Chapter 9: The Brother I Never Knew
The police searched for Ethan all night.
They checked his apartment.
His workplace.
Every place connected to him.
Nothing.
He had disappeared.
Just like Clara.
But unlike Clara, Ethan wasn’t missing.
He was hiding.
And he wanted us to know he was close.
The next morning, I found something waiting on my front porch.
An envelope.
No address.
No name.
Just one sentence written across the front.
*For my brother.*
My hands shook.
Clara stood beside me.
“Don’t open it alone.””
I nodded.
Detective Harris arrived before I touched it.
Inside was a letter.
The handwriting was Ethan’s.
I knew it instantly.
Julian,
You probably think I’m a monster.
I stopped reading.
Because part of me wanted to believe there was an explanation.
A misunderstanding.
Anything.
You always had everything. The perfect wife. The perfect daughter. The perfect life.
My jaw tightened.
Everyone loved you.
Our parents chose you.
Clara chose you.
Even Lily chose you.
Clara looked angry.
Not for herself.
For me.
Because she knew what was coming.
Rebecca understood something you never did.
People like us don’t get happy endings.
I turned the page.
She offered me a chance to finally stop being the forgotten brother.
Detective Harris leaned closer.
“Keep going.””
The next line made my blood run cold.
But Rebecca lied.
Clara looked up.
“What?””
I continued.
She told me Clara would disappear forever.
She told me Lily would forget her mother.
She told me I would get my share.
But she never planned to give me anything.
For the first time, I felt something besides anger.
Pity.
Ethan had destroyed everything because he believed someone else promised him a place.
And that person used him.
The letter continued.
There is something you need to know.
Rebecca wasn’t the one who found Clara after the crash.
My eyes widened.
Clara looked at me.
“What does that mean?””
I kept reading.
Someone else found her first.
Detective Harris stood straight.
“Who?””
The next sentence was underlined.
Someone who knew Clara was alive and decided to keep her hidden.
Nobody spoke.
The room felt frozen.
Clara covered her mouth.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She shook her head.
“That’s impossible.””
“Why?””
“Because the person who found me…”
She stopped.
Her eyes filled with fear.
“Who?”” I asked.
Clara whispered:
“My brother.””
I froze.
“Daniel?””
She nodded slowly.
“The night I woke up in the hospital, the first person I remember seeing was Daniel.””
Detective Harris looked confused.
“But Daniel disappeared.””
Clara nodded.
“Exactly.””
A horrible thought entered my mind.
“If Daniel knew you were alive…”
Clara finished the sentence.
“He could have come home.””
“But he didn’t.””
Nobody moved.
Because now there were too many questions.
Why hide Clara?
Why let everyone believe she died?
Why disappear?
Then my phone buzzed.
A new message.
From Ethan.
Only three words.
*Ask your wife.*
I looked at Clara.
She stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
A photo.
A picture of Clara from the hospital.
Standing beside a man.
A man whose face was partially hidden.
But Clara recognized him immediately.
Her blood drained from her face.
“That’s Daniel.””
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And beneath the photo was one final message.
*Your wife knows why she never came home.*
