother whispered:
“You woke up.””
“And?””
“You didn’t remember the crash.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“You remembered pieces.””
My father looked at me.
“But the doctors warned us that forcing you to remember could cause more damage.””
I laughed bitterly.
“So everyone just lied?””
“No.””
My mother stepped forward.
“We protected you.””
I looked at her.
“By letting me believe Emily died without knowing she was afraid?””
My mother cried.
“No.””
“By letting me marry Vanessa without knowing she was involved?””
Vanessa flinched.
“I wasn’t involved.””
I looked at her.
“Then why were you there?””
She lowered her eyes.
“Because Emily called me.””
“Why?””
Vanessa took out another envelope.
“She wanted me to help you remember.””
I stared at it.
Another letter.
Another secret.
“How many things did Emily leave behind?””
Vanessa’s voice cracked.
“Enough to destroy the person who did this.””
My father walked toward the table.
“Daniel.””
I looked at him.
“You need to know the truth.””
“Then tell me.””
He swallowed.
“The person who sabotaged your car wasn’t trying to kill Emily.””
A chill went through me.
“They were trying to kill me?””
“No.””
He looked at the photograph.
“They were trying to erase what Emily knew.””
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a final note.
My hands shook as I read.
Daniel,
If you are reading this, then you finally remember.
I know you will blame yourself.
Please don’t.
The crash was not your fault.
The person responsible is someone we trusted.
Someone who knew our family.
Someone who had access to everything.
My breathing stopped.
The next line was shorter.
And it was the one that broke me.
I know who it is.
I looked up.
“Who?””
Nobody answered.
I looked at Vanessa.
“Who did Emily think it was?””
Vanessa’s face went pale.
“She never told me the name.””
“Then how do you know?””
She looked at the letter.
“Because she left another clue.””
“What clue?””
Vanessa reached into her bag.
She pulled out a small recording device.
Emily’s voice filled the room.
Weak.
Tired.
But unmistakable.
“Daniel… if you’re hearing this, I’m sorry.””
My knees almost gave out.
“I need you to listen carefully.””
The recording continued.
“The person who hurt us isn’t someone who hates us.””
A pause.
“They love us.””
Everyone froze.
Then Emily whispered:
“That’s what makes them dangerous.””
The recording stopped.
And on the back of the device was a single word written in Emily’s handwriting.
A name.
The name of the person she trusted most.
I turned the device over.
And my blood went cold.
May you like
Because the name was:
Daniel.
