Chapter 3: The Letter I Wrote Before I Died
Nobody moved.
The woman stood in the middle of the ballroom holding an envelope that had my name written across the front.
Caroline Mercer.
My handwriting.
My old handwriting.
The handwriting I used before the fire changed everything.
Detective Vance approached carefully.
"Who are you?""
The woman looked uncomfortable.
"I'm Emily Carter. I work at a private legal office in Pennsylvania.""
She looked at me.
"I was instructed to deliver this only if Caroline Mercer appeared alive.""
Nathan stepped forward.
"Who instructed you?""
Emily glanced at Juliette.
The answer was obvious.
Juliette looked terrified.
"I don't know what you're talking about.""
Emily frowned.
"You signed the delivery agreement.""
The room exploded with whispers.
My father stared at his younger daughter.
"Juliette, what did you do?""
Juliette's voice became desperate.
"I was protecting this family.""
I almost laughed.
Protecting?
That word had destroyed me.
Emily handed me the envelope.
My fingers shook as I opened it.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
I unfolded it.
And saw my own words.
If you are reading this, something happened to me.
My breath caught.
I looked up at Detective Vance.
"I wrote this?""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
"When?""
"Three days before the fire.""
I kept reading.
I don't know who I can trust anymore.
The ballroom disappeared around me.
The voices faded.
The only thing I could hear was my own past.
Juliette knows about the baby. She knows Nathan is the father. She told me she would take everything from me if I refused to give her what she wanted.
My hands began trembling.
Nathan saw my face.
"What does it say?""
I couldn't answer.
Not yet.
Because the next sentence destroyed the last piece of doubt I had.
If something happens to me, don't believe anyone who says I left willingly.
I looked directly at Juliette.
She was crying.
But I no longer saw my sister.
I saw the woman who had spent five years keeping my daughter from me.
"What did you want from me?"" I whispered.
Juliette wiped her tears.
"You wouldn't understand.""
"No.""
I stepped closer.
"I understand perfectly.""
She shook her head.
"You had everything.""
"I had a baby.""
"And Nathan.""
Her voice cracked.
"You had the life I wanted.""
I stared at her.
"You could have built your own.""
Juliette laughed quietly.
"You always say that because you've never been the one nobody chooses.""
The cruelty of those words was almost impressive.
Even now, she wanted to be the victim.
Nathan looked sick.
"Juliette, where is Lily?""
She didn't answer.
"Where is my daughter?""
Still nothing.
Then Detective Vance received a phone call.
He answered.
"Yes?""
Everyone watched his expression change.
"What?""
He turned away.
"Are you certain?""
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?""
He slowly lowered the phone.
"We found Lily.""
My knees weakened.
Nathan grabbed the table for support.
"Where?""
Detective Vance looked at me.
"She has been living under a different last name.""
My heart pounded.
"Is she safe?""
He hesitated.
That hesitation terrified me.
"Caroline...""
"What?""
He looked at Juliette.
"She's been told her biological mother died five years ago.""
The room went silent.
Juliette closed her eyes.
Nathan whispered:
"She thinks Caroline is dead.""
I felt a pain deeper than the scars on my face.
For five years, my daughter had grown up believing I abandoned her.
I had missed her first words.
Her first steps.
Her birthdays.
Every moment I should have been there.
I looked at Juliette.
"Where is she?""
Juliette didn't answer.
Instead, she smiled.
A small, cold smile.
"You really think you can just walk back into her life?""
My voice lowered.
"Yes.""
She shook her head.
"You don't know what I told her.""
The ballroom doors suddenly opened again.
A police officer entered.
Behind him stood a little girl holding a stuffed rabbit.
She looked around at all the strangers.
Then her eyes stopped on me.
The room held its breath.
The little girl stared at my scarred face.
Then she whispered:
"Mommy?""
May you like
And Juliette screamed:
"No!""
