Chapter 6: The Truth My Mother Buried
I didn’t open the envelope.
Not immediately.
I wanted to.
Every part of me wanted to tear it open and finally understand what was happening.
But something stopped me.
Maybe it was fear.
Maybe it was the realization that every answer I found created three more questions.
My mother stood across from me.
Ryan stood beside the doorway.
The two people I trusted most in the world looked like strangers.
“Jessica,” my mother said quietly.
I looked at her.
“Did you write this?””
“Yes.””
“When?””
She hesitated.
“Two years ago.””
Two years.
A year after my father died.
A year before I came home.
“What happened two years ago?””
She looked at Ryan.
He looked away.
That bothered me.
“You both know something.””
Neither answered.
I grabbed the envelope.
“I’m opening this now.””
My mother stepped forward.
“No.””
The panic in her voice surprised me.
“Why?””
“Because once you read it, you can’t pretend you don’t know.””
I stared at her.
“That’s the whole point.””
I opened it.
Inside was a single piece of paper.
My mother’s handwriting filled the page.
Jessica,
If you are reading this, then something has happened that I was hoping would never happen.
I stopped.
My hands tightened.
The letter continued.
Your father believed he was betrayed by someone close to him. He spent his final months searching for the truth. But he was wrong about one thing.
I looked up.
My mother was crying.
I continued.
He thought the person hurting us was someone outside the family.
He was wrong.
My breathing slowed.
Outside the family.
The words echoed.
I read the next line.
The person who destroyed your father’s trust was someone he loved.
I lowered the paper.
“Mom…”
She closed her eyes.
“I didn’t want you to know this.””
“Who?””
She didn’t answer.
Ryan did.
“Jessica.””
I looked at him.
“Don’t.””
His face was serious.
“You need to hear it.””
My mother shook her head.
“Ryan.””
But he continued.
“Your father found out someone had been moving money from his accounts.””
I looked at my mother.
“And?””
Ryan swallowed.
“He thought it was me.””
The room went silent.
“What?””
“He thought I was taking money.””
My mind raced.
“But you weren’t?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Ryan looked at my mother.
And this time, she didn’t look away.
My heart sank.
“No.””
My mother whispered:
“Jessica…”
“No.””
I backed away.
“Say it.””
She started crying.
“I was trying to fix things.””
My voice became sharper.
“Say it.””
She covered her face.
“I borrowed money.””
“Borrowed?””
“I planned to replace it.””
“How much?””
She didn’t answer.
“Mom.””
Her voice was barely audible.
“Enough.””
The word made my chest tighten.
Ryan stepped forward.
“But she wasn’t the only one involved.””
I looked at him.
“What does that mean?””
He reached into the folder again.
Pulled out another document.
And placed it on the table.
“This is the part your father never got to see.””
I picked it up.
It was a contract.
A business agreement.
A partnership.
And at the bottom were two signatures.
One belonged to my mother.
The other belonged to someone else.
Someone whose name made my hands go numb.
Because I knew that name.
I had seen it at every family holiday.
I had trusted that person since I was a child.
I looked at Ryan.
“Why would they do this?””
His answer was quiet.
“Because your father wasn’t the only person they wanted gone.””
I stared at the signature.
Then I heard footsteps outside.
Someone was walking toward the front door.
My mother went pale.
Ryan immediately stood.
“Jessica.””
“What?””
He looked at the door.
“The person who signed that contract…”
May you like
The doorknob began to turn.
“…knows you’re here.””
