Chapter 11: The Secret My Family Buried
I couldn’t move.
The words didn’t make sense.
“What brother?””
My father looked away.
Like saying the truth out loud would make it real.
“Your mother was pregnant before you were born.””
I blinked.
“Dad…”
“You had a brother.””
The room went silent.
I looked at James.
He looked just as confused.
“Why didn’t I know?””
My father sat down on the porch steps.
“Because he didn’t survive.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
A child.
A baby.
A person who had existed before me.
And nobody had ever told me.
“What does this have to do with Lauren?””
My father rubbed his hands together.
“Lauren knew.””
“How?””
“She was old enough to remember.””
I stared.
“She was a child.””
“Yes.””
“Why would she use that?””
My father’s eyes filled with regret.
“Because Lauren learned very young how to use people’s pain.””
I felt sick.
My father continued.
“After your brother died, your mother changed.””
“I know she was always sad.””
“Yes.””
“But Lauren?””
He nodded.
“Lauren was afraid your mother would never love her the same way again.””
I looked down.
“So she started acting out.””
My father nodded.
“She would create problems just to get attention.””
I remembered all the stories.
All the excuses.
All the times everyone said:
“That’s just Lauren.””
But maybe it wasn’t.
Maybe everyone had been afraid of what would happen if they admitted the truth.
My father looked at me.
“She found out years ago that your mother had hidden something from the family.””
“What?””
“Your mother blamed herself for what happened.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t explain anything.””
“She wrote letters.””
“Letters?””
“To your brother.””
My heart sank.
“And Lauren found them.””
I understood.
“She used them.””
My father nodded.
“She told your mother that if she ever tried to stop protecting her, she would tell everyone.””
I sat down.
My entire family had been built on secrets.
And Lauren knew exactly where they were hidden.
When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
James found me sitting in Emma’s room.
“You okay?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
He sat beside me.
“I don’t know what’s worse.””
“What?””
“That Lauren hurt Emma.””
I looked at him.
“Or that everyone helped her become someone who could.””
James was quiet.
Then he said:
“People can explain someone’s behavior without excusing it.””
I nodded.
That night, Detective Harris called.
“Mrs. Walker, we found something.””
I sat up.
“What?””
“We reviewed the footage from the camera system.””
“But it was deleted.””
“Not completely.””
My heart raced.
“What did you find?””
“A backup file.””
I looked at James.
“What does it show?””
A pause.
Then:
“It shows your sister entering your home.””
I closed my eyes.
“Okay.””
“But that’s not the important part.””
My stomach tightened.
“What is?””
“The footage shows she was there for almost twenty minutes before Thanksgiving dinner ended.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
“We don’t know.””
“Did she hurt Emma?””
“No.””
I exhaled.
Then Detective Harris continued.
“But she was looking through your belongings.””
My blood ran cold.
“What belongings?””
“Documents.””
“What documents?””
Another pause.
Then:
“Your daughter’s medical records.””
I stood up.
“Why would she look at those?””
Detective Harris didn’t answer immediately.
“Mrs. Walker, there’s something else.””
“What?””
“She removed something from your house.””
My hand tightened around the phone.
“What did she take?””
Detective Harris’s voice lowered.
“A folder.””
“What folder?””
The answer came slowly.
“The adoption paperwork.””
I froze.
Because Emma wasn’t adopted.
She was my biological daughter.
So why would Lauren take those papers?
James looked at me.
“What happened?””
I whispered:
“She took Emma’s documents.””
His expression changed.
“Why?””
I didn’t know.
But deep down, I felt the answer was coming.
And I was terrified.
The next morning, Lauren sent me a message.
Just one sentence.
No explanation.
No apology.
May you like
No emotion.
*You should ask James where Emma really came from.*
